Busy day for GAA Central Council

GAA Central Council delegates, including Meath Co Board's representative Brendan Cummins, had a busy schedule at their meeting today in Croke Park. The main items discussed included payments to managers, hawkeye technology and the use of GAA facilities for the Rugby World Cup. It is understood that the matter may be on the agenda for the next Co Board meeting at Áras Táilteann, Navan on Monday 3rd or Monday 10th September. GAA Amateur Status and Payments to Team Managers - Proposal It is proposed to establish a register of team managers, selectors, mentors and advisors in hurling and football for each county to include details about the individual, the role they are fulfilling within the team management structure and the remuneration or reimbursement arrangements that have been agreed. The register will also include an estimate of the number of training sessions. The register can then be used as an approximation, at the start of the year, of projected expenditure on management of county teams in each county. Each county will be asked to prepare and return its register to Croke Park in conjunction with the Managers' Charter. The registers will be compiled and assessed to ensure compliance with rule. Counties who have questions or doubts about particular arrangements for their teams can disclose these arrangements and seek advice on how best to regularise matters without sanction. The registers will be retained and spot checks conducted during the year to ensure adherence to stated practice within a number of counties. Counties will not be eligible to receive funding until they return a management register. Counties who are found to be in breach of their own register will be liable to sanction under Rule 1.10 (Appendix 1) Methodology 1. A template will be circulated to each county for completion with or on behalf of management teams for the forthcoming year to include Name of team management member Role within management structure Address Payment regime to apply - e.g. mileage rate, fee per consultation etc Details of any other terms agreed VAT number where appropriate Details of any other payment being made to each individual from any other entity in respect of his or her role with the county team Number of training sessions projected per week/month 2. A register to be completed for senior, under-21 and minor panels. 3. The register should be signed by the county chairman, secretary, treasurer and Central Council delegate 4. The register should be returned to Croke Park by December 31st each year 5. If team a member of management changes during the year an updated register should be completed and returned 6. A county may, in advance of submitting their register, disclose any arrangement which they feel may be problematic and seek advice 7. Any county who returns details of an arrangement contrary to rule will be asked to vary their arrangements or face sanctions under Rule 1.10 8. External auditors will be engaged to conduct inspections throughout the year to ensure compliance 9. Counties/units breach of amateur status will face sanctions under Rule 1.10 (see below). Next Step If this process is approved by Coiste Bainistí / Central Council it is planned to circulate templates in September for completion and return by Tuesday 31st December this year. Appendix 1 Rule 1.10 Amateur Status The Association is an Amateur Association. A player, team, official or member shall not accept payment in cash or kind in conjunction with the playing of Gaelic Games. A player, team, official or member shall not contract himself/itself to any agent other than those officially approved by Central Council. Expenses paid to all officials, players, and members shall not exceed the standard rates laid down by the Central Council. Members of the Association may not participate in full-time training. This Rule shall not prohibit the payment of salaries or wages to employees of the Association. Penalty: 24 weeks Suspension or Expulsion. HAWK-EYE Hawk-Eye is currently undergoing development, testing and validation phases with regard to the ball tracking system which is being used for point detection within hurling and football. The system, installed at Croke Park, uses a number of cameras surrounding the field of play to track the ball. The system combines information from each camera to locate and triangulate the ball in each frame. The system then indicates when a point has been scored and displays the track of the ball within a realistic virtual reality stadium, specifically modeled on Croke Park. There have been some instances where Hawk-Eye has had to provide a refinement to the system when taking into account, amongst other things, wobbling posts, strong sunlight and shots hit higher than 8m above the top of the posts. The GAA is confident that with further testing the system will be ready shortly. It is already working at 98 per cent reliability. RUGBY WORLD CUP Central Council will ask delegates at 2013 Congress if it is willing to amend Rule 5.1 to allow up to six GAA grounds to be used for the Rugby World Cup, in the event of a successful IRFU bid to host the 2023 or 2027 tournament. The decision to place a motion on the 2013 Congress agenda allows the IRFU to proceed to explore the feasibility of an application.