Hurling Super 8s could be voted in at a Special Congress at the end of the month.

Central Council's new hurling championship proposals will be discussed and voted upon at the Special Congress on Saturday, September 30th, where recommendations from the counties will also be considered.

The CCCC reviewed the current hurling championship format and in June released a detailed proposal. However, the Central Council motion that goes before the special congress now shows a major change from that in so far as only 10 teams would complete in the Liam MacCarthy Cup competition - five in both the Munster and Leinster SHC with Tier 2 teams (Antrim, Carlow, Kerry, Laois, Meath and Westmeath) taking part in a second-tier competition.

Now counties have had their chance to respond and among the motions put forward is one from Cork GAA which effectively amounts to a Hurling Super 8s system that would mirror the footballing equivalent to be introduced next summer.

Motion 5 (3) from Corcaigh reads as follows:

The principal proposed change is to run the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals on a similar basis to the new All-Ireland Football Quarter-Finals.

The All-Ireland Quarter-Finals to be organised on a 'Round-Robin' basis of two groups of four teams with each team in a group playing the other team once.

The teams participating to be the Provincial Champions and Runners-Up of the Munster and Leinster Championships and the four winning teams from the All-Ireland Qualifier Series.

The GAA's new proposals for the All-Ireland senior, U21 and minor hurling championships would be implemented on a three-year trial basis from 2018 to 2020 inclusive.

The following counties would be eligible to participate in Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2018: Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Clare and Limerick in the Munster championship; and Kilkenny, Wexford, Dublin, Offaly and Galway in Leinster. Both provincial competitions would be run on a round-robin basis.

INFORMATION DOCUMENT ON MOTIONS FOR SPECIAL CONGRESS

 

Motions re Structure of All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

 

The key aspects of the Motions from the CCCC/Ard Chomhairle and County Committees are as follows:

 

 

Motion 1 - Enabling Motion

 

Motion 2 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

 

1. It proposes to confine the Liam McCarthy Cup to ten teams:

           

            Munster Championship - five teams

            Leinster Championship - five teams

 

2. The Munster and Leinster Championships to be run on a 'Round-Robin' basis with each county having two home and two away games. The counties finishing in the top two places in each provincial group to play in their respective provincial final.

 

Points/Tie-breakers regulations provided.

 

3. The current All-Ireland Qualifier Series to be eliminated.

 

4. All-Ireland Quarter-Finals

The third placed team in each Province shall replace the two teams currently coming from the All-Ireland Qualifier Series. They meet the beaten provincial finalists on a cross-provincial basis.

 

•  

The winners of the new Tier 2 Championship shall replace the bottom team in the Leinster or Munster Championships, as appropriate, in the following year.

 

Other All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships Tiers 2, 3, 4 and 5

 

5. It proposes a new Tier 2 Championship involving the four counties currently in the Leinster Championship Qualifier and two other counties based on finishing positions in 2017 championships.

 

6. The Tier 2 Championship to be run on a 'Round-Robin' basis with the teams finishing in the top two places playing in the championship final. The winners qualify to play in the Liam MacCarthy Cup in the following year.

 

7. Promotion and Relegation is provided for as well as provision to reduce the number of teams in 2019 to five.

 

Christy Ring/Nicky Rackard/Lory Meagher Cups

 

8. The participants in these respective competitions are to be based on finishing positions in 2017 championships. 

 

9. The Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups are to be organised on a 'Round-Robin' basis instead of the current 'pairings' basis.

 

The Lory Meagher Cup will continue to be organised on a 'Round-Robin' basis.

 

Provision is made for Home and Away games and for Promotion and Relegation.

 

Venues - For Tier 2, 3 and 4 - Home and Away except for Finals and Relegation Play-Offs which will be determined by C.C.C.C..

 

Motion 3 - Tiobraid Árann

 

(1)        It confines participation in the Liam MacCarthy Cup to five teams in Munster and five     teams in Leinster.  

