Football Hurling Club General MARCH 2021 NUACHTLITIR MÁRTA 2021 FOR NEWS, VIDEOS AND FIXTURES www.gaa.ie Football Hurling Club General By Cian Murphy LET THE CHILDREN PLAY – UACHTARÁN “This will have a threefold effect, it will get the time. Our communities, our place, our our children engaged in organised physical home.” NEWLY INAUGURATED GAA PRESIDENT - LARRY MCCARTHY activity with their friends, it will allow the parents a slight relief from the stress of the One area that the new Uachtarán has looked pandemic, and it will bring fun back into to tackle is online abuse of GAA members – many people’s lives. To the public health be they players, referees or officials. authorities, please give consideration to this request. We did it last year, we can do it He added: “One of the lessons that we again.” might learn from the recent near collapse of democracy in the United States is that Asked afterwards in a media briefing what words matter. he felt the GAA’s biggest challenge was, McCarthy said bluntly: “Getting back out “What one says matters, what one puts in onto the field again.” the public domain matters. At home and abroad, McCarthy said the “In that regard I would ask all of us to tone work of GAA clubs in the last 12 months has down the tenor of our public commentary. been inspirational. Social media has wonderful aspects to it, but there is also a dark side. One of which He stated: “Uachtarán John Horan is, in the words of sports commentator Bob suggested to Congress three years ago that Costas, “a corrosive assault on civility”. the GAA would front up and would not be found wanting in addressing the issues of “By all means let us express an opinion, the day. Let me suggest that in the last 12 but please let’s do it in a manner that is months, CLG has more than fronted up, has respectful. There is no place for the type of not been found wanting in addressing the abuse that many of our players, volunteers issue of the day, and has not been found and officials have been subjected to in NEWLY INAUGURATED GAA PRESIDENT, reopening of schools during March can be wanting in its contribution to communities recent years. LARRY MCCARTHY, HAS CALLED ON THE followed up by a Government decision to around the world. GOVERNMENT TO GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT allow children back into training outdoors in “By all means argue the point in a public FOR CHILDREN TO RETURN TO PLAY WITH their clubs – as was the case pre-Christmas. “You, and I mean every one of you, discussion, but do so in a manner which THEIR CLUBS. have been magnificent in serving your does justice not only to yourself but to He said: “We are operating at the behest communities, and we are rightly proud of the GAA. If you are one of those keyboard The Cork native became the GAA’s 40th of the Government and the public health what has been achieved in minding and warriors who, in cowardly fashion hides President since 1884 and the first overseas authorities, and we will continue to do so. taking care of those communities. The behind nom de plume’s and aliases, and representative elected to the high office millions of things that you have done, phone castigates our officials, players or referees, when the New York GAA man succeeded “I would respectfully ask the authorities that calls to the elderly for a chat, groceries stop. John Horan at Congress on February 27. we be allowed to have activity for children in delivered, pitches and facilities given over our clubs once schools have safely opened. to public health authorities, fundraisers “Your behaviour not only has a corrosive He used his inaugural address to salute the We showed last year that we can do this very to help those who did not have security effect on civility, it has a long term corrosive work done by GAA clubs and volunteers safely and very effectively. Acknowledging of accommodation or food, have been a effect on the GAA as it discourages people during the Pandemic to date. that the circumstances are more onerous magnificient response, but at one level, we from volunteering as members of our now, there is no doubt in my mind that we are not surprised, are we? This is what we Association.” And he is hopeful that the phased can do so again. are all about. This is what the GAA does all Football Hurling Club General CHANGING FACE OF GAA AS CONGRESS PASSES MAJOR REFORMS CONGRESS 2021 WAS A GAA LANDMARK MOTIONS PASSED IN BEING THE FIRST REMOTELY HELD MOTION 2: Financial year end changed ALL-IRELAND FINALS WILL MOVE TO JULY FROM 2022 ONWARDS IN A SPLIT SEASON ANNUAL CONVENTION. BUT THAT from Oct 31 to Sept 30 WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE SIGNIFICANT AND HISTORIC REFORMS MOTION 