Of the 49 rule changes that were up for debate at last month's GAA congress, only 15 have been written into the Official Guide, which represents only minor changes to the games, writes IAN O'RIORDAN

THE GAA’S latest experiment on playing rule changes may already be resigned to history as one that went badly wrong, but it wasn’t a complete waste of time. The few rule changes that did manage to make it through last month’s congress will come into effect on Saturday week, May 15th – just in time for the start of the football and hurling championship proper.

These changes have now been written into the Official Guide, and number just 15 in total. Of the 123 motions that were down for debate at congress, 49 of them were related to the playing rules in some way or another – but in the end delegates promptly shot down the majority of the key proposals.

In fact the four most significant experiments – the fist pass, the so-called “mark”, the ending of matches with the ball going dead, and the relaxation of the square ball – were all well defeated, so much so that they are unlikely to surface again when the GAA next get around to experimentation with rule changes in 2015.

So what is left?

Six of the new rule changes apply to football only, and the most significant of these is the new position of the penalty kick, which from now on will be taken 11 metres away from the goal line, as opposed to the previous position, 13 metres away from the goal line, and the new position for the kick out, which is now positioned farther out, on the on 13-metre line.

As the proposal to make mandatory the use of the fist in hand-passing was well defeated, this rule now reads as follows:

A player may execute a pass using the hand by either: (a) the fist; or (b) open hand provided it is struck underhand. However, in either case there must still be a definite striking action, with the striking hand not being in contact with ball before delivering the strike.

There is also a redefinition of the bounce, “for a player who has caught the ball to play the ball against the ground with his hands and to catch it on return to his hands”. This redefinition has the effect that the “basketball type”, bounce, per se, is not a foul.

In other words a “double bounce” is not affected until the ball is “caught” on completion of the second bounce.

It is also now illegal for a charge, otherwise to be considered fair, to be made on a player kicking the ball. One further rule on set play now changed is in relation to the sideline ball. This must be kicked from outside the boundary line, and the linesman may notify the referee of a breach of the rule by raising his flag, the penalty for which is cancelling the sideline kick, and throwing in the ball 13 metres in from the sideline.

Unlike previous years, each of the experimental playing rules were voted on individually, rather than as part of a package, and that allowed some of them to survive.

In hurling, there are only three specific changes, one of which also refers to the penalty, where both attackers and defenders must remain outside the 20-metre line and the arc until the ball is struck, and the three defenders on the line must not move off the line until the ball is struck.

This change in wording essentially clears up a potential anomaly. The penalty for taking a puck-out from outside the small rectangle is also changed from the award of a 65-metre free to the opposition to a throw in the ball on the defenders’ 20-metre line.

Among the six changes to affect both football and hurling is the advantage rule, whereby the referee will now signal that advantage is being played by raising his arm. Extra time will now consist of 10 minutes per half only, as the provision for two additional periods of five minutes per half has been removed.

The charge is also now defined as “shoulder to shoulder” rather than “side to side”.

All motions adopted at Congress become operative one month later, which means these rules come into effect in all games at all levels played on or after Saturday, May 15th (the Connacht championship opener between Galway and New York was played last Sunday under the existing rules).

Amendments to GAA playing rules are allowed only every five years, which means it will be 2015 before the playing rules can next be addressed in any way.

GAA rule changes

FOOTBALL

1. Hand pass – If a player hand passes the ball using the open hand, there must be a definite underhand striking action.

2. Penalty Kicks – All penalty kicks will now be taken from 11 metres.

3. Kick Outs – All kick outs will now be from the 13-metre line.

4. Sideline kicks – Line balls must be kicked from outside the line.

5. Illegal Charge – It is illegal for a charge to be made on a player kicking the ball.

6. Definition of bounce – The redefinition of the bounce has the effect that the "basketball type", bounce, per se, is not a foul.

HURLING

1. Puck Outs – The penalty for taking a puck-out from outside the small rectangle is changed from the award of a 65-metre free to the opposition to a throw in the ball on the defenders' 20-metre line.
2. Hand pass – The ball must be released and struck with a definite striking action of the hand.

3. Penalties – Both attackers and defenders must remain outside the 20-metre line and the arc until the ball is struck from a penalty and the three defenders on the line must not move off the line until the ball is struck.

Both hurling and football

1. Restarting Play – If play is stopped by the referee to enable a seriously injured player to be treated, play will now resume with a free to the team that had possession. However, it will not be permitted to score from such a free (if neither team is "in possession", play shall restart with a throw in).

2. Throw-ins – When the play is being restarted by a throw-in, this must take place a minimum of 13 metres from the sideline.

3. Advantage – A referee will now signal that advantage is being played by raising his arm.

4. Extra time – Extra time consists of 10 minutes per half only. The provision for two additional periods of 5 minutes per half has been removed.

5. Boundary Lines – The penalty for a player deliberately going outside the boundary lines of the pitch to gain an advantage has changed from a caution to a free.

6. Charge – A charge is now defined as "shoulder to shoulder" rather than "side to side".