For the 2018 season, all sanction
applications must be made online
via the Player Transfer System (PTS).
This will see clubs in North America
initiate the sanction process in a similar
process as to how online transfer operate.
This process must be initiated by the club
in USGAA/Canada/New York that the player
wishes to play with.
Players who are intending to play in these
jurisdictions in Summer 2018 should:
1. Contact the club secretary of the club
they intend to play with in USGAA/
Canada/New York.
2. If the club in USGAA/Canada/New
York would like to initiate a sanction
application for the player, the player
should purchase suitable travel
insurance.
The only currently acceptable insurances
are those provided by Chubb (available via
the link below on gaa.ie) and USIT(MAPFRE
- which must include confirmation of
an upgrade from the standard cover of
“Hazardous Activities Grade 1”: to include
“Hazardous Activities: Grade 5”).
Please note Travel insurance must be
purchased before the player leaves Ireland
- Further details below.
3. The player should supply their e-mail
address to the club secretary of the club
they wish to play in USGAA/Canada/New York.
4. Complete the application form online
via a link which will be received by the
player via e-mail from the PTS once an
application has been initiated by the
club secretary in USGAA/Canada/New
York via the Sanctions tab. Players must
upload proof of their travel insurance
information when completing the
application form or the application will
not be processed. In addition, players
applying for a J1 Sanction must also
provide proof of their J1 Visa (a copy of
the J1 Visa will suffice)
5. Once the form has been completed, the
club secretary of the club they wish to
play in USGAA/Canada/New York will
review the details and if appropriate
submit the application to Croke Park for
processing.
6. Croke Park will then process the
application if all information has been
provided. The club and county in Ireland
will then receive an e-mail notification
that the application requires their
approval and will be invited to approve
or reject the application.
7. Once all parties have approved the
application, the sanction will be granted
by Croke Park. An e-mail notification
will advise all parties, including the
player, that the sanctionhas now been
granted.
The USGAA/Canada/New York may have
additional requirements with regard to
registration in advance of a player being
eligible to play in a fixture. Players are
advised to confirm they have been registered
with the club secretary in USGAA/Canada/
New York prior to participating in a fixture.
Mandatory Travel Insurance
All players that will be seeking an Official
GAA Sanction from Central Council to play
in North America (USGAA), New York or
Canada for the summer are reminded that
travel insurance must be arranged in Ireland
before they commence their journeys.Proof
of this insurance is required as part of the
application process
Players should note the following:
Like the vast majority of travel insurance
policies, the option offered by the GAA can
only be purchased by individuals before they
leave Ireland. Important points for players to
note include:
• The only currently acceptable
insurances are those provided by Chubb
(available via the link below) and USIT
(which must include Grade 5 hazardous
activities cover).
• The cost of insurance will depend on the
duration of a player’s stay in a particular
country.
• Players wishing to play in North America
must purchase cover for a minimum
of 90 days. It is the player’s own
responsibility to ensure they are covered
for all dates of potential fixtures.
• Travel insurance is not a private health
insurance. It only covers players if there
is a sudden and unexpected accident or
if a player becomes ill during his trip.
• Generally where doctors appointed by
Insurers deem treatment in Ireland//
Britain more appropriate, players will be
repatriated home for treatment.
• Players playing overseas are not covered
under the GAA Injury Benefit Fund.
The following are the steps which player’s
need to take to purchase the required
insurance:
1. Go to the following link - ew
2. Choose Backpacker cover for a
minimum of 90 days. It is the player’s
own responsibility to ensure they
are covered for all dates of potential
fixtures.if you do not have cover for a
fixture you will not be eligible to play
or covered in the event of a sudden or
unexpected accident.
3. Please Note: ensure you select
‘Worldwide Cover inc. US/Canada/
Caribbean’
4. Choose the most accurate number of
days that you will be staying in North
America / New York / Canada
- Minimum for North America is 90 days
5. Please read and accept the terms and
conditions of the policy and apply for
the cover
6. Fill in all the required fields in order to
obtain your documentation
7. Once purchased, the confirmation letter
should be submitted when applying via
the GAA Player Transfer System.
8. Once approved, all Sanctions will appear
on the relevant lists on the Official GAA
website
Note - A player who has been included on
an Inter-County Senior Championship list
submitted to the Referee, in accordance with
Rules of Specification 2.5 (ii)(a) for a game in
the current year’s Championship shall not be
eligible to be accepted for Registration as a
member of any Club in the North American
County Board Jurisdiction.
Exception - A player who has been included
on an Inter-County Senior Championship list
submitted to the Referee, in accordance with
Rules of Specification 2.5 (ii)(a), for a game in
the current year’s Championship, who holds
a valid current J1 Visa or who is eligible
for a J1 Visa and who obtains an Official J1
Sanctionmay be accepted for registration.
Such a player may only have his J1 Sanction
approved once his team has been eliminated
from the Senior Inter-County Championship
(including All-Ireland qualifier games).
The J1 Visa concerned with this Exception
is the J1 Work and Travel Programme Visa
only – i.e. the four month Visa for 3rd Level
Students.
General Rules
• A Sanction entitles a player to play with
a Club from March 1 until the end of
October
• Sanctions to USGAA (North
America),New York or Canada, will not
be granted after July 1
• A player who has received a Sanction
will not be able to play again with his
Club in Ireland for 30 days after the date
of approval of his Sanction in Croke Park
• Sanctions are only available to current
members of Clubs in Ireland or members
of clubs in Britain, whose First Club is
their current club.
• For more information, go to Rule 6.12 of
the Official Guide.
For further information see - http://
www.gaa.ie/the-gaa/rules-regulations/
overseas-sanctions
