International Rules:The GAA released an 18-point proposal yesterday that will allow the International Rules series to be revived with two Tests in Australia later this year. This is expected to be rubberstamped by central council next month and comes out of last week's meeting with the AFL in Dubai.
The AFL commission met yesterday and are keen to revive the series as part of their 150th anniversary celebrations.
The most notable aspects of the report focus on discipline - understandable considering this was the rock the hybrid game crashed upon in 2006. A match control committee will oversee a new disciplinary tribunal that will incorporate a stringent and legalised approach with members of the disputes resolution authority and AFL appeals board to be included.
A three-person disciplinary panel is to be formed, not dissimilar to the system currently in place for Heineken European Cup rugby matches.
Any hearings will take place the day after the first Test and three hours after the second Test. They will be open to the media to ensure "full transparency" - a step the GAA has refused to take, but already in place in Aussie Rules.
Suspensions (and fines in the case of Australian players) will be carried on to domestic competitions. Suspended Irish players are to miss national league games, while AFL players can be suspended and fined on the same scale as misconduct in a Grand Final. As this is their showcase game, penalties are more severe than normal.
"Basically, we have agreed to introduce draconian penalties in the case of ill-discipline in order to ensure the disciplinary problem does not derail another series," said GAA head of games Pat Daly yesterday.
Other new departures are the introduction of a video match referee from outside Australia and Ireland, though the official must have a background in sports officiating at elite performance level. Rugby union and league seem the likely avenues for sourcing such experts. The video referee can report incidents to the match referee at any stoppage in play. The levels of foul play have also been redefined (see panel).
One obvious grey area will be the sin-binning for 10 minutes if a player is seen to be "fronting up or any other form of physical intimidation".
"I don't know where you draw the line between intimidation and provocation," said Daly. "It is difficult, but a lot of what we saw in Croke Park the last time doesn't belong in any sport. It was the level of naked intimidation that just wasn't acceptable.
"What we are trying to do is legislate for the kind of excesses that we have seen and try and build a structure so people recognise it for what it is - a cultural exchange between two countries that have an awful lot in common."
The tackle on Graham Geraghty, when he required extended medical attention, in the last series was deemed legitimate at the time, but has since been outlawed.
On top of the 18 regulations a further 14 "recommendations" and "value added items" were also included in yesterday's release. They suggest the isolation of travelling referees from the touring party and various research exchanges with regards to Australian advancements regarding ticketing, pitch standards and floodlight.
"Looking at the thing in a broader context, having a good working relationship with another organisation, it opens the possibility of the AFL or Gaelic Games being used for demonstration purposes in the Olympics. There is a lot we can learn from that and all their other research."
The issue of player recruitment by AFL clubs was discussed informally in Dubai. In yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou (under the headline AFL says no to full-scale Irish plunder) stated: "The GAA understand why some of their players come to Australia and certainly made it very clear to me that they can't stop a young Irish lad pursuing their dreams.
"But I do think we can help the GAA in providing some framework that can assist them so we don't have people over there who are raiding their clubs and counties and promising them heaven and earth. In fact, out of every five Irish players there may be one that might succeed."
Daly reiterated the recent GAA line about the need to maintain a working relationship with the AFL to ensure some regulation of Irish player recruitment to Australia.
"I think there is an acceptance that the recruiting will be done with some degree of responsibility if you have a relationship with the AFL. If there is no relationship it is open season.
"But the main reason we are seeking to re-establish the series is because it provides players with the opportunity to represent their country. Players want that opportunity."
1 A match control committee, comprising the CEO of the AFL, the director general of the GAA and one member from the AFL Commission and GAA Management Committee, shall have authority and responsibility for overseeing the operation of the disciplinary tribunal and the implementation of laws.
2 A Disciplinary Tribunal shall be established comprising the chairperson of the AFL Tribunal, the chairperson of the GAA Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) and an independent person.
3 An independent video match referee shall be appointed - the person drawn from a country other than Australia or Ireland. The person must have a background in sports officiating at elite performance level and shall have the power to report yellow and red card infractions (which have not been detected by the match officials) during a stoppage in play.
4 Hearings of the Disciplinary Tribunal shall be convened no later than 7pm on the day following the first Test and within three hours of the second Test.
5 Persons reported to the Disciplinary Tribunal shall be entitled to representation by an advocate of their choice. The Disciplinary Tribunal shall operate in accordance with the principles of natural justice. It shall also - in the interests of transparency - be open to the media.
6 The tribunal shall have the power to impose sanctions which apply in the GAA's National Football League or in the AFL Premiership.
7 One match referee, one linesman (who also acts as a standby referee) and two umpires will be appointed from each country.
8 The linesman and umpires shall have the power to bring yellow and red card infractions to the attention of the match referees.
9 The AFL and GAA shall each appoint a playing rules moderator to organise meetings and briefings for referees, officials, players and the medial.
10 Foul play shall be categorised as follows:
Red Card - Gross Misconduct: Where a player displays reckless disregard for the safety of others. Punishment: Player is sent off. Penalty-kick is awarded to the opposition.
Yellow Card - Irresponsible Behaviour: Where a player uses unreasonable/unnecessary force. Punishment: Player is sin-binned for 10 minutes. Free-kick is awarded to the opposition.
Repeat yellow card - punishment: Player is sent off. Free-kick is awarded to the opposition
Unsporting play - Where the ball is not the focal point of a player's attention. Punishment: Free-kick is awarded at a point 25 metres more advantageous to the opposition.
11 Team panels shall comprise not more than 27 players. Each team shall comprise 15 players and shall be permitted to
use nine interchange players during each game.
12 Each team shall be permitted to make a maximum of 10 interchanges per quarter.
13 All kick-outs shall be taken by the goalkeeper from within the 13-metre rectangle.
14 A player in possession of the ball is permitted to play it away by hand provided there is a definite striking action with either the fist or the hand.
15 A team in possession of the ball shall not be permitted to make more than four consecutive hand passes before the ball is played away by foot.
16 A referee may stop play in the event of a melee in his half of the field - and may not be overruled by the other referee.
17 A player who is in possession of the ball is correctly tackled provided he is, in the first instance, held/grabbed by the body or jersey - with two hands - below the shoulders and above the thighs. A tackle may not be executed with one hand.
A player who executes a successful tackle shall release him immediately once the referee's whistle sounds for a free-kick. A player who slings, slams or drives an opponent into the ground, when executing a tackle, shall be deemed guilty of gross misconduct
(ie shown a red card)
18 Each team shall be permitted to locate one member of the team management on the sideline. He shall be provided with a radio link to the other members of the team management.
