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Changes: Chairman of the Football Review Committee Eugene McGee, left, and GAA president Liam O'Neill at the launch of the FRC report. ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

GAA to consider new ‘black card’ rule

The latest proposals from the GAA’s Football Review Committee could see a new black card introduced in matches next year.

REFEREES COULD HAVE the power to issue black cards next year as part of the GAA’s efforts to clamp down on cynical tactics.

Under the amended proposals published by the Football Review Committee this afternoon, players shown a black card will have to be automatically substituted and will not be allowed to return to the game.

The move “is aimed at reducing deliberate and cynical fouling and also to increase respect towards referees and fellow players,” the GAA said in a statement.

It follows discussions between the Rules Advisory Committee and the FRC, whose original plan to introduce mandatory substitutions for yellow card offences was labelled a “joke” by Clare manager Mick O’Dwyer and criticised as too severe by others.

The revised motion is now due to go before the GAA’s Annual Congress in Derry this March and, if approved, would be implemented in matches from 1 January 2014.

Under the change the following five infractions would be deemed worthy of a black card:

  • To deliberatively pull down an opponent.
  • To deliberately trip an opponent with hand, arm or foot.
  • To deliberately body collide with an opponent after he has played the ball away or for the purpose of taking him out of the movement of play.
  • To use abusive or provocative language or gestures to players.
  • To remonstrate in an aggressive manner with a match official.

Teams will be permitted to make automatic substitutions for the first three black cards but after that, any further offences would see players expelled from the game without any replacement. The present yellow card rules will remain with players who receive a second yellow card in a match sent off without replacement.

In inter-county competitions, players who receive a cumulative total of three black cards or three double yellow cards will be given a one-match suspension. These suspensions will not apply to an All-Ireland Final however and would instead be carried over to the next match.

In line with these changes, the FRC has also proposed that the number of substitutions permitted in a match should be increased from five to six.

Duffy admits that yellow card rule may be reviewed

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    Mute Leon O Haodhagain
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:10 PM

    What if the corner backs are cynically wasting time passing between themselves – will they be getting black cards too? And if Spillane counts too many hand passes on the Sunday game will there be more sanctions?
    Maybe the offending player should hop on their bad leg for 2 minutes or something? That would liven it up!!

    Or maybe the GAA should let teams do what they do best and commit everything they have to winning and stop pandering to certain commentators.

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Jan 8th 2013, 7:55 PM

    Leon — I’d have to disagree with you. The amount of cynical fouling, play-acting, and lack of respect for refs and officials has been doing my head in for the past few years. I think the ‘professional foul’ in particular needs to be addressed. If one team needs a goal to win or draw, for instance, the other team pulls them down on the edge of the square and takes one (a yellow card) for the team. It shouldn’t be like that.

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    Mute Leon O Haodhagain
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    Jan 8th 2013, 9:25 PM

    Should they let them have a chance to win or draw then?? Nonsense.

    I would love to get rid of the play acting and have a lot more respect for officials and i agree with you there. But this is just trying to “improve” (see increase scores) the game to please certain pundits who spout the same rhetoric week in week out with no constructive input.

    The Dublin v Donegal semi-final a few years ago was one of the most fascinating games I’d ever seen because of the tactics, intensity and strategy. Not every game needs 60 yd kick passes and 20 points to be entertaining.

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    Mute Khaosan Roche
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    Jan 8th 2013, 10:33 PM

    @Leon

    You seem to be incapable of disagreeing politely.

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    Mute Deco1808
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:08 PM

    Quickly turning into a non contact sport ,with all the rule changes & diving.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Jan 8th 2013, 7:16 PM

    What about abusing officials, is that to be condoned?

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    Mute Cormac Breathnach
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:12 PM

    Dreadful suggestion. The problem is the standard of refereeing. Totally different rules on Saturday evening in a club game than you get on Sunday in an intercounty championship game.

    Not great for the small clubs who mightn’t have big panels at their disposal either.

    If they’re so insistent on bringing in some sort of rule as a solution to the fouling (rather than addressing the real issue of refereeing), why don’t they try the sin bin exactly the way it’s used in rugby. It works very well.

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Jan 8th 2013, 7:58 PM

    Sin bin would definitely be good. I think this black card is also worth a go though. Notwithstanding refereeing issues; something does have to change in my opinion. If a team gets 7 or 8 points ahead in the second half they can see the game out by faking injury and cynical fouling. It’s crap to watch.

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    Mute Derek Byrne
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    Jan 8th 2013, 11:22 PM

    And how many games have you refereed Cormac ?

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    Mute SMcB
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    Jan 8th 2013, 11:43 PM

    This years championship should be good craic … FFS. Change the system and bring in the Sin Bin.

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    Mute tony duggan
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:02 PM

    It’ll probably be scrapped because of racism!!

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    Mute SJK
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:04 PM

    And put diving in there too!!

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    Mute Donal Vaughan
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:48 PM

    they are right blackcards :-)

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    Mute whitey bolger
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:29 PM

    Replace the rte studio with the newstalk crew and we can enjoy the coverage, problem solved.

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    Mute peter
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:57 PM

    Newstalk presenters really irritating me lately. Way to far up their own ar*es & ill tell you what newstalk guys & gals ( if you read the journal that is ) you are not really that good or funny. I loved the station initially it’s not even on my saved stations in my car anymore.

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    Mute David Orde
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    Jan 8th 2013, 8:14 PM

    Sin bin anyone? Works in rugby and ice hockey. Forget this substituting for another player. That is not a punishment

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    Mute Christopher Reynolds
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:05 PM

    You’ll need a degree to officiate games and the public wont have a clue. Tripping abuse and cynical fouls red card. Soccer and Gaa need to catch up,manly the players

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    Mute Willy Prendergast
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    Jan 8th 2013, 10:07 PM

    Sin bin is the only logical solution. This black card can’t work at grass roots for obvious reasons.. They seem to be determined to break What’s not broke..

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    Mute Sean O'Sullivan
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    Jan 8th 2013, 11:32 PM

    On a related topic….used to be a great rule in ice hockey….not sure if it still applies. When two players go at each other….the third man in gets red carded. Result is that two guys slug away until seperated by officials. No mass brawls. Would def be worth a shot in GAA.

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    Mute Commersh
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    Jan 8th 2013, 7:48 PM

    What about the team who gets a black card and has no substitute? Joke of a rule

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    Mute Amaru Lee Murphy
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    Jan 8th 2013, 6:50 PM

    Please don’t play the black card

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    Mute Brendan Devlin
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    Jan 8th 2013, 9:11 PM

    There may be trouble ahead with all the confusion and its all of their own making. Black cards, yellow cards and red cards, why don’t they use a deck of cards cos it sounds like a game of chance. Looks as though the GAA are just putting feelers out to see the reaction from managers. Too much spin from FRC and co. They may dig a hole and bury their report.

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    Mute SMcB
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    Jan 8th 2013, 11:45 PM

    I can see it being an absolute nonsense but great for the media of course.

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    Mute Graham Carrick
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    Jan 9th 2013, 12:54 AM

    Why don’t they ban them from using their hands, make the pitch smaller and get rid of those sticks on top of the cross bar. Then you’d have a sport

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    Mute padraig
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    Jan 9th 2013, 3:08 AM

    There are too many cynical and violent tackles. I think perhaps stricter refs rather than a new card, would do it.

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    Mute Richard Evesson
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    Jan 9th 2013, 1:40 PM

    Just leave the game alone ! Had one on the best inter county championships last fee years last year

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