Football

All your questions answered as GAA Special Congress set to finalise rule changes

The Football Review Commitee’s trial rules from October’s inter-provincial series are up for debate at HQ.

GAA Football Review Committee chairperson Jim Gavin at the GAA Football Review Committee media event held at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
GAA Football Review Committee chairperson Jim Gavin at the GAA Football Review Committee media event held at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile (Seb Daly / SPORTSFILE)

The GAA is set for one of the most important weekends in recent history, more specifically Gaelic football.

The inter-provincial series played at Croke Park in October, where Ulster beat Connacht on penalties, divided opinion.

There was however a fairly unanimous call to scrap the four-point goal. That particular change will not go before Congress.

If voted in, the signal for a two-point score will be represented by an orange flag, completing the Irish tri-colour alongside the existing signals. It had originally been red.

A motion to reintroduce pre-season competitions for 2025 has already been defeated.

Join the Irish News Whatsapp channel

The two points awarded for ‘45s has also been thrown out, but there is much else to discuss, and opinion will undoubtedly be split in any outcome.

When is the GAA’s Special Congress on rule changes for Gaelic football?

The Special Congress will take place this Saturday, November 30.

What will happen in the outcome that new rules are passed?

Any new rule voted in will be adopted by the GAA for the upcoming Allianz Leagues.

The new rules will also be used for the intercounty championship.

Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns speaks to Ulster and Connacht players after the Allianz GAA Football Interprovincial Championship Final at Croke Park.
Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns speaks to Ulster and Connacht players after the Allianz GAA Football Interprovincial Championship Final at Croke Park. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile (Stephen Marken / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE)

At that stage, there will be a fresh review.

The changes will also apply to club football next year, with a growing number of counties opposing that concept due to concerns regarding match officials.

It is expected however that a number of the new rules will be passed, with Malachy O’Rourke and Michael Murphy among the Ulster names involved in the FRC that now have skin in the game.

What are the main rules being put forward to the Special Congress?

The new two-point scoring arc is among the more contentious changes that Jim Gavin claims will see more goals scored.

Goalkeepers may also be prevented from having possession inside their own half, incentivising a high press and creating more risk for number ones who do choose to venture forward.

The solo and go was a change that players seemed keen to see introduced, and it would be a surprise to see that motion defeated.

Other potential changes include harsher sanctions for failure to comply with referees, one v one throw ins, and kickouts having to cross the scoring arc.

The Irish News’ Andy Watters has broken down the potential changes in more detail, as has columnist Gráinne McElwain, while this weekend’s paper sees Cahair O’Kane chat to none other than Jim McGuinness.