Hawk-Eye decision looms

THE GAA’s management committee were last night presented with the feasibility study into the use of the Hawk-Eye system as score detection technology.

A decision on the initiative as well as a number of issues will be rubberstamped by Central Council this afternoon.

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy has already accepted the possibility of Hawk-Eye operating in Croke Park over the next two seasons before being rolled out elsewhere.

“There might be a case for doing it on a pilot basis, perhaps even in Croke Park for one or two years,” said Duffy earlier this month.

There is also expected to be some development on the establishment of a discussion forum on payments to managers, as indicated by GAA President Christy Cooney at last April’s Congress.

Central Council will also today decide on the new league structural proposals for both football and hurling in 2012. The Central Competitions Control Committee’s recommendations is the only option for change on the table for the Allianz Football League.

They propose that Division 1 be split into two groups of eight based on the top 16 teams as they finished this year (including Louth and Westmeath promoted from Division 3).

However, they, along with the Management Committee and the National Hurling Development Work Group have put forward plans to alter the Allianz Hurling League.

Although all three plans are different, both the CCCC and the work group suggest increasing the size of Division One from eight to 12 teams.

The GAA’s new standing committee on playing rules is also set to be unveiled at the Central Council meeting.

The GPA will have two representatives, chief executive Dessie Farrell and chairman Dónal Óg Cusack, on the panel while two inter-county managers, one from each code, are also expected to join them.

Central Council will also consider the Kerry County Board’s request to have the Christy Ring Cup winners take part in next year’s All-Ireland SHC qualifiers but not the provincial championship.