GAA calls off introduction of hooter clock in this year’s championship

The GAA has called off the proposed introduction of the hooter-clock system for this year’s championship. At Saturday’s Central Council meeting it was decided in light of concerns about timewasting to delay implementation until next year.

These concerns were raised in a report on the trialling of the system at the recent Sigerson and Fitzgibbon finals weekends.

Issues around substitutions and taking dead-ball restarts convinced the authorities to draft further rule changes, which will be trialled in the higher education leagues at the end of this year, with a view to bringing new proposals to the 2015 congress.

Next year will be the fifth anniversary of the original congress decision to introduce a hooter-clock, as is used in women’s football and international rules tests. It was initially delayed because financing issues.

Also discussed was motion 58, withdrawn from the agenda of last month's congress, dealing with the so-called Anthony Nash rule, intended to restrict players moving the ball forward before striking 20-metre frees and penalties in hurling.

The motion was withdrawn, according to a GAA media release, “because of opposition to the impact that the motion, as proposed at congress 2014, would have had on all free pucks and sideline balls.

“The motion to next year’s congress will deal with 20- metre free pucks and penalty pucks only.”

Details of the hurling forum, an initiative proposed by association president Liam O’Neill to review the game and bring forward any proposals for improvement, were announced.

Tipperary's 2010 All-Ireland winning manager Liam Sheedy will chair the body, which also includes former Offaly hurler and RTÉ pundit Michael Duignan (Offaly), Ollie Moran (Limerick), Paul Flynn (Waterford), Portumna's All-Ireland winning captain Ollie Canning (Galway), Des Cullinane (Cork), Pat Henderson (Kilkenny), Terence McNaughton (Antrim) and Veronica Curtin (Galway). Former Tipperary and Munster PRO Ed Donnelly will serve as secretary.

The full terms of reference will be drawn up shortly in conjunction with the members of the committee.

It was also, as expected, decided to defer the implementation of the rule change to increase from under-16 the lower age eligibility for the minor grade at inter-county until 2015, arising from the passing of motion 46 at last month’s congress, in light of the number of players already selected for current panels who would be adversely affected.

All counties have been asked to hold a special meeting before the May meeting of Central Council to consider the second report of the football review committee on addressing the fixtures crisis within the game.

Finally the Rackard Cup draw, for the third-tier inter- county championship, was remade after the decision of last month's congress to admit Dublin region Fingal to the competition.