The motions at Saturday’s GAA Special Congress on the new football rules have all been passed with huge majorities in the 18 votes as delegates backed the wide ranging changes proposed by Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee.
After an enabling motion was accepted by a 93% vote which means the new rules will apply to club (after 31 March) and inter-county football and could be amended by the GAA’s Central Council in 2025, the indication change was genuinely in the air came when 92% accepted the introduction of a 1v1 contest during the throw-ins.
Only 60% support is required to enact change.
A whopping 95% of delegates then voted to accept the introduction of a new 40-metre kickout arc which will mean that goalkeepers will have to find team-mates outside the sector, instead of opting for short kickouts.
The motion where outfield players will only be permitted to pass to the goalkeeper if they are both inside the large rectangle – or if the goalkeeper has advanced beyond their halfway – also gained 94% support.
Likewise, the motion calling for a minimum of three outfield players to remain in both halves at all times was accepted by 96% of delegates while the advanced mark proposal received 88% support.
This would enable players cleanly fielding the ball inside the 20-metre line, after it has been kicked from outside the 45, to continue on in an attempt to score from play, but with the ball being brought back for the mark if no score accrues.
The thinking behind this rule is aimed at incentivising teams to kick long into the forwards in the hope of fashioning more goal opportunities.
The motion calling for two points to be awarded for scores outside the new 40-metre arc received 91% backing with 96% support for the new ‘solo and go’ rule which will permit a player who has been fouled between the two 20-metre lines to immediately go on a solo run as opposed to pausing for his side to take a free.
The motion aimed at preventing free-kicks being taken quickly was passed by 85% of delegates, with offender receiving a black card in addition to the ball being moved forward a whopping 50 metres as opposed to the current 13.
Black card offences being extended to deliberately holding up an opponent received 94% support while 93% of delegates backed the rule change which will see the ball moved forward a further 50 metres for dissent by players and 13 metres for protests from dugouts.
In addition, the motion calling for team captains to be the only players allowed to question refereeing decisions received 86% support.
The motion proposing the introduction of a stop clock and a half-time and full-time hooter to end play, which have been in use in women’s gaelic football for some time, wasn’t quite as universally popular among delegates but was nevertheless passed with 74% support.
Motions calling for black cards to be awarded to the ‘third man’ entering melees and referees to be given great discretion to play advantage beyond the current five-second limit also received strong backing.
A full review into how the new rules operated in 2025 will take place late next year with a view to their adoption in an updated rulebook from 1 January, 2026.
