GAA Football Review Committee chairperson Jim Gavin addresses the media during a briefing at the GAA Football Review Committee media event held at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Any playing rule enhancements proposed by the new Football Review Committee (FRC) will be trialled during next year’s Allianz Football League and Championship.
The timeline for the project was revealed today by FRC Chairperson, Jim Gavin, who outlined that the Committee’s proposals will first go before Central Council for approval in early November this year and then a Special Congress in early December.
GAA President, Jarlath Burns, says the decision to then trial the proposed playing rule enhancements in the competitive heat of both the Allianz Football League and Championship was made to ensure they’d be rigorously stress-tested.
“One of the interesting things that came out from the many conversations I've had with Jim (Gavin) was the fact that he has been an inter-county manager,” said Burns.
“He has been through a period of trials and what he said to me was that if he had a set of trial rules for the League, you won't really bring them into your coaching, you won't really train for them. It will happen on a Sunday and you'll not really worry about it.
“But whenever you know it's coming in for the championship it's a serious event. And this is a serious event because 2025 is a rule change year. We can't do anything radical to our rules again until 2030. We're not tinkering for the sake of tinkering but if we're going to get this we have to get it right.
“One of the things that David Hassan, the former Chair of the Standing Committee on Playing Rules, said to me was make sure that if you bring in trial rules that you bring them in properly and give them a proper trial. Because at the beginning of this year we tried out that the kick-out has to go past the 45 but that was only trialled in the (Third Level Colleges) Freshers competition.
“This has to be done correctly and as you can see Jim has a very reflective and methodical approach. This is our game, this is our native game, and we have to do this correctly.
“We can't tinker with it. We have to reflect, we have to be methodical, and we have to give everything a proper trial.”
Both teams parade before the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Jim Gavin today outlined the rigorous process that will ultimately lead to whatever proposals the Committee decide upon.
The stakeholders that will be consulted include GAA administration; club and intercounty players, managers and coaches; Coaching and Games staff; referees; media; supporters; and official partners and sponsors.
As part of this listening exercise the FRC today launched a survey which can be accessed by all stakeholders here - Football Review Committee Survey.
The ultimate goal the Committee has set for itself is that whatever proposals they make help provide the best possible games experience for players and supporters alike.
“The terms of reference that the Uachtaráin has given us, it is audacious to be the most exciting amateur sport in the world, that’s a lofty ambition,” said Gavin today.
“But I think it’s great that we are stretching ourselves and we are looking at it that way, so there’s excitement amongst the Football Review Committee and we are really excited to see what the stakeholders have to say about this.
“So it’s been very positive, of course there’s lots of challenges and we are not naive to the multi-stakeholder layered approach that we need to take, but if we are doing our job right and this is going to enhance the game, people should be with us.”
Players from both teams, including Derry players Diarmuid Baker and Emmett Bradley, and Dublin players Lorcan O'Dell and Con O'Callaghan, contest a high ball in the final minute of extra time during the Allianz Football League Division 1 Final match between Dublin and Derry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
The Football Review Committee has already met eight times and intends to begin trialling potential proposals as early as July this year.
Transparency will be an important part of their methodology throughout their work.
“We are conscious of the national competitions, the inter-county championship goes all the way to the third week in July and quickly after the championship in the clubs start, so we have a small enough window there to tackle it," said Gavin.
“And then as teams begin to exit their own championships we’ll have an opportunity at the back-end of August and September to do more trialling, and indeed we’ve got some offers there last evening from the third level representative on Ard Comhairle that some of their competitions could be used.
“But it is our intent to get all that out of the way quite early in the season, we are not going to wait until Trench or Sigerson to trial them, whether those rule enhancements are used in those competitions will be decided at a later date.
“Part of our process and our methodology here is that we’ll keep very close to the members and Ard Comhairle, so as we’re forming our thoughts on the rule changes that it will not be news to everybody that we’ve sprung a particular rule proposal on the 7th of December.
“That will not happen, so there’ll be plenty of visibility of this and what it looks like is going to happen.
“Our belief is that these rules will enhance the game, and if they are not enhancing the game people can tell us to stop and we’ll take that rule off the table if it’s not going to work.”