No debate on the use of keeper’s hurley for frees

Clarinbridge’s motion to outlaw the use of a goalkeeper’s hurley for free-taking will not be heard at next month’s Congress as playing rule motions cannot be tabled until 2015.

In the wake of Anthony Nash’s successes from the 20m line in last year’s championship, Clarinbridge hurling club put forward a motion, given the green light at the Galway Convention last month, that “all scores from play and placed balls in hurling can only be scored from the standard size hurley and not from an oversized keeper’s hurley”.

GAA’s head of media relations, Alan Milton, yesterday confirmed that Clarinbridge’s motion would not be debated until 2015 as changes to playing rules are only dealt with in years divisible by five.

The GAA Official guide states that the base of a hurley shall be no more than 13cm. Most goalkeepers hurleys, however, measure in excess of 16cm at their widest point.

Galway captain Joe Canning revealed earlier this month that his own hurleys measure 14.5cm and former Galway goalkeeper Liam Donoghue believes that his club’s motion is targeting outfield players, “some of whom are using hurleys with bás’ bigger than my own”.