Cork critical of Council’s rush to judgment

The decision of the GAA’s Central Council to reach agreement by email on a new interpretation of 20m frees and penalties in hurling came in for heavy criticism at last night’s Cork County Board meeting.

Cork’s Central Council delegate Des Cullinane revealed at the meeting that the council had not been convened last week when clarification was sought from the association’s management committee.

Instead, delegates were emailed and no official result of the online vote was provided. County board delegate John Corcoran (St Mary’s) described it as an “alarming deviation from what we’re used to,” while Cork chairman Bob Ryan agreed.

“I don’t think that anybody agrees with the system used,” he said.

“The Central Council has the power to clarify rules, but I’d certainly prefer a meeting to take place and to have proper debate rather than do it by email. How that is dealt with in rule, I don’t know.

Cullinane said that “It certainly was not, from a legislative point of view, the greatest piece of legislation that we have ever drafted.

“A debate on the 20m frees and penalties and the alternatives available is certainly one worth having and you’d hope that this will be the case at Congress 2014.

“Other questions have arisen now. We saw on Sunday that the linesmen came in to make sure that the 20m line wasn’t crossed, but what’s going on behind them when they’re watching the penalty-taker?

“I would imagine that an interpretation would never again be offered in such a way .

“It was felt that bringing everybody to Dublin on a Tuesday night would be too difficult.

“I put forward Cork’s reservations with the changes bring proposed and no tally was given but I’d imagine, from the other responses, that the vote was heavily in favour of the management committee’s recommendation.”