Proposals on disciplinary reform were accepted on an experimental basis by the weekend's GAA congress. After a lengthy debate on Saturday morning the two enabling motions were accepted by a "large majority", according to president Joe McDonagh.

Although the margin looked as if it had attained two thirds of the vote, there was no need for a head-count as the experimental basis of the acceptance required only a simple majority.

At the heart of the reservations was a reluctance on the part of provincial councils to yield their authority in matters of discipline and the appointment of referees. It would be "the death knell of provincial councils," according to new Leinster chairman Seamus Aldridge, a former All-Ireland referee.

"The provinces have a great record - particularly in Leinster - in dealing with discipline," he continued. "Why change something which isn't broken." He added that the proposals conferred too much power on Croke Park and the presidency.

"It is taking decisions away from people in the counties. There is a fear on the ground that Croke Park is geared too much to completion of the building project. Counties are looking increasingly to provincial councils for guidance.

"We shouldn't be bringing people from Kerry and Donegal to Dublin when they should go to their provincial council."

Offaly's Andy Gallagher made a similar argument on decentralisation.

Tony Dempsey (Wexford) was one of the supporters. "Discipline has from time to time left us open to ridicule." The proposals, he said, provided "simplicity, clarity and consistency".

The most influential contribution came near the end of the debate. Former president Pat Fanning answered criticisms of the proposals.

"I am sorry the provincial element was brought into it so much. We're here as a national organisation. We should rise above this and recognise that we set up a committee to consider the matter. All the doubts I entertain about the proposals were probably entertained by the committee.

"There should be one law for all and we should rid oursleves of these inconsistencies. We should think nationally and act nationally," he said to applause.

The other main decision taken by congress concerned the right of provinces to organise preliminary rounds of their championships on a round-robin basis. Proposed by Westmeath, the reform enables provinces to organise a "weaker counties" section in order to allow such teams a guarantee of more than one championship match.

Earlier in the day, former president Peter Quinn had made a presentation on the need for the GAA to borrow £50,000,000 in order to complete the redevelopment of Croke Park. He had made the presentation a couple of months ago to Central Council when permission to raise the loan was being sought.

He stated that the GAA had no intention of needing to be bailed out by government but equally warned against complacency. The whole project would cost £100,000,000, he said, adding for those "not good at sums", that there "eight zeros after the one - that's a very large sum of money".

Main Points

A sending-off for two bookings shall be punishable by suspension for the remainder of the match only.

No suspension shall be served during the months of December and January unless there a player is involved in club or National League fixtures during these months. The balance of any such suspension shall be served after February 1st.

A committee in charge of discipline shall send notice to anyone alleged to have committed an offence within three (instead of seven) days of receiving a referee's report.

The Reinstatements (Mercy) Committee shall meet quarterly (rather than annually).

Notice of appeal shall be lodged within three days.

Video evidence shall be considered but not for the purposes of challenging the result of a match.

Provincial councils shall cede their powers to appoint referees (to the new Central Referees Appointments Committee) and of disciplinary jurisdiction (to the Games Administration Committee).

The new Central Referees Appointments Committee shall comprise the chairman of the GAC, the chairman of the National Referees Committee and a third member appointed by Management Committee.

A referee's report must be submitted within three days or if the committee in charge deems it necessary, 24 hours.