The changes players have been crying out for.
It was announced today that a number of exciting rule changes for Camogie will be tried in the upcoming National League series, including increased contact. These will then be potentially brought to the Association’s Annual Congress for permanent inclusion in 2021. Players have become increasingly vocal this year about the need for the proposed changes.
The Rules Revision Working Group, established after a ‘Feedback Forum’ was set up at the 2019 Annual Conference back in April, and consulted with key stakeholders in the potential changes. This included a survey which received over 1,500 responses, and produced a report and recommendations to the Association’s Ard Chomhairle in October.
According to the association’s website, there will be six areas covered in the Trial Playing Rules;
- Contact
A player may now use minimal contact on an opponent’s body from side-on, once they are making a reasonable effort to gain possession of the ball.
- Persistent Fouling
A player who is now deemed to be persistently fouling another player (two deliberate fouls) will be given a “tick” by the referee. If that player commits one more foul, it will merit a yellow card.
- Quick Puck-out
The referee will now blow the whistle once only, to signal a wide/score and from that moment the sliotar is back in play and the goalkeeper is free to restart the game via a puck-out from the correct position.
- Free from the hand
A player will now have the option to take a free from their hand if they are fouled inside her own 45-metre line. Only the player that is fouled can take the free from the hand and it is an indirect free.
- Dropping the Hurley and Hand-pass Goal (Rules 9.6.i. and 9.6.f)
Players will now no longer be permitted to drop the hurley intentionally. In addition, players may no longer score a goal by hand-passing the sliotar into the net. Players may still score a point by hand-passing the ball over the bar.
- Penalty and 20-metre free (Rules 11.2 and 11.3)
A penalty must be struck from on or outside the 20-metre line but not inside it. In addition, only one defending player may stand on the goal-line during a penalty and shall not move towards the 20m-metre line before the ball has been struck.
Speaking about the Trial Playing Rules, Uachtarán an Cumann Camógaíochta Kathleen Woods said:
“These Trial Playing Rules are an important step for the Association to ensure that our game remains fit for purpose for many years to come. We have listened to a range of key stakeholders involved in our game and I hope that this process will be of benefit in order for us to tweak our playing rules in the future to allow our wonderful game to continue to grow and flourish as it has done in recent years.”
After a watershed year for the Association, with close to 25,000 attending the All-Ireland Final day in Croke Park, these rule changes will likely be welcomed in many quarters across the country.
