Hurling 2020 Committee Proposals

1 Work with an external consultancy organisation to produce a best practice template to be used as a blueprint to share with all counties which, if followed, will help to build up hurling within each county from its foundations.

2 Establish a full-time Director of Hurling role.

3 The awarding of a penalty in hurling will result in the penalty taker having to face one defender on the line. The ball can be placed anywhere outside the 20m line but must be struck no closer than 20m.

4 For 20m frees, the existing rule be changed to allow for just three defenders on the goal line while enshrining in rule that the ball cannot be struck any closer than the 20m line.

5 New Advantage Rule to replace Rule 4.36 and Rule 5.35, for implementation in 2015, as follows: "When a foul is committed, the referee may allow the play to continue if he considers it to be to the advantage of the offended team.

"He shall signal that advantage by raising an arm upright and shall allow the advantage to run by maintaining his arm in the upright position for up to five seconds after the foul or for less time if it becomes clear that no advantage has accrued.

"If he deems no advantage to have accrued, he may subsequently award a free for the foul from where it occurred, (except as provided under Exceptions (v) and (vi) of Rule 2.2). He shall apply any relevant disciplinary action."

6 To ensure fairness and consistency, standardisation of the ball in hurling at all levels.

7 Set up a Hurling Referees Sub-Committee at National level from 2015 onwards.

8 To order off a player who commits a second cautionable foul/infraction by showing him a second yellow card followed by pointing to the sideline to indicate he can no longer take part in the game. Allow a replacement from within the substitutions permitted in Rule 2.4, Rules of Specification.

9 Remove all promotion/relegation play-offs involving teams in different divisions in the Allianz Hurling Leagues.

10 Remove the promotion/relegation play-off involving the bottom team in the Leinster Round-Robin competition and the Christy Ring Cup champion. Instead, the bottom Leinster Round-Robin team would be relegated to the Christy Ring Cup while the Christy Ring Cup champion would be automatically promoted.

11 Increase the length of time to play the Christy Ring Cup from five weekends to seven weekends.

12 Play the Christy Ring Cup final as a curtain-raiser to a high profile Liam MacCarthy Cup All-Ireland SH qualifier.

13 Reset the terms of reference of the Central Fixtures Oversight Body to ensure the club fixtures schedule, which provides regular games and activity, is adhered to.

14 Increase the number of 'Maor Camán'/'Maor Uisce' by one for senior inter-county hurling league and championship games starting in 2015.

15 Allocate squad numbers to each team in the Liam MacCarthy Cup prior to their team's first game.