GAA keen to relax five-year limit on rules

GAA:THE GAA is likely to bring forward a motion to next year's annual congress proposing that the five-year limit on discussing playing rules changes be relaxed.

The precise wording of such a motion is not expected to be finalised for a number of months, but Central Council has agreed in principle to the initiative.

In 2002, the Strategic Review Committee recommended that a standing committee on playing rules be established to advise on desirable changes and that concept is also likely to be part of the proposal.

At present, changes to the playing rules are only taken every five years (those ending in ‘0’ and ‘5’). A sub-committee is charged with drawing up proposals to address perceived problems in football and hurling and the proposed rules are usually trialled in the national leagues before being considered at congress.

This process has proved very unsatisfactory over the years with virtually no changes being accepted at the five-yearly intervals and difficult situations not capable of being dealt with unless deemed to be an emergency.

At the start of this year, GAA director general Páraic Duffy expressed frustration with the process, which had just begun.

“What does annoy me somewhat is that we go through this cycle every single time. Changes are proposed and changes are accepted on an experimental basis and before the trial process has even started we have people – and I have to say managers in particular – expressing views on what’s wrong with them.

“The whole idea of trialling changes, which I think is the right way to do it, is you see them in action, see how they work and then make a decision. We have the same this year – the mark won’t work, let’s keep the hand pass and so on – let’s look at it and see what the effect is before leaping to judgment.”

Commenting on the move to allow playing rule changes be more easily placed before congress, GAA operations manager Feargal McGill said it would benefit the whole process.

“At present, the tendency is every five years sub-committees bring forward whatever’s at issue in the fifth year of the cycle rather than the first or second. This would allow topical difficulties to be looked at immediately.”

Another advantage would be that without the need to make exhaustive use of every fifth year, it wouldn’t be necessary to propose sweeping changes all the time and so reduce the chances of instinctive hostility to reforms. “One of the possible reasons why congress accepts so few changes,” according to McGill, “is that there is a fear of not being able to undo a decision for a further five years.”

He is aware removing the restriction will raise fears of constant changes being proposed.

“I think a key element of any proposal will be it shouldn’t be abused and that only fully thought-out ideas should be brought forward. It’s a matter of finding a balance between the requirements of flexibility and avoiding impulsive proposals,” he added.

Meanwhile, GAA president Christy Cooney has rejected suggestions Paddy Kelly’s 62nd-minute point for Cork against Dublin in last Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final should have been disallowed. Kelly shot at the Canal End after taking a quick free from Daniel Goulding and while there was no protest from Dublin, TV replays have cast real doubt on the validity of the score.

“I didn’t hear of any controversy, on the radio or The Sunday Game,” said Cooney yesterday. “There’s no evidence to suggest a wide and the officials handled the game extremely well . . . there’s no controversy around the score.”

Cooney also expressed satisfaction with a full house at GAA headquarters for the Dublin-Cork clash, adding: “It was wonderful. “The atmosphere was something tremendous with the tension and goodwill between all supporters.”

Cooney is anticipating an attendance in excess of 60,000 for next Sunday’s other semi-final between Kildare and Down.