Details of plans to extend all cards to extra-time released

CHANE INCOMING? A general view of a red card during the Allianz Football League. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach, Sportsfile

The motions relating to black, yellow and red cards earned in normal time carrying into extra-time have been released to counties.

The recommendations, considered “emergency matters relating to the playing rules”, were made at last Saturday week’s Central Council meeting and issued by GAA director general Tom Ryan on Tuesday morning. They are to be debated at Annual Congress in Newry at the end of this month.

The first proposal states that extra-time is to be considered a continuation of normal time except where provided otherwise in the rulebook.

The second motion explains that a team may replace any or all of the players on the field of play at the conclusion of normal time but a player sent off in any circumstances in normal time may not play in extra-time nor be replaced.

A black carded player who has not finished his 10-minute spell in the sin bin in normal time must serve it at the start of extra-time before returning to the fray. Any black or yellow card remains active in the two additional periods.

As before, a team can make a maximum of three substitutions in extra-time and temporary replacements are also permitted.

The referee must receive a team-list comprising the players commencing extra-time and a note on the changes from the side that concluded normal time. Also, for inter-county games, only players on the list provided to the match official before the start of the game can begin extra-time.

It remains to be seen if there will be opposition to the motions at Congress. The standing playing rules committee had been in favour of black cards not carrying over into extra-time as is currently the case with yellow cards. Teams who have had a player or players sent off in normal time can be restored to 15 excluding those dismissed players for extra-time.

In November, Central Council rejected that proposal and requested the matter be reviewed with a mind to all cards earned in normal time applying to extra-time. However, it required interventions from delegates last month to submit a motion in time to be included for the Clár of the forthcoming Congress.

If the motions are passed, it’s expected they will come into force for the start of the senior inter-county championships in April and possibly under-age provincial championships.

The playing rules committee have a number of motions on the Clár such as ordering hurlers who take their helmets off from the pitch.