REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE ORGANISATION AND PRESENTATION
OF INTER-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS, INTER-COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS AND ALLIANZ LEAGUE GAMES

Introduction These Regulations have been drawn up by An Lár Choiste Cheannais na gComortaisí and approved by Ard Chomhairle in accordance with Riail 3.43 (h), Riail 3.47(f) and Riail 6.35 T.O. 2014 and Riail 4, Rules of Control, Official Guide 2014 Cuid II.

The Central Competitions Control Committee(CCCC) is mindful of the GAA Give Respect Get Respect campaign and has drawn up these Regulations for the benefit of all stakeholders – players, referees, team management, officials, media, members and spectators.

Categories of Games For the purposes of imposition of penalty under these Regulations three Categories of games have been created,as follows:

Category A:-
All GAA Senior Inter-County Championship & Allianz League games & all National Finals,
GAA All Ireland Senior Club Semi-finals,
GAA Inter-Provincial Hurling and Football Championships;

Category B:- All other Inter-County games;
Category C:- All other Inter-Club games.

Sideline Official/Match Monitor – A Sideline Official will be appointed by the Committee-in-Charge and it shall be his duty to report any breaches of these Regulations.

The Committee-in-Charge may also appoint a Match Monitor who shall be responsible for any duties assigned. The Sideline Official shall include in his report any relevant observations or breaches reported to him by the Match Monitor. These will then form part of the Referee’s Report in accordance with Rule 1.6, Rules of Control, T.O. 2014 Cuid II but any errors or omissions in respect of this shall not invalidate the Report as a whole.

The Committee-in-Charge may also impose penalties for breaches of the Regulations brought to its attention by members of the Committee-in-Charge or the Management Committee.

Failure to respect the regulations and follow laid down procedures therein may lead to penalties as defined in General Rule & Section 3 of this document being imposed on individuals, teams, County Committees, or Clubs by the Committees-in-Charge.

1. Ground/Pitch Regulations
1.1 Ground Regulations shall apply to all venues considered suitable for Inter-County competitions and Inter-Club All-Ireland championships. They shall include procedures for entry to each ground, designated areas for substitutes and Team Officials and shall be communicated to Teams along with the official Clár an Lae (sample in Appendix A).

1.2 The Clár an Lae shall also notify teams in advance of each game as to pre-match & half time protocols, the assignation of dressing rooms, bib colours to be worn, etc.

1.3 Only those players named on the Official Team list (26 for senior Inter-County games, 24 in Non Senior Inter-County games & 30 in Inter-Club games) shall be allowed external entry to venue and pitch Enclosure.

1.4 A maximum of 17 Team Officials shall be allowed entry to a venue. All Team Officials and substitutes must sit in the designated areas identified & must leave the field of play 3 minutes prior to the throw-in to go to the appropriate designated areas.

1.5 There shall be two designated areas for team personnel and officials:
I. Bainisteoir’s zone in which seats for the Bainisteoir, Maor Fóirne and a Medic should be provided (see pitch lay out on page 3);
II. A seated area for substitutes and all other permitted team officials.*

* Exception: Where this designated area for substitutes & Team Officials is considerably removed from the sideline area and provides a practical difficulty for Team Managers in terms of consultation with backroom personnel (i.e. selectors or medics only), seats in an appropriate area recessed from the pitch enclosure (e.g. in the front row of the stand/viewing area or in a dug out) may be provided for a maximum of 4 additional personnel who must remain seated in this area at all times.

Seating for medics must ensure uninhibited access to the playing area at all times. Medics may sit together in the designated area for substitutes or one medic may be positioned in the Bainisteoir’s zone.

Where facilities in particular grounds do not permit for the specific arrangements outlined above, alternative arrangements may be made in advance with the approval of the Committee-in-Charge and communicated to the relevant units.

1.6 Where the National Anthem precedes a game, Teams shall stand to attention facing the flag in a respectful manner; helmets must not be worn for Amhrán na bhFiann, for the parade or in team photographs.

1.7 The team captain shall lead the parade and only the 15 players commencing the game as per official team list may march in the parade, in team jerseys & in numerical order.

1.8 Teams shall be provided to the Committee-in-Charge for the official programme, and to the media, four days before the game i.e. no later than Wednesday Noon prior to a weekend game.

1.9 Players shall be numbered in accordance with the Official Programme and from 1 to not more than 24 (26 in the case of Senior Inter-County games) and from 1 to not more than 30 in Inter-Club games. (Riail 6.31 T.O. 2014).

1.10 In the case of a valid withdrawal the jersey number of the player being replaced shall be used by the replacing player. Such withdrawal shall be notified in advance of the commencement of the game to the Committee-in-Charge/Match Monitor at least 15 minutes prior to throw-in. The inclusion of A.N.Other is not permitted.

1.11 Ball Boys are not permitted

Pitch Lay out

REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE ORGINISATION AND PRESENTATION OF GAMES (APPROVED BY ARD COMHAIRLE)

Affiliated schools are advised to familiarise themselves with the details of these regulations which are posted both on our website (ulstercolleges.gaa.ie) and on the Croke Park website (www.gaa.ie) Attention is drawn in particular to the following:

“The committee-in-charge shall appoint a Match Monitor who shall report all breaches of the Regulations to the Competitions Control Committee. The Committee-in-charge may also impose penalties for breaches of the Regulations brought to its attention by members of the Committee-in-charge or the Management Committee.”

Regulation 6: Team Officials

Team Officials must be named on the official team list submitted to the referee.

