CROKE PARK has nearly completed the protocols necessary to implement the players' awards scheme that was accepted by last month's annual congress. At the beginning of next month a set of documents will be sent out to the counties to assist them in completing the necessary administration.

The GAA are anxious to complete all details by 12th July when counties will start to exit the championship, after which it might be difficult to track down details.

The scheme, funded by the Government through the Irish Sports Council, was vehemently opposed by a section of the GAA membership as a threat to the amateur status of the association but in the end was comprehensively accepted. Its roll-out is already under way and both Croke Park and the Gaelic Players Association are advising officials and players on the implementation.

Feargal McGill, executive in the director general's office, has been co-ordinating the activity in relation to the scheme and says that the thrust of the arrangements has been to keep to a minimum any administrative burdens on local officials.

"The steering group has been looking at the best and easiest way to administer this. The procedures are designed to minimise hassle for players and officials.

"Obviously there is a need to gather information in order to satisfy any audit by the Sports Council.

"We're putting together a number of documents, which will help people operate the scheme and answer commonly asked questions about the process. The first is a template for a team development plan and counties can design their own based on that.

"Secondly there's one outlining the duties of the team committee (in most cases this will be the existing county panels finance committee) and explaining what they have to do and by when they have to do it. Then there will be standard expense claim forms for players to fill in and finally list documents for county managements to confirm who has been on their panels during the championship."

As the public funds are available to enhance performances the team development plan is a necessary means of assessing improvement for the purposes of the ISC.

The finalised schemes - one for counties who progress to the latter stages of the championships and another for those who get knocked out in the earlier rounds or who contest the Rackard and Ring Cups - were published last March and lay out the details of what money is available and how it is to be claimed.

Individual players will receive between €1,500 and €2,500 depending on the levels their teams reach. The amount of money per panel is capped on the basis of 30 times the relevant individual amount and although panellists may come and go during the championship (from 1st May until elimination) the panel total will be divided between eligible players.

The method of apportioning the funds is based on 'scheme points', which start at 100 for someone who's with the panel all season and go down proportionately for those who have been missing for periods. The season is divided into five parts and a player's input is calculated on that pro rata basis.

Mayo manager John O'Mahony says that whereas the scheme entails additional work, it hasn't had any impact either on the make-up of the panel or the attitude of the players.

"It's a new dimension to managing a team and we're all going through it for the first time. I took it to mean that there was a need to be very definitive about the precise nature of the panel. The document I've seen from Croke Park runs to about 10 pages. I haven't talked to the players in detail about it yet but they're still getting to grips with their end of it.

"It didn't influence my selection decisions but there had to be a particularly clear distinction between the league panels - which always have a certain amount of coming and going - and the championship. You have to make that decision.

"I don't think there'll ever be a stage where players want to get into a championship panel because of the Government money. There's so much pride in the county jersey, particularly during the championship and I can't see any dilution of that in the future."

According to McGill moves are ongoing to ensure the scheme doesn't create any tax liability for players. "We're still working on a finalised list of expenses that we'd be comfortable with and that the Revenue would be comfortable with. We've had some direction from the authorities in the south and we will be seeking more.

"There's a difference between the tax authorities north and south of the border. In the south the majority of claims will consist of supplementary mileage, which is the difference between GAA rates and what's allowed by the Revenue.

"In the north the difference between standard rates and what is allowed before it becomes a tax issue isn't as great but the authorities have indicated to us that reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for special dietary requirements will be acceptable." There is a provision in the scheme that unclaimed amounts will be paid into the relevant county's team development fund. McGill says that some players appear ready to waive their personal entitlements.

"Quite a number of players and county panels have indicated that they will be willing to sign over their individual awards to the team fund."