Match bans to replace time bans for 2012
By John Fogarty

GAA officials are busy preparing themselves for the introduction of match bans on a trial basis for 2012 from next month.
After being passed overwhelmingly by 92% delegates at last year’s Annual Congress, the new suspensions will apply to this year’s Allianz League and All-Ireland championships.

The most common four-week bans will now be replaced by one-game bans in the same code and at the same level with two-game suspensions replacing the old eight-week punishment.

Had the rule change come in last year, Kerry’s Marc Ó Sé would have only missed one league game instead of the two he was sidelined for following an incident involving him and Dublin’s Eoghan O’Gara in Croke Park last February.

"It’s a far fairer system," said GAA director of games administration and player welfare Feargal McGill. "It’s a challenge now for us to implement it successfully and make it work with a mind to possibly extending it to the club game."

Repeat category I and II infractions carry two-game suspensions as opposed to the previous eight-week ban.

Time-based suspensions will remain in place for the more serious offences. "The three, six and 12-month bans are still there because they would be deemed adequate punishment for such infractions," explained McGill.

Any player who picks up a straight red card or a suspension in either of this year’s All-Ireland finals will have to serve it in the 2013 Allianz League.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, January 05, 2012