Congress 2016

[INDIANA]

The move to later in the year alone meant changing to U20 wasn't nesscary but the attempt to make the best U20/21 players ineligible for the grade if they dare take up the offer of being on the senior team will help gut the competition of the very players that light it up year after year. This is the most enjoyable, open and exciting IC competition of all so it's quite incredible to see delegates vote to damage it so severely and foist a terrible decision onto players rather than sort the issue out themselves.

Smacks more of an attempt to stealth kill a grade HQ wanted to kill in the past but failed to rather than protect players.

Excellent decision by congress. Might force Roscommon to play big boys senior football now instead of hiding behind age grade football.

Unless you've seen the sickening injuries caused by burnout and the studies involved you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

You're not dealing with these injuries at the coal-face - disgusting is how I describe them. 20/21 year olds having groin and hip injury operations all because of the what you're describing above. Senor inter county managers/u21 county managers and Sigerson managers flogging players till they can't run

I really do wonder what planet some posters here live on.

[Rossfan]

And yet we let it continue in the Hurley stuff

[TF15]

Would it not have made sense to have the u20 championship at the time of year the u21 is currently on with all players having to play with just the u20s until their county were eliminated from the u20 championship? It ends before the champioship ensues, thus keeping young players from training on 2 different teams.

Additionally, could the sigerson cup not be a competition for students above u20? As it is 90% of players starting for the top colleges are over that age anyway. Herein, players u20 wouldn't be involved in McKenna Cup, etc also as the Unis would have to look at over 20 year old players.

As a result u20 players wouldn't be involved with 3-4 panels at the same time.

[Captain Obvious]

And college league,sigerson cup football which includes inter county pre season competitions and the nonsense of two games in two days during sigerson cup finals weekends remain untouched.

[muppet]

And college league,sigerson cup football which includes inter county pre season competitions and the nonsense of two games in two days during sigerson cup finals weekends remain untouched.

Exactly. It is the demands on a small number of young elite players that is the problem. I hate seeing change just for the sake of it and that is what this looks like to me. Unless there is a valid issue with the Leaving Cert/A-levels versus minor football I can't see much merit in either change.

[TF15]

The mark passed for kick outs caught - without the ball touching the ground - past the 45. Not even a trial?? Holy fcuk what is going on down there.

[Syferus]

There really seems to be an abnormal amount of questionable motions passing at this congress.

[manfromdelmonte]

And college league,sigerson cup football which includes inter county pre season competitions and the nonsense of two games in two days during sigerson cup finals weekends remain untouched.

Yep. This is the madness of the GAA

Different organisation. They are self governed.

the GAA needs to stop players training/playing with more than one team

[tiempo]

The mark passed for kick outs caught - without the ball touching the ground - past the 45. Not even a trial?? Holy fcuk what is going on down there.

Disgusting.

Cue training of impeeding the best high fielders in the country as they begin their run up to catch a high ball.

The old maxim if its not broke don't fix it...

Let me guess. Not implemented in hurling...

And this comes into effect immediately?

Competitions already underway being played under two different set of rules?

[Captain Obvious]

The mark passed for kick outs caught - without the ball touching the ground - past the 45. Not even a trial?? Holy fcuk what is going on down there.

Disgusting.

Cue training of impeeding the best high fielders in the country as they begin their run up to catch a high ball.

The old maxim if its not broke don't fix it...

Let me guess. Not implemented in hurling...

And this comes into effect immediately?

Competitions already underway being played under two different set of rules?

Is there any other team sport in the world that changes it's rules as much and as often as Gaelic football does?

[TF15]

Maybe the players could get a vote on these matters? Or do the oul jobsworths at this congress who don't even play anymore get to decide for players currently playing the game?

Totally disillusioned with the GAA. The clubs fcuked over with the season being shortened/no replays bar provincial and AI Final both failing to pass. Lunatics running the asylum.

[sligoman2]

As a former midfielder with decent hands, I'm delighted that the mark has been passed - high fielding had been basically eliminated from the game and this should bring back one of the most enjoyable aspects of football in my opinion.
Not good from a sligo perspective as we don't really have any high fielders at the moment, but good for the overall game

[TF15]

Mark my words, it'll not increase high fielding. In fact it will increase kick outs to the wing to the oncoming runner at chest level. It'll also slow the game down as players will always take the 5 seconds and likely pass the ball backwards from the free while the opposition sprint back into their own half. Nice ideal but in reality it won't work.

[sligoman2]

Mark my words, it'll not increase high fielding. In fact it will increase kick outs to the wing to the oncoming runner at chest level. It'll also slow the game down as players will always take the 5 seconds and likely pass the ball backwards from the free while the opposition sprint back into their own half. Nice ideal but in reality it won't work.

Time will tell, but I would think it would be relatively easy to defend against kickouts to the wings especially if they have to make it outside the 45 - I was not enjoying the cluxton style sickouts, effective yes, enjoyable no.
I hope this time next year we are all applauding the change as I think it was a necessary one.  I have mentioned this many times in the past.

The other two changes I have suggested is for two refs and a time clock for all county matches

[tiempo]

Mark my words, it'll not increase high fielding. In fact it will increase kick outs to the wing to the oncoming runner at chest level. It'll also slow the game down as players will always take the 5 seconds and likely pass the ball backwards from the free while the opposition sprint back into their own half. Nice ideal but in reality it won't work.

Time will tell, but I would think it would be relatively easy to defend against kickouts to the wings especially if they have to make it outside the 45 - I was not enjoying the cluxton style sickouts, effective yes, enjoyable no.
I hope this time next year we are all applauding the change as I think it was a necessary one.  I have mentioned this many times in the past.

The other two changes I have suggested is for two refs and a time clock for all county matches

But not in hurling... just to be clear...