 
  1. BAINISTEOIR:
    One authorised Team Official shall wear a distinctive top (supplied by the Provincial/County/Club Committee) which shall have the word “BAINISTEOIR” in clear large letters. The Bainisteoir is permitted to move along the marked exclusion line, one metre outside the sideline from the 65m line to the 45m line (on the side of the pitch in front of his team’s dugout/designated area. The Bainisteoir is not permitted to enter the field of play.Other than where the Bainisteoir is suspended, excluded from the pitch enclosure or is unable to attend the fixure, may the Bainisteoir top be worn by another member of the Official Team Party. In no circumstances, may the known Bainisteoir wear a Maor Foirne top and thus enter the field of play.
  2. MAOR FOIRNE/RUNNER
    The Maor Foirne/Runner (who must be a Selector) may enter the field of play as specified hereunder to make changes and/or to give instructions to players.The Maor Fóirne shall enter the field of play through the substitution zone and only when the ball has gone out of play following a score or a wide or during a stoppage in play which is called by the Referee for medical attention to an injured player. He shall exit the field of play at the nearest endline or sideline after which he must immediately return, without interfering with play, and resume sitting in the designated area. Any discussion between Bainisteoir and Maor Foirne must take place in the Designated Area.This named official shall wear a Yellow or Tangerine coloured bib/top (supplied by the Provincial/County/Club Committee) which shall have “MAOR FOIRNE” in clear large letters. The Committee-in-Charge shall determine and notify the colour to be used by each team in advance of the game.The Maor Foirne may not act as a Water Carrier/Hurley Carrier and must not be a listed member of the Team Panel.

    The Maor Foirne may carry water when he enters the field of play as permitted in Regulation).

  3. *SELECTORS
    Selectors may not act as Water Carriers / Hurley Carriers.
  4. MEDICAL PERSONNEL(I & II)The Medical Personnel (2) shall wear distinctive tops/bibs supplied by the Provincial/County/Club Committee which shall have the word “DOCHTÚIR or PHYSIO” in clear large letters; they may only enter the field of play to attend to an injured player on the instruction of the Referee. Medical Personnel are not permitted to carry out the role of Water Carriers but are not restricted in providing fluids in their medical capacity. When not attending to injured players, one Medical Person shall remain seated in the designated area on the sideline and the other Medical Person shall remain seated in the designated area provided for substitutes.The Referee is advised to delegate authority to the Linesmen to assist him in the event of an emergency i.e. serious injury on the field of play.
  5. *WATER CARRIER/HURLEY CARRIERS
    FootballTwo Water Carriers are permitted per Team and must not be under 18 years of age.Water Carriers are not permitted to enter the field of play.One Water Carrier will be stationed at least 2m outside each 45m line as per the illustrated diagram, and must remain seated when not dispensing water. They may only approach the sideline at that point to dispense water to a player, and must then return to their designated position.

    Water Carriers will wear distinctive bibs supplied by the Provincial/County/Club Committee with the words ‘MAOR UISCE’ in clear large letters and numbered 1 and 2.

    Hurling

    Water Carriers will also act as Hurley Carriers and must not be under 18 years of age.

    One Water/Hurley Carrier will be stationed at least 2m behind each 45m line as per the illustrated diagram, and must remain seated when not dispensing water, or providing a replacement hurley.

    Water/Hurley Carriers may enter the field of play with a replacement hurley when necessary. However they may not enter the field of play with water at any stage, they may only approach the sideline to dispense water, and must then return to their designated position.

    A distinctive bib with the words ‘MAOR CAMÁN/MAOR UISCE’ in clear large letters and numbered 1 and 2 (supplied by the Provincial/County/Club Committee) must be worn by each Hurley Carrier/Water Carrier.

    Hurley/Water Carriers are not permitted to carry sliotars.

    The following persons are not permitted to act as Water/Hurley Carriers;

    (i) Bainisteoir

    (ii) Maor Foirne or other Selectors (The Maor Foirne may carry water when he enters the field of play as permitted in Regulation)

    (iii) Cathaoirleach or Runaí/Nominated Representative

    (iv) Medical Personnel

    (v) Substitutes, members of extended panel and injured players

  6. OTHERS ON OFFICIAL TEAM LIST
    The name and number (where relevant) of each Team Official shall be included on a List submitted to the Referee prior to the commencement of the game.
  7. The Referee or other Official(s) appointed by the Committee-in-Charge shall report any unauthorised entry on the field of Play. The Referee also has the authority to send any person in repeated contravention of Match Regulations to the stand/outside the pitch enclosure and such person cannot be replaced.

Penalties for Breaches of Regulation 6

(i) Penalties shall be at the discretion of the Committee-in-Charge, taking into account frequency of Breaches of Regulation.

(ii) Offenders reported by the Referee for unauthorised entry on to the field of play may be dealt with under (i) above or Riail 6.42 (e) T.O. 2012.

[Riail 6.42 (e) T.O. 2012 – For unauthorised entry on to the field of play by the Team Official – Penalty 4 weeks Suspension].

 

7. Sliotars

(i) Only sliotars approved by Cumann Lúthchleas Gael which display the official GAA stamp may be used.

(ii) Goalkeepers are not permitted a private supply of sliotars in the goal area.

(iii) Umpires have the authority to control the supply of sliotars to the goalkeeper and to confiscate if necessary non-approved sliotars.

Penalty- Fine – Category A – €500

Category B – €300

Category C – €200

These regulations have been drawn up by An Lár Choiste Cheannais na gComortaisí and approved by Ard Chomhairle in accordance with Riail 3.45, Riail 3.49(f), and Riail 6.37 T.O. 2012 and Riail 4, Rules of Control, Official Guide 2012 Part 2.