Football rules now written in stone. GAA tightens its grip on official gear; Hurling semi’s to look forward to.
by Noel Dundon
This weekend marked the dramatic crescendo of the GAA’s sweeping campaign to revolutionise Gaelic football — the grand finale of twenty months of relentless work by the Football Review Committee, appointed by President Jarlath Burns and steered with calm precision by former Dublin manager Jim Gavin.
Whispers had circulated that Gavin’s rising political ambitions — his now aborted bid for the Presidency of Ireland — might cast a shadow over his stewardship of the FRC, a potential clash with the sacred tenets of Rule 1.9. But those murmurings were swiftly silenced. In a display of unity and resolve, the Association sailed through all sixty-two motions without a flicker of dissent, the process as smooth as it was decisive.
This was the sixth Special Congress in seven years — some born out of genuine crisis, like the emergency handover of governance during the chaos of Covid in 2020, conducted remotely and rubber-stamped without hesitation. But Saturday’s gathering was different. It was no firefight, no scramble for control. It was a coronation — a formal ratification of a new era for Gaelic football.
The Football Review Committee’s bold vision, tested and refined over the summer, was now written into permanence — etched into the Treoiri Oifigiúil, the Official Guide. The timing was crucial: the new rules will take effect with the dawn of the new year, though clubs will finish their current campaigns under the familiar codes of the past.
The trial of 2025 had been nothing short of transformative. The so-called “new” Gaelic football — faster, freer, more attacking — was met with roaring approval from players and fans alike. And so, in a brisk forty-five minutes, all sixty-two motions were passed, ushering in a future both daring and disciplined.
Among the refinements shaping the 2026 season:
- Should a player move before the ball is thrown in, the opposing team now claims a free kick from halfway.
- A deliberate jersey pull denying a goal chance? Black card. Penalty. Justice delivered.
- Advance the ball from where a free or sideline should be taken? You’ll concede a free instead.
- Sideline officials now have the authority to flag infringements to the referee.
- Team officials interfering with play will gift the opposition a free on the 13-metre line.
- And from next season, every strike from beyond the 40-metre arc will be worth two points — even if a defender gets the faintest of touches.
At club level, however, the learning curve is steep. Though the rules have been dissected, debated, and displayed on every available platform, true understanding will only come with time — and with matches played under the new order.
Having stood on the sidelines at several low-key fixtures in recent weeks, I can attest: confusion reigns. Players — and this writer too, if honesty is allowed — struggled to grasp the reasons behind certain frees. Only the patience of an exemplary referee, willing to explain as he adjudicated, kept the game flowing. Yet amid the chaos came clarity: eleven goals were scored that day. Eleven. The attacking spirit is alive and thriving under these reforms.
Amid the footballing fervour, one non-playing motion drew particular intrigue. The long-standing rule demanding that all GAA gear be Irish-made was finally amended: from now on, kits must be officially licensed by the Association, aligning with EU competition law. A similar proposal had been withdrawn at last February’s Congress after fiery protest, despite warnings of looming fines. This time, reason prevailed — another sign that the GAA is not just adapting its games, but modernising its governance for the world beyond the pitch.
And so, in less than an hour, Gaelic football was reborn — not through revolution, but through refinement. The rules are changing, yes — but more than that, the spirit of the game is awakening anew.
Semi-final excitement hits the hurling code.
Following a weekend of football action which sees Clonmel Commercials, Loughmore Castleiney, Kilsheelan Kilcash and Grangemockler Ballyneale qualify for the FBD Insurance county semi finals, there is much to look forward to with the senior hurling semi’s down for decision next weekend. Will the defending champions Loughmore Castleiney bow out at the hands of their divisional rivals Holycross Ballycahill? Will Drom-Inch return to the final for the first time since 2012, or will Nenagh Éire Óg bridge their own seven year gap?.
It really is all to play for in both senior semi-finals and in the Premier Intermediate grade the situation is very much the same with last year’s finalists Carrick Swans up against Boherlahan Dualla and Upperchurch Drombane up against Gortnahoe Glengoole. Yes, just as in the senior, it’s three mid Tipperary teams in the last four in both grades, with a north team for company in the senior grade, and a south side in the premier intermediate grade.
There’s plenty of intermediate and junior hurling too to contemplate but really FBD Semple Stadium is where the big action is starting with the televised clash of Loughmore Castleiney and Holycross Ballycahill on Saturday – it will be 81 days until the end of the year on Saturday, but for one team it will be the end of their hurling year. Who will it be? Time will tell.