4: Anti-Doping regulations are VOTED THROUGH AS ALL MOTIONS those determnined under Sport Ireland MOVED FOR DECISION WERE CARRIED. rules There are 10 motions which were set aside MOTION 5: Team sheets can be signed by a for a more intensive debate at a Special designated person other than a secretary Congress planned for this autumn. MOTION 6: The period defined as a closed But in the meantime GAA Congress paved season will be determined by Central the way for the new Split Season from Council 2022, a Concussion substitute, tough new rules to target cynical fouls, the tightening MOTION 7: Only one person to receive a up of pitch incursions except for medical trophy in a presentation attention and some new formats for underage competitions. MOTION 8: The penalty for a defender who receives a kick-out and passes back to the TEAMS WILL NOW USE A TEMPORARY SUBSTITUE IN THE EVENT OF A HEAD INJURY goalkeeper is a free-in. moves Galway and the Ulster champions MOTION 10: Inter-county players into Leinster. Munster winners v Leinster must complete an on-line anti-doping winners is the All-Ireland final. education course prior to the season. MOTION 15: Restricts U20 hurling MOTION 12: The Split Season: All-Ireland championship to players who haven’t senior finals moved forward to the 29th already played in that year’s senior Sunday of the year or the 30th Sunday if championship January 1 is a Sunday. Moves All-Ireland finals into July. MOTION 16: All-Ireland post primary schools finals on St Patricks’ Day. MOTION 13: Limit on number of teams in a Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup finals to be senior club championship is 16. played by the seventh and eighth Sundays. MOTION 14: All-Ireland U20 Hurling MOTION 17: New All-Ireland Junior Football Hurling Club General Football Championship to feature MOTION 32: Allows Central Council to act MOTION 45: This motion redefines the MOTION 47: This motion declares that Kilkenny, New York (US born players) and on jurisdiction in World GAA. category of misconduct in terms of playing there shall be no appeal from outside the British junior championship finalists infractions. the county regarding a decision of a and played over one weekend. MOTION 33: Defines the powers for World County Hearings Committee in relation GAA. MOTION 46: This motion permits evidence to disciplinary action initiated by the MOTION 20: Cynical fouling. On a trial older than 96 weeks to be submitted Executive Committee of a Club. basis in 2021 at inter-county level, the MOTION 34: Central Council can appoint to a Hearing if the matter is deemed referee will award a penalty against and the Chair to World GAA. sufficiently serious. sin bin a player who illegally prevents a goal scoring opportunity by committing MOTION 38: This motion proposes to a cynical infraction inside the 20m line or extend the requirement of names on its arc. team-sheets to be written in Irish to also GALWAY PENALTY TAKER JOE CANNING. PENALTIES WILL BE AWARDED AS PART OF THE NEW CLAMPDOWN include the name of the official in charge ON CYNICAL FOULS THAT DENY GOALSCORING CHANCES. MOTION 20: The referee keeps his arm up of the team. while playing an advantage. MOTION 39: This motion proposes that a MOTION 22: Imposes match-based rather club adopt its Official Club Constitution at than time-based suspensions on team a General Meeting. officials guilty of misconduct. Applies in 2021 inter-county Championship and MOTION 40: This motion is quite a from 2022 for other levels. lengthy and technical one that seeks to update some of the literature of the Club MOTION 23: Only a medical person is now Constitution. allowed enter the field of play. MOTION 40: Allows County Hearings MOTION 24: Rules governing the use Committees to also adjudicate on of racist or sectarian remarks to be disciplinary matters arising under the punishable under rules of games similar to jurisdiction of the Executive Committee of aggressive fouls. a Club within the County. MOTION 25: Teams with only 13 players on MOTION 42: Provincial Conventions shall the field at throw-in do not need to have be held prior to January 18th. 15 for throw-in at their start of the second half. MOTION 43: The motion requires that any proposed playing rule motions MOTION 26: Bans the waving of arms or would first have to be referred to the hurleys in front of a free taker or for puck Standing Committee on Playing Rules for outs. assessment and adjudication before being brought to Annual Congress. MOTION 27: Provides for the use of a temporary substitute where a player MOTION 44: This motion clarifies the suffers a head injury and needs to receive definition of ‘Other Relevant Connection’ treatment treatment.