GAA gets tough on closed-season ban and 'dummy' squads

Central Council has tabled a motion for Congress, later this month, that offers a meaningful deterrent against breaches of the collective training ban, with teams that resume ahead of schedule liable to forfeit their next home game in the Allianz League.

New provisions concerning the release of inter-county teams are included in another Central Council motion. A match-day panel of 26 must be registered with the CCCC by 9am on the Thursday before a weekend game; a manager will receive a one-match sideline ban for failing to do so.

More significantly, no names can be subsequently added to the registered team or panel - with the exception of a goalkeeper or sub-keeper - and the penalty for playing such a player would be forfeiture of the game.

The Maastricht Gaels club in Holland has proposed an extension of the 'black card' rule to hurling, whereby players who deliberately pull down, trip or body collide with an opponent should receive the same punishment as their football counterparts - dismissal, to be replaced by a sub. This may struggle for delegate support, especially from the hurling fraternity, but a proposed concussion sub rule is likely to get far more traction.

congress