Pre-season games only open to players who complete six weeks of training

GPA had looked for only development players to participate in provincial competitions.

Luke Fahy of Cork in action against Joe O’Connor of Kerry. Pic: Natasha Barton/Inpho

The agreed GAA-Gaelic Players Association (GPA) contact hours policy for 2026 advises that only players who have completed six weeks of pre-season training should play in the pre-National League competitions in January.

The GPA had looked for the likes of the McGrath, McKenna, and Walsh Cups to be reserved for development players. 

However, the compromise is the footballers and hurlers lining out in those games “should have their six-week training block fully completed”.

This follows the GAA-GPA recommended minimum six weeks’ break for the majority of players between the end of their club activity and the commencement of inter-county training or pre-season competitions. 

For those involved late into club championships, a phased return to training “is expected”.

Challenge matches can take place from December 1, with one collective induction or screening, non-field-based meeting allowed before the official inter-county return date of November 21. No tournaments outside the provincial pre-season competitions will be sanctioned.

in both the pre and in-season period, the maximum number of training sessions permitted per week is four and the fourth session, likely a strength and conditioning one, should be scheduled within 30 minutes’ travelling distance from players. 

To facilitate that, they can be arranged in supervised pods or locally.

Teams must schedule two rest days per week while the five non-contact days over the Christmas period are from December 23 up to and including December 27.

As before, the GPA-GAA confidential reporting tool will be in place for players to highlight when the contact hours policy is breached. 

Earlier this year, GPA chief executive Tom Parsons told Central Council that a number of counties returned to training prior to the official start date in December.

There will be independent spot auditing in each province to raise non-compliance reports, while activity will also be monitored through web expenses. The penalty for breach of the closed season in the GAA Code is forfeiture of home advantage in the next National League game.

In a remote meeting, Central Council last week signed off on the official start date of November 21. 

Last year’s commencement was on December 7, when there were no pre-season competitions, which were suspended for 2025.

The contact policy document is considered by the GAA and GPA to be best practice. It states it is “evidence based through quantitative data demonstrating the optimum contact hours required to perform at the highest level, while also supporting the balance across sport/career and life (recommendation from ESRI report, 2018). 

This has been developed in consultation with sport science professionals currently working within the GAA inter-county environment.”