(2)        It differs from the Central Council Motion in that it proposes that the

            Munster and Leinster Championships be organised on a knock-out/losers group                basis.

 

(3)        Venues - Up to Semi-Finals - Home/Away.

              Semi-Finals/Final - Neutral unless Agreement between the       

              Counties.

 

(4)        In the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals it provides for the defeated semi-finalists in each            province to play-off, with the winners to meet the two defeated provincial finalists on a cross -provincial basis

(5)        It concurs with the Central Council Motion regarding Tiers 2, 3, 4 and 5.

(6)        Relegation/Promotion from Liam MacCarthy Cup: The Tier 2 winners will contest a         play-off to determine relegation/promotion.

 

 

 

Motion 4 - Áth Cliath

 

1. It proposes no change to the current Provincial Championships System.

 

2. It amends the All-Ireland Qualifier Series to allow the four winners from Round One to progress to the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals i.e. no Round 2.

 

3. It proposes to increase the number of All-Ireland Quarter-Finals from two to four with the Provincial champions and runners up in both Leinster and Munster each respectively playing against one of the four winners of the All-Ireland Qualifier.

 

4. No other change to current Rule is proposed.

 

 

Motion 5 - Corcaigh

Liam Mac Carthy Cup

1. It proposes retaining the counties participating in the Provincial Championships as in current Rule.

 

2. In the All-Ireland Qualifier Series it proposes retaining the current provisions except that there be no Round 2 and that four winners progress to All-Ireland Quarter-Finals.

 

3. The principal proposed change is to run the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals on a similar basis to the new All-Ireland Football Quarter-Finals.

 

The All-Ireland Quarter-Finals to be organised on a 'Round-Robin' basis of two groups of four teams with each team in a group playing the other team once.

The teams participating to be the Provincial Champions and Runners-Up of the Munster and Leinster Championships and the four winning teams from the All-Ireland Qualifier Series.

 

Venues - To be determined by C.C.C.C.

All Ireland Senior Championship Tiers 2, 3 and 4

4. Christy Ring Cup winners play in a preliminary quarter-final in the Liam MacCarthy Cup
5. Relegation/Promotion in relation to Liam MacCarthy Cup is to and from Leinster only
6.  It proposes retaining the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups as Tiers 2, 3 and 4, with the participants being as provided for in current Rule.
7. It concurs with the Central Council Motion that the three competitions be organised on a 'Round-Robin' basis.

 

Motion 6 - Laois, Uibh Fhaili, An Mhí - as amendment to Central Council Motion

It provides that the Tier 2 Championship Finalists qualify to meet the third placed teams in the Munster and Leinster Championships in Liam McCarthy Cup All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Finals.

 

Motion 7 - Corcaigh - as amendment to Central Council Motion

1. The objective of this Motion is to remove the provision in the Central Council Motion which potentially allows for one of the five Counties currently participating in the Munster Championship to be regraded to Tier 2 and not to be eligible for the Munster Championship and Liam Mac Carthy Cup in the following year.
2. Should Kerry win Tier 2, they would play in Leinster.

 

Motion 8 - Cill Mhantáin  - as amendment to Central Council Motion

 

1. This seeks to amend the Central Council Motion as it relates to the format of the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups.

It proposes that the current format is adhered to for Ring and Rackard Cups i.e. not run the Championships on a 'Round-Robin' basis.

 

Motions on Organisation of All-Ireland Under 21 Hurling Championship

Motion 9

CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

1. It proposes that Galway and any Ulster Team(s), as agreed by Ulster and Leinster Councils, participate in the Leinster Championship.

 

2. That the winners of the Munster and Leinster Championships shall play in the All-Ireland Final.

 

Motion 10 - Uíbh Fhailí  - as amendment to Central Council Motion

 

1. It proposes that Galway participate in the Munster Championship and any Ulster teams will participate in the Leinster championship.

