GAA Congress takes place this weekend.
This Friday and Saturday (February 22 and 23) the GAA’s Annual Congress will take place in Wexford.
A total of 43 motions will go before the delegates to be debated and voted on.
Click here to see the motions as they will appear before the delegates (PDF).
Here are some useful documents to read alongside examining the motions:
Ard Stiúrthóir Tom Ryan's 2018 Annual Report
Below is a simplified guide to the motions to be dealt with this weekend.
Motions 1-17 submitted by Ard Chomhairle consequent upon a report of the Rules Advisory Committee
Motion 1: This deals with the means by which motions can get to Congress. Up to now club motions require a General Meeting for approval before going on to County Convention. The motion seeks to change that so that the Executive Committee of a club can also make proposals.
Motion 2: The nomination process for Management Committee to be streamlined so you can only nominate somebody from your own province to serve for your own province. It means the province will be more in control of its own representation.
Motion 3: The motion proposes that there will be a rotating membership of the Central Appeals Committee. Two or three people will remain involved even when a new Uachtaran comes into office. The first step is to relax the requirement where it says members should have a three year term in office. The idea is when the Uachtaran's term expires a number of people on the committee will stay on for continuity and expertise purposes.
Motion 4: At the moment all documentation regarding Congress is sent out in hard copy to delegates attending. This motion seeks to reduce the amount sent out.
Motion 5: This motion deals with timing and communication surrounding appeals as the process can currently be stretched out and delayed enabling somebody to play a game. At the moment postal receipts are deemed to be received at 10am two working days after they are sent or if emailed they are deemed to be received at 10am on the following day after an email receipt in the evening time. The proposal is to say that if an appeal has been posted it is deemed to be received two days after.
Motion 6: Currently new members for clubs names and addresses must be displayed in a prominent place in the clubhouse. GDPR concerns mean that the proposal is to dispense with that requirement.
Uachtarán CLG John Horan addressing delegates at the 2018 Annual Congress.
Motion 7: This proposal seeks to tidy up the ruling with the amount of clubs players can feature for in a calendar year. Currently you can't play with two clubs in one or more counties or with two clubs in the same competition. Various complicated stipulations arise with that due to age grades. The proposal is to simplify it to say you can't play in Championship in two different counties, you can't play Championship for two different clubs in the same county in the same code, but you can play hurling and football Championship for two different clubs. Counties will be allowed to govern themselves and to introduce bye laws.
Motion 8: The proposal is to allow more than two clubs to combine to play with an independent name at Under 21/20, minor or younger age grade teams.
Motion 9: This motion deals with the grading of players. The proposal seeks to add a fifth circumstance in which a player won't have to regrade - if somebody goes overseas and plays Senior there, but your home club is Junior you can come back to be re-instated at your domestic grade.
Motion 10: This motion seeks to add the term Under 20 alongside Under 21 if a county wants to play Under 20 competitions. It also permits counties to regulate their own Championships via county regulations and bye laws.
Motion 11: This motion proposes that home venues for all Senior Inter County Championship games shall be subject to approval by the Central Competitions Control Committee and shall meet the criteria set down by the National Facilities/Health and Safety Committee.
Motion 12: This motion seeks to establish head to head form will be used in any League element of a Championship competition. Head to head will be first and then scoring difference if more than two teams are tied.
Motions 13 and 14: The motion seeks to allow counties to apply for permission to the Central Competitions Control Committee to go on a training trip involving an overnight stay. The sanctionable offence will now be going without permission. The second element of the proposed new rule is about when teams come back into training at the start of the season and the CCCC will determine when teams can return based on the calendar.
Motion 15: If a Category I or II offence is committed only an accumulation of those infractions will give rise to a suspension. The motion seeks to establish that clarification can be asked for at the time of the infraction not the proposed suspension.
Motion 16: With the condensed nature of the Championship this motion seeks to be a bit quicker with the disciplinary process. Currently a defendant has three days from the receipt of notification from disciplinary action and the proposal is to shorten it to two days.
Motion 17: The motion is to clarify that any proposed suspension will stay in place notwithstanding the fact that an appeal has been lodged. Only free to play when disciplinary process has been exhausted.
Uachtarán CLG John Horan during the 2018 Annual Congress at Croke Park.
