GAA Congress 2023 begins this evening at Croke Park with the election of a new President.
It’s a three man race with Offaly’s Pat Teehan, Donegal’s Niall Erskine and Armagh’s Jarlath Burns in the running.
Burns was narrowly beaten by Larry McCarthy last time out, but this offers no guarantees.
Next on the clar of Congress is a raft of motions relating to age grades for juvenile hurling and football, indicating the furore over the minor grade at under-17 is very real.
It is unclear yet if these motions will be voted on today, as they are likely to be debated together, and a lengthy discussion is anticipated.
They could be deferred until Saturday when the other motions will be voted on.
All bar two motions, which would bring about new rules, require a 60percent majority to pass.
Here are eight of the main motions to look out for this weekend:
MOTION 11: EVERY CLUB MUST FIELD AT LEAST ONE HURLING TEAM AT UNDER 8, 9 or 10.
This motion comes from the St. Mary’s Rosslare club in Wexford, the home of All-Ireland winning manager, Liam Griffin and is sure to provoke much debate.
The motion states that exclusively football clubs can be exempt.
But only if they demonstrate their under 7, 8 and 9 players are afforded hurling at an exclusively hurling or dual club, or if they can demonstrate by ‘sheer demographics’ they don’t have the numbers.
Clubs breaking the rule would be fined €250, with the fine doubling every year thereafter.
MOTION 12: PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
Tipperary club Kiladangan are proposing that a player who makes one substitute appearance for a team at a higher level can still play for the team directly below them.
This would help to bring an end to the perennial row in almost every club when a first team throws on a sub in the dying seconds of a senior championship game and the player is ineligible for intermediate.
It seems like a sensible motion.
MOTION 14: GALWAY MINOR HURLERS SEEK LEINSTER OR MUNSTER ENTRY FOR 2023
This is proposed by the Galway County Board and is an issue that has been bubbling for a while.
Some of Leinster’s lesser lights have opposed Galway underage teams coming into the province as it effectively means their already limited chances of success are diminished further. They may speak against it this weekend.
Galway have enjoyed huge success at minor level recently but say they are prepared to sacrifice some of that to guarantee their young players more games.
The county are happy to go into Leinster or Munster this year while a long term solution is worked out. Galway’s senior sides have been in Leinster since 2009.
MOTION 15: 96 WEEK BAN FOR STRIKING OR ATTEMPTING TO STRIKE A MATCH OFFICIAL.
This is a Wexford GAA motion and arises out of some unsavoury incidents last Autumn where referees were assaulted or forced to abandon games.
It applies to players and management teams, while the teams they represent could also be thrown out of the relevant competition.
.This is one of a number of tougher disciplinary measures, which would see disciplinary committees given the option to increase bans for appeals they feel are ‘frivilous’ or ‘spurious.’
A doubling of suspensions for juvenile mentors who verbally abuse match officials is also proposed.
MOTION 19: KERRY HURLING SEEK MUNSTER ENTRY
This motion comes from the Kerry County Board.
It would see an end to the current situation where the winners of the Joe McDonagh Cup automatically enter the Leinster round robin championship the following season.
If Kerry win the McDonagh Cup they would go into the Munster Championship the next year, but if anyone else, including Antrim, win it, they go into Leinster.
This could see the Munster round robin go to six teams on occasion, with Leinster having five sides.
MOTION 21: 48 WEEK BAN FOR DEED, WORD OR GESTURE OF A RACIST, SECTARIAN OR ANTI-INCLUSION/DIVERSITY NATURE
Britain GAA, via the Roger Casements club in Coventry are bringing this motion forward. Currently the ban for such an offence is a two game suspension.
The motion does state that a person over 18 can have the ban halved to 24 weeks, and an under-18 have it cut to 12 weeks if they “complete an appropriate course of training or education.”
Casements had originally sought a 96 week ban after one of their players was racially abused in a game back in 2020 and brought a motion to congress last year, which was deferred by the GAA.
MOTION 36: THE NEW SLIOTAR
This would enshrine in rule that it is a yellow card offence for a player to refuse to use the new approved microchipped sliotar.
The rule also makes it a yellow card offence not to comply with a referee’s instruction to wear a facial guard on a helmet.
A repeat offence in the same game would lead to a red card.
MOTION 37: THE BAS
This motion states that hurleys shall only be approved for use based on compliance with standards and tests as set out by Central Council.
If this refers to the size of the bas on the hurl it is unclear who the GAA intend to police this.
The motion comes from the GAA’s Sliotar and Hurley Regulation Workgroup.
READ NEXT:
Tadhg Beirne blow for Ireland and Munster as he undergoes ankle operation
- Ireland legend Jack McGrath retires through injury
Trainer awaiting 12-year ban appeal gives emotional interview after winner
- Tom Parsons reveals he could have lost his leg in horror injury
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