 

Motion 11 - Corcaigh - as amendment to Central Council motion

 

It proposes that there be All-Ireland Semi-Finals with the Provincial Winners of Munster playing the Provincial Runners-Up of Leinster and the Provincial Winners of Leinster playing the Provincial Runners-Up of Munster in the All-Ireland Semi-Finals.

                                  All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship

Motion 12 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

1. It proposes that Ulster teams, as agreed by the Ulster and Leinster Councils, shall participate in the Leinster Championship.

 

2. After the conclusion of the Munster and Leinster Championships with the respective winners qualifying for the All-Ireland Semi-Finals, it proposes that a 'Round-Robin' All-Ireland Series be organised to produce two more All-Ireland Semi-Finalists.   

The three participating teams to be Galway and the defeated Munster and Leinster Finalists who shall play on a 'Round-Robin' basis with the top two teams qualifying for the Semi-Finals.

       

Central Council Motions to Facilitate the Playing of Club Games

 

Motion 13 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

That Rule 6.40(a) Tournament Games be amended to permit Inter-County Tournament games to be organised up to the Under 16 Grade only.

Motion 14 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

That Rule 6.41(b) - Challenge Games be amended to provide that after the conclusion of the National Hurling and Football League, an Inter-County Challenge Game in that code may only be played on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (except within the period specified in Rule 6.22(a) in accordance with which Inter-County players are not expected to fulfil Inter-Club Championship Games).

A Penalty for breach is provided.

 

Motion 15 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

That Rule 6.22 (a) Inter-County Players Availability to Clubs be amended by reducing by three days the periods during which Inter-County players shall not be expected to fulfil Inter-Club Championship fixtures prior to Inter-County Championship games in the same Code i.e. All-Ireland Finals reduced from a maximum of twenty days to seventeen days and all Other Games from a maximum of thirteen days to ten days.

A Penalty for breach is provided.

 

Motion 16 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

That Rule 3.6(a) of the Rules of Specification be amended to provide that if a game in the All-Ireland Football Qualifiers , Knock-Out games in the National Leagues and Provincial Club Championships end in a draw after extra time, that two additional periods of extra time of five minutes each shall be played and if still level after the additional extra time the result will be determined by a free-taking competition, the Regulations for which will be determined by the Central Council.

 

Motion 17 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

That Rule 3.6(b) Rules of Specification be amended to provide that if a Replay of a Provincial Senior Championship Final ends in a draw after extra-time, two additional periods of extra time of five minutes each shall be played.

 

Motion 18 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

 That Rule 6.40(k) be amended to provide that adult pre-season Inter-County Competitions organised by Provincial Councils shall be completed before the final round of games in Division 1 of the respective National Leagues.

 

Motion 19 - CCCC/Ard Chomhairle

That a new section of Rule 6.25 be adopted to provide that the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Champion of Britain shall participate within the Provincial Club Championship Structure of Ireland, on the basis of arrangements determined by the Central Council.

 

Age Grades

Motion 20 -  Minor Review Workgroup/Ard Chomhairle

 

1. It proposes that underage Age Grades at Club level be altered from Under 12, 14, 16  and 18 to Under 11, 13, 15 and 17.
2. It further proposes that the lower age level eligibility at different levels not be altered.

        

            Example:

            In the case of Under 18 - a player shall have celebrated his 14^th birthday prior to January 1^st of the Championship year.

          Effectively the eligibility age span in each case is reduced by one year.

Playing Rules

 

Motion 21 - Standing Committee on Playing Rules/Ard Chomhairle

This relates to the kick-out in Football.

1. The proposal is that the ball must additionally travel "outside the 20 metre line" before being played by another player of the defending team.

 

Motion 22 - Standing Committee on Playing Rules/Ard Chomhairle

This proposes the amendment of Technical Foul/Penalty in Rule 4.20 if Motion 21 is approved.

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