Contraction of intercounty schedule mooted

The report on facilitating a better programme of club fixtures, launched in Croke Park yesterday, is the opportunity for clubs to make their feelings on the subject known, according to GAA president Nickey Brennan..

"This is an opportunity for clubs to empower members and to stand up and be counted," said the president about the report's proposals that will be debated at a special congress in January. In the meantime there will be club agms and county conventions at which members can influence the outcome.

The definitive proposals on club activity have their origins in Player Welfare Officer Páraic Duffy's paper to last year's national coaching conference, which Pat Daly, the GAA's Director of Games, asked be developed into a full discussion document with a view to producing concrete proposals on providing a better programme of games for club players.

The main provisions of the proposals are to provide greater certainty in the intercounty schedules, including by restricting the National Leagues to a set number of weeks and by measures such as the introduction of extra-time rather than immediate replays for all matches up until provincial championship semi-finals, and to mandate players' availability for club involvement. "One of the biggest issues for clubs," said Duffy, "is they don't have access to players from January until their county is eliminated from the championship. You'll hear the complaint, 'we've raised these players and coached them and never have them for games."

Asked whether the reduction in intercounty weekends would have an adverse impact on the GAA's ability to promote its games, Duffy said whereas that was a concern any moves to ameliorate the situation would have to have an effect. "You're never going to resolve the problem without something having to give. Playing All-Ireland qualifiers and quarter-finals over the one weekend is important because it's impossible for counties to plan when they don't have a clear idea of when the county is playing. Cork had a heavy commitment this year in football and hurling and often didn't know whether they were playing in one or two weeks. There may be fewer intercounty weekends but it's one of the prices that has to paid."

The purpose of contracting the intercounty championship is to free a significant number of weekends during the summer for club activity, according to Duffy. "The idea is there will be all but four counties - all except the All-Ireland semi-finalists - free in hurling and football by the Bank Holiday weekend in August, which means that 28 county championships can start in August and that month and September can become big months for clubs."

An interesting proposal is the concept of a players' charter, guaranteeing certain things, including a close season in November and December during which county managers can't organise training sessions and a schedule of release dates throughout the year when players have to be allowed train with their clubs. Duffy said the idea was felt to be more effective than simply passing new rules.

Another reason for pursuing this approach is that different counties have different bye-laws and practices and allowing them the flexibility to draw up their own agreements - subject to Croke Park approval - is likely to prove more effective.

President Nickey Brennan said the final decision on whether counties would be allowed table motions of their own would rest with Central Council but hinted he would prefer the report to be the sole focus of deliberation. "Central Council will decide whether other motions will be taken at special congress. I'm not saying 'yes' or 'no' on that but I would like the counties to embrace these proposals and it will be disappointing if there's not a lot of debate on this."

Having emphasised the proposals had been developed on a consensus basis, Duffy revealed he had been nonetheless cautioned by director general Liam Mulvihill: "The Árd Stiúrthóir has reminded me that just because there's a broad consensus doesn't mean it will go through congress."

Facilitating a better programme of games for club players: report and Report of the Task Force on Player Burnout will be posted on the GAA website www.gaa.ie this afternoon.