THE CAMOGIE ASSOCIATION have revealed the set of rule changes that will be trialled in the 2020 national league in a major revamp of the game.

After a steady stream of criticism from current and former players over the last year about the stop-start nature of matches, the Camogie Association have reacted with a process that began last April.

Following a meeting of their Central Council it has been decided that several new rules will be introduced on a trial basis for the 2020 National League. The potential proposals for permanent rule changes will then be made at their Annual Congress in 2021. 

They cover the areas of contact and persistent fouling while quick puck-outs and frees from the hand (inside own 45m line) are now allowed. Players can no longer drop their hurley intentionally or score a goal with a hand-pass while penalties are also changed.

Cork's Amy O'Connor and Dublin's Laura Twomey. Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO

Here’s the full wording of the new rule changes:

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

• 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 20m free 

• A penalty must be struck from on or outside the 20m 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 line before the ball has been struck.

Limerick's Niamh Mulcahy and Tipperary's Karen Kennedy. Oisin Keniry / INPHO Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO

Delegates at the 2019 Annual Congress last April voted to permit trail playing rules to be introduced. A ‘Feedback Forum’ was established involving players and managers before the rules revision working group was established, chaired by former GAA President Liam O’Neill.

A training process will take place in the coming weeks involving the national referee panel as well as workshops which will be held in early 2020 for players and managers ahead of the National League.

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