New structures to centralise the appointment of referees and the administration of discipline, the introduction of red and yellow cards and no suspensions to be served in December or January are among the reforms before GAA Annual Congress.
These proposals are among those the GAA has published in a comprehensive report on the revision of disciplinary rules. It was launched last night in Croke Park by Frank Murphy, chairman of both the Games Administration Committee (GAC) and the sub-committee which drew up the report.
To become part of the GAA's rule book, changes to 21 rules will need to be passed at congress. They are to be proposed in two enabling motions from Central Council, covering administrative rule changes and alterations to the playing rules. The first group can be permanently amended next month but the latter can be approved on an experimental basis until next year as playing rules may be changed only every five years.
The report also lists proposals which have not been adopted, most notably match-based suspensions and the punishment of accumulated bookings.
Specifically, the main recommendations are:
That a player sent off for a second bookable offence will not be liable to any further suspension than missing the rest of the match in question.
If a player is sent off for this twice in a year, there will be a two-week suspension. The rationale is that the reform will reduce any inhibitions referees may feel about issuing a second booking and this will consequently act as a deterrent.
That the current prohibition on physical interference with match officials distinguish between minor interference (pushing and jostling) and assault.
Suspensions for misconduct on the playing field should be: interference with officials (verbal abuse - eight weeks, minor physical interference - 24 weeks and assault - 48 weeks); striking with head or hurley and kicking (12 weeks); other causes for immediate dismissal (four weeks).
Introduction of yellow card for a bookable offence, yellow followed by a red for second bookable offence and red card for offence meriting immediate sending-off.
The referee's report shall reach the relevant committee within three days, instead of seven, and, if deemed necessary by the committee, within 24 hours.
Reducing the time within which a repeat offence warrants a doubling of the minimum suspension from two years (96 weeks) to one (48), because the current provision is thought too severe, and that records are checked over a year rather than two.
No suspensions should be served during December and January unless club or National League matches are scheduled for the player concerned. All other suspensions and the balance of any partially served in December or January should start on February 1st.
A penalty for breaching the association's guidelines or directives be introduced.
A player may be notified of his having been mentioned in a referee's report by the secretary of the relevant committee in advance of the committee considering the report.
That the GAC take on responsibility for dealing with all senior provincial championship matches, reducing the number of disciplinary bodies dealing with the senior championships from five to one.
That a central Referees' Appointments Committee be established with responsibility for all games under the new jurisdiction of Central Council. It will be composed of the chairman of GAC, the chairman of the National Referees' Committee and a third member appointed by the Management Committee.
The Re-instatements (Mercy) Committee should meet four times a year, rather than just once on the eve of Congress. Cases before it cannot relate to misconduct on the field, must involve hardship created by strict application of the rules and must have been recommended by the authority which imposed the original penalty.
The seven ideas rejected by the sub-committee included that of deploying a runner, as used in Australian Rules, to pass on instructions to players, separate disciplinary systems for club and county levels and the concept of a sin-bin.
Most significant, however, were the ideas of match bans rather than time-based suspensions and of accumulated bookings resulting in suspensions.
In the first case, the reasoning was that such a system would require suspensions to be limited to specific competitions and that this would lead to the inappropriate situation where players were allowed to play in certain matches immediately after being suspended.
Competition-specific punishments would also unduly punish unsuccessful teams.
Cumulative bookings were rejected because a caution is often used as a deterrent and that referees would be slower to administer them if they all counted for disciplinary purposes. The maintenance of the required records was also cited as a reason, as was the unequal exposure of successful teams.
The sub-committee is: Frank Murphy (chairman); Noel Walsh (chairman of the Football Development Committee); Paddy Collins (chairman of the National Referees Committee); Danny Murphy (chairman Ulster Council); Albert Fallon (chairman Games Development Committee); Frank Burke (chairman Hurling Development Committee); Pat Daly (Games Development Manager); Sean O Laoire (Games Administration Manager).
