Duffy expects little opposition to gumshields

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy is confident the mandatory wearing of gumshields at all levels in Gaelic football by 2014 will be implemented with relatively little fuss.

Reacting on Twitter to news of the motion being passed on Saturday, several inter-county Gaelic footballers voiced opposition to the new measure.

Darren Hughes (Monaghan), Paddy Bradley (Derry), Anthony Masterson (Wexford), Paddy Cunningham (Antrim) all expressed doubts about wearing them. However, Duffy isn’t overly concerned about such reactions.

“I think it’s a bit like the helmets,” he said in reference to the safety gear being made mandatory at all levels in hurling in 2010.

“There’ll be a bit of resistance for a while but the figures show that this is for the benefit of players. There’ll be resistance but I think that will be overcome. This will reduce serious injuries.”

Duffy’s fellow Monaghan man, Hughes, asked if gumshields can be taken out for unopposed parts of games such as kickouts, frees and 45s. The fine print of a motion, which will see mouthguards worn at all levels up to and including minor from next year, has yet to be worked on.

But Duffy added: “We’ll implement the rule as it’s passed. Sometimes with these things I think we can exaggerate the potential problems. I don’t think this will be a huge problem. Someone told me goalkeepers were tweeting already about the new square ball rule. That’s the nature of these things. It’s 2014 so it’s a fair lead-in time. Players will start using it on a gradual basis. I think it will be manageable.”

Saturday’s Congress saw in the amendment of the square ball rule in football. Coming into effect for this year’s All-Ireland championship, the attacking player will be allowed to enter the small rectangle before the final play into the area.

While for set plays he will be allowed into the small rectangle before the ball.

It’s hoped the change will avoid controversial incidents like Benny Coulter’s goal in 2010 and Tomás O’Connor’s disallowed effort last year.

Replays in the championship will now only apply to the qualifiers, while the six-day turnaround for provincial runners-up to their respective fourth round qualifiers will be a thing of the past from next year. With little debate, the tiered inter-county training ban was also given the green light. Teams now exiting the championship in June will be permitted to return to training by November 15 with those whose campaigns finish in July resuming on December 1.

Those whose summers end in August can come back on December 8 and teams remaining in the championship in September will be permitted to train again on December 29.

Outgoing GAA president Christy Cooney pleaded with counties to abide by the new rule having flouted the previous one. Dubbed the Seanie Johnston motion in relation to his proposed switch to Kildare, players who wish to play for another county must first line out for their adopted club in the championship.

However, it’s a rule that is lightly to impact more on the likes of London and New York. From 2014 onwards, Congress will be staged before March 1. It has already been pencilled in for Derry next March.