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
Munster Championship - five teams
Leinster Championship - five teams
Points/Tie-breakers regulations provided.
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
Christy Ring/Nicky Rackard/Lory Meagher Cups
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
Motion 5 - Corcaigh
Liam Mac Carthy Cup
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
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
Motion 8 - Cill Mhantáin - as amendment to Central Council Motion
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
Motion 10 - Uíbh Fhailí - as amendment to Central Council Motion
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
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
Example:
In the case of Under 18 - a player shall have celebrated his 14th birthday prior to January 1st 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.
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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