The experimental playing rules will be in place for next month's Dr McKenna Cup, the Ulster Council has confirmed. The provincial body voted on Wednesday night to implement the new rules in the pre-season competition. It's understood that all of the province's nine managers - with the exception of Mickey Harte - are in favour of the rules being trialled in the McKenna Cup as it will afford players the opportunity to familiarise themselves with them before the National League. Ulster Council president Tom Daly explained that his body had received a request from Croke Park to bring the rules in for the competition. "The Ulster Council considered them only in the context of their application to the McKenna Cup and were not making any judgements on the rules themselves," he said. "The decision was taken by the Council and we received a request from Croke Park to apply them. The thinking behind the decision was to ensure the Ulster counties wouldn't be disadvantaged in the National League." The last time the GAA experimented with their playing rules in 2005, Ulster refused to apply them in the McKenna Cup. This meant that players, managers and referees from the province were playing catch-up once the National Leagues started. However, on this occasion, they have decided to get on board from the start. On Thursday night Leinster council also decided that the new rules would apply to the O'Byrne, Walsh and Kehoe Cups. Tweet

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