All Football Review Committee rule changes adopted for 2025
Jim Gavin addresses GAA Special Congress at Croke Park on Saturday. Pic: INPHO/James Lawlor
GAA’s Special Congress on Saturday voted in favour of all the Football Review Committee’s (FRC) rule changes for 2025.
Grouped into 18 votes, all 49 motions were passed by the gathering in Croke Park with the majority of them overwhelmingly supported. GAA president Jarlath Burns hailed it as “a resounding mandate for improvement in Gaelic football”.
After the series of votes, Burns called up the FRC members who were present to the top of the room to receive a standing round of applause.
The closest vote came close to the end of the session that lasted just over two hours was the introduction of the public clock/hooter, which received 73.7% backing (60% was required for a vote to pass). All but three of the other 17 votes received less than 90%.
The new rule changes will apply in 2025 across club and county to those competitions that start next year. An enabling motion, which only required 50% support, was overwhelmingly passed with 93.1% of delegates backing. Ten counties along with former GAA president Liam O’Neill and Gaelic Players Association chief executive Tom Parsons spoke in favour of the rule changes being operative in the club scene as well as inter-county.
Burns asked delegates before the vote to consider voting in support of the motion so that the association didn’t go “blind” into 2026 when rule changes will be permanent if they are backed at a Special Congress late next year.
Cork GAA secretary Kevin O'Donovan insisted club referees should benefit from the proposed rule changes as urgently as possible. Galway chairman Paul Bellew stressed that the amendments had to be adopted across the board in 2025. “The neutral is not attending our games,” he said.
Longford and Sligo were the sole vocal opponents to the motion. Sligo chairman Seán Carroll expressed concerns that such wide-ranging rules hadn’t been tested and Longford’s concerns stemmed from the pressures that would be put on referees.
Starting with the Allianz Leagues, all kick-outs must go beyond the 20-metre line and three outfield players from each team must be in each half at all times. The new advanced mark inside the 20m line will also be in action as well as the two-point score outside the 40m arc, the solo and go and the advantage rule at the referee’s discretion.
Outside of the enabling motion, there was little or no debate about the motions. Parsons asked FRC chairman Jim Gavin, who presented the rules, if the two-point score contributes to less goal opportunities in the Allianz Leagues will there be changes for the championship.
Gavin responded that Central Council, as per the enabling motion, will be entitled to amend, rescind or introduce a new rule during the year.
