The GAA can confirm that the following decisions were taken at today’s meeting of Central Council at Croke Park – the first since last month’s Annual Congress.

Motion 58

It was agreed that Central Council will sponsor a motion to Congress 2015 proposing that 20m frees and penalty pucks be struck from the 20m line.

One of the main reasons for the withdrawal of the motion from the Standing Committee on the Playing Rules on this issue was because of opposition to the impact that the motion, as proposed at Congress 2014, would have had on all free pucks and sideline balls. The motion to next year’s Congress will deal with 20m free pucks and penalty pucks only.

Nicky Rackard Cup

The late entry of Fingal to this competition necessitated a revised draw and this is as follows:
Preliminary Rd: Roscommon v Donegal.

Round One: Tyrone v Sligo; Fingal v Louth; Preliminary Rd winners v Monaghan (if Roscommon win, this game takes place in Monaghan; if Donegal come through it's a home game for Donegal). The first named team is at home in all other fixtures.

Clock and Hooter System

A report was presented to today’s meeting providing an assessment of the use of the clock and hooter system at the recent Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup and Fitzgibbon Cup semi finals and finals.

Following consideration of this report - which indicated that rule changes will be required to ensure operation of the system as intended - it was decided to delay its implementation until 2015. Further piloting of the system will take place in the Higher Education leagues later in the year that will test some of the recommendations in the report and deal with concerns the report expressed around the use of substitutions to run down the clock etc. Relevant motions to change rules as necessary will then be put before Congress in February 2015

Hurling Forum

The GAA can confirm the membership of a new committee, as mooted by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Liam O Néill recently, to examine the state of hurling and to draft proposals to ensure the continued health of the game.
The committee, which will be chaired by Liam Sheedy, All-Ireland winning Tipperary manager, will also include Michael Duignan (Offaly), Ollie Moran (Limerick), Paul Flynn (Waterford), Ollie Canning (Galway), Des Cullinane (Cork), Pat Henderson (Kilkenny), Terence McNaughton (Antrim) and Veronica Curtin (Galway). Rúnaí to this committee will be Ed Donnelly (Tipperary).

The full terms of reference will be drawn up shortly in conjunction with the members of the committee.

Amendment to inter-county minor age eligibility

It was decided to defer the implementation of the rule change on minor age eligibility until 2015, arising from the passing of Motion 46 at last month’s Congress, in light of the number of players already selected for current panels who would be adversely affected.

The new rule will end the practice of U16s playing minor inter-county football and hurling.

FRC Report

All counties have been asked to hold a special meeting before the May meeting of Central Council to consider the FRC report, Part 2. Arising from the responses from counties, Central Council will then decide on further steps to process the report.