Every year in February, the GAA Congress takes place, where motions are discussed and voted upon. These motions may have come from clubs, county boards or national committees. This year there were 63 motions on the clár.

The main playing rule changes which have been passed this weekend by congress:

• Sideline Officials (4^th officials) have been given the power to bring to the attention of the referee, during a break in play, any instances of foul play which have not been noticed by the referee

• In football, any player who receives a kick-out cannot pass it back to his goalkeeper. The penalty proposed for a breach of this rule would be a free-kick awarded to the opposition from the position the goalkeeper receives the pass, or if the goalkeeper is inside the 13m line when in receipt of the pass the free will be from the 13m line opposite where the foul occurs

• At the moment if a player wins an advanced mark he can elect to play on and must be allowed to proceed unhindered for four steps by the opposition if he does play on. A motion was passed to allow the opposition to tackle the player immediately if he wins a mark inside the large or small rectangle and elects to play on

• Metal bands are no longer allowed on hurls or must be taped up in competitions up to the age of under 12

• Each county board now has the authority to re-grade players in a manner appropriate for their own championships. This is a very significant motion for 18 year olds in Co.Wexford. The ‘18 year old’ rule has been in place for 2 years in Co.Wexford which allows 18 year olds the special status of being able to play with multiple adult teams in the championship. It was brought in as a way of ensuring plenty of games for players of that age. If this motion had failed, it would have been a big kick in the teeth for 18 year old players. Thankfully it passed comfortably. Wexford GAA County board deserve great credit for pushing for this motion to be proposed and passed.

• The GAA ‘Ard Chomhairle’ were successful in getting a motion passed, to change the Super 8 Football Round 1 from Croke Park to Neutral Venue.

• Under 21 age group has been defined as  “a player shall have celebrated his 16th birthday prior to January 1st and his 21st birthday on or after January 1st of the Championships Year”

• There will be no relegation in the Leinster Senior hurling championship. 2021 will see a 6 team Leinster Championship if a Leinster team wins the 2020 Joe McDonagh cup.

And the controversial one that has slipped under the radar:

• At the moment referees shall only issue cards if they deem the infraction to be have been deliberate and not accidental. A motion was passed to remove that clause. Referees will no longer have to judge whether a serious act of foul play was deliberate or not. They must issue cards whether they believe the act was deliberate or not. Therefore an accidental trip has now become a yellow card offence.

All the talk was about black cards in hurling, yet this motion has completely slipped under the radar. It is only a matter of time before a high profile player gets sent off on a second yellow card for a totally accidental trip in a big game. Everyone will then question how such a ridiculous rule could ever have been brought in.

Unsuccessful motions brought forward from Wexford:

• Naomh Eanna had a motion deafeated with 54% voting no. This motion proposed that each team should have a designated official and two designated players chosen before a match and identified by the wearing of a distinctive armband who are able to approach the referee in a courteous manner as to a matter of fact in relation to the game before the game starts, at half-time, or when the game ends.
• A Wexford County Board motion to change the structure of the All Ireland Minor hurling championship was withdrawn for further consideration.