Hurling's black card is set for a significant tweak following the controversy from last year’s Tipperary-Clare game.
Introduced on a three-year trial basis in an attempt to cut out cynical fouls to prevent goal opportunities from developing anywhere inside the 20-metre line, a motion will go to GAA Congress later this month calling for offences that occur 25 metres in from either sideline not to be punishable by the awarding of a penalty.
Last year’s Munster semi-final turned on a decision by referee James Owens to award Tipperary a penalty after Aidan McCarthy dragged Jake Morris down some five metres from the sideline with most observers agreeing that it wasn’t an obvious goalscoring chance at that stage.
However, should the motion be passed, it looks as though there will be no additional lines to the playing surface with the 25m principle to be applied as a “rule of thumb”. The motion, which is one of 48 and comes from the Standing Committee on Playing Rules, will require a 60% majority.
Elsewhere, a motion from the Rathdowney-Errill club in Laois advocates all adult players who wish to participate in championship games undertaking a course on “alcohol, gambling and substance abuse and anti-doping education in that championship year or the preceding one”.
However noble the intentions behind it, it’s a proposal that is likely to find little favour among club players and, indeed, Congress delegates in Mayo on February 25/26, particularly as it goes beyond what is currently expected of inter-county players in that area.
Meanwhile, Central Council has a motion to reduce the under-20 grade to under-19 for a three-year trial period while, separately, the Corduff club in Monaghan proposes that the minor age grade be restored from under-17 to under-18.
The controversial rule introduced last year which essentially forbids joint-captains from accepting a trophy is set to be tinkered with slightly to allow two players from an amalgamation to lift a cup which, even if introduced, would mean that Ballygunner’s Barry Coughlan and Philip Mahony trophy-lift following Saturday’s All-Ireland club hurling final would still be illegal under rule.
Another motion from Britain seeks to increase the penalty for racist or sectarian behaviour towards an opponent or match official from two matches to a 48-week ban and possible expulsion from the GAA.
And following the decision to suspend former Cork football boss Ronan McCarthy for 12 weeks, rather than the minimum eight specified, for breaching the Covid-19 training ban last year, it is proposed that the relevant committee “shall provide reasons for the imposition of a penalty in excess of the minimum” in future.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