Motions 18 & 19 submitted by Ard Chomhairle in accordance with Rule 3.40 (a) (iv) (6)
Motion 18: It is proposed that the Camogie Association and Ladies Football be recognised and represented on the Management Committee and Central Council of the GAA.
Motion 19: This motion is about the use of the GAA's property and will enable Central Council to have the power to authorise the use of a property held by a County Committee, Provincial Committee or Central Council for a compelling national reason. Club grounds aren't included in this, the proposal will allow Central Council to adjudicate.
Motions 20-24 submitted by Ard Chomhairle consequent upon a report of the Central Competitions Control Committee
Motion 20: This motions allows for other formats other than free taking competitions to decide a tied match - example a penalty shootout. A county can decide to introduce this in their own club competitions.
Motion 21: Central Council will be able to approve a system for Winner on the Day fixtures. It means penalty shootouts could potentially be used in the Joe McDonagh Cup and All Ireland Preliminary Hurling Quarter-Finals, if necessary, to determine Winner on the Day.
Motion 22: The proposal enables players, who have been involved at senior inter-county level to return to play Under 20 once the senior team has exited the Championship.
Motion 23: The proposal seeks that team lists for Inter-County Championship games must be submitted 40 minutes rather 20 minutes before throw-in.
Motion 24: This proposal is seeking to play the All Ireland Final before the 35th Sunday in the year with the exception when the first Sunday of the year falls on January 1 - the finals then should be played on or before the 36th Sunday in the year.
Motions 25-28 submitted by Ard Chomhairle consequent upon a report of the Talent Academy and Player Development Review Committee
Motion 25: This motions seek to establish the Games Development Committee as a central committee in the association.
Delegates vote at the 2018 Annual Congress at Croke Park.
Motions 26 and 27: These motions are to change some of the language in the Official Guide.
Motion 28: Counties currently have discretion to set their own juvenile age grades. Over the course of the year some have looked for direction and would prefer a more descriptive approach regarding what age grades they should employ. This proposal seeks to establish this in rule. The Games Development Committee are suggesting mandatory age grades in every second year - Under 13, 15, 17, 19.
Counties with sufficient numbers to play at Under 12, 14, 16, 18 can still do that also. Other age grade related motions will be discussed at Congress.
Motions 29-40 submitted by units of the Association
Motion 29: The motion from Naomh Padraig in Meath seeks to have a Coaching Officer appointed rather than elected in a county.
Motion 30: The proposal from the Connacht Council is to add a fixtures analyst to be appointed on the Management Committee of every county.
Motion 31: The Gaelic Players Association motion is that they can nominate somebody to represent the players to the Competitions Control Committee.
Motion 32: The Castlemitchell club in Kildare proposes that players can be one year younger to be eligible for adult grades. A player shall have celebrated his 16th birthday prior to January 1 of the Championship year.
Motion 33: Dairbhre in Kerry are proposing that a 16 year old can play adult hurling or football only in non Championship and only in Junior grades where the club only fields one team.
Motion 34: Eire Og, Ennis in Clare are proposing to change the age limit for minor inter-county action.
Ard Stiúrthóir CLG Tom Ryan.
Motion 35: Eire Og Annacarty Donohill are proposing that girls be allowed to play up to Under 13 level.
Motion 36: This Tyrone proposal re-establishes the principle that a county sets own age groups and a county can decide to measure age meaning that the traditional January 1 date may not have to be used for eligibility.
Motion 37: The Tulla club in Clare proposes that if a player makes an appearance after the 50th minute in a Championship game that player would not lose their eligibility to play at a lower grade once they were eligible to play at that grade prior to being introduced.
Motion 38: This proposal from Down removes the obligation to have play/off fixtures. A county can decide themselves how to separate teams.
Motion 39: The Donegal motion deals with Croke Park not being allowed to be used as a home venue in inter-county Championship fixtures.
Motion 40: The O'Loughlin Gaels club in Kilkenny want the All Ireland Finals to be played on or before the third Sunday in September on dates determined by the Central Council.
Motions 41, 42, and 43: These rules won't be debated on. Central Council has the authority to change the rules. Motion 41 is changing words in the guide in line with Tusla recommendations. Motion 42 is aligning rules with Sport Ireland. Motion 43 specifies rules prohibiting inter-county challenge games only applying to grades above Under 17.