The GAA has stated

intercounty teams do not have to be released to the public on the Thursday morning prior to a match, saying a misunderstanding had developed over the impact of a motion passed by congress last February.

Motion 29 was believed to oblige counties to publish the 26 names of their match-day panels but in fact they are only obliged to register the teams and replacements with the committee in charge and there are no further rules about who should be informed. Punishment for failure to comply with the new rule range from one-match sideline bans for managers to fines of €1,000.

“The hope was that one thing would lead to another and once the 26 players were registered that would have a knock-on effect as regards releasing teams to the media but the proposal may not have been supported had we pushed for general release of team lists,” said one GAA source.

To date that hasn’t been the case and whereas many counties do announce their line-ups by Thursday evenings, some continue to withhold the selections.

It was further explained the main purpose of the provision accepted at congress in Cavan was to allow any players surplus to the requirements of match-day panels to be allowed go back to their clubs on the weekend in question.

Withholding teams

This is slightly at odds, however, with comments made by GAA director general

Páraic Duffy

in his annual report, presented to congress.

Speaking about the motion about to go before delegates that weekend, he spoke strongly about the practice of withholding teams from the public before matches. “There is an issue here of responsibility to the paying public. Naming ‘dummy’ teams or fielding players not named in a match programme frustrates supporters and journalists.

“Equally unacceptable is the practice of delaying the naming of panels for championship games in order to – so this odd theory goes – keep the opposition ‘guessing’. Such practices limit media coverage of our game, create difficulties in producing match programmes on time, and treat our supporters with a degree of contempt.

"Therefore, I support fully the motion before Congress that seeks the registration of a binding 26-man panel on the Thursday morning before a senior intercounty championship match. It will benefit the association in many ways: it will increase pre-match publicity, ensure that supporters are getting value for money when they purchase match programmes, and, most importantly, will allow players on extended intercounty panels to have more involvement with their clubs."

Meanwhile, the GAA yesterday released details of Saturday’s Central Council meeting. Among the decisions taken by the meeting was the rejection of a Clare motion to prevent Sky Sports being given any exclusive rights to championship fixtures under the next media rights allocation, which is due in 2017.

That proposal was originally submitted to congress but not accepted for the clár on the grounds only motions to enact, rescind or change rules in the Official Guide would be debated by delegates. The matter was discussed on Saturday and defeated.

Other issues included in the Central Council bulletin were the go-ahead for the Hurling 2020 Committee’s idea of appointing a director of hurling and to engage with an external consultancy with a view to establishing a blueprint for the development of hurling in all counties. Central Council also gave its approval to All-Ireland semi-final replays being played outside of Croke Park. This was a follow-up to the furore after last year’s decision to play the Kerry-Mayo semi-final replay in Limerick.