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Kerry's David Moran catches a high ball ahead of Kildare's Tommy Moolick in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final

The mark to be introduced next January and no more football league semi-finals

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the GAA’s Central Council today.

THE INTRODUCTION OF the mark in Gaelic football will take place on 1 January 2017, it was announced after today’s meeting of the GAA’s Central Council.

The new rule was rubberstamped by GAA Congress in Carlow last month but will not come into play for the 2016 season and instead the focus will be on next year’s pre-season competitions when the rule is implemented.

Today’s Central Council meeting also decided that the Division 1 semi-finals of the Allianz football league will be discontinued next year and instead the top two teams will progress straight to the final.

The GAA will also make more use of double weekends during the Allianz leagues when both football and hurling will be played.

A decision was also taken to play the All-Ireland U21 hurling final (from 2017 onwards) earlier in the year, before the All-Ireland senior hurling final is held.

It was also agreed this afternoon to introduce an U17 championship for 2017 to ensure players eligible for that age group will have a competition in that calendar year.

It is envisaged that this competition will be played in July and August on a knock out basis with the final played alongside one of the All-Ireland senior and minor semi-finals.

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Mar 19th 2016, 5:40 PM

    Good call on getting rid of the semi finals. You shouldn’t be able to lose half your games and still win the league

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    Mute Aideen Thornton
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    Mar 19th 2016, 6:28 PM

    “When a player catches the ball cleanly from a Kick-Out without it touching the ground, on or past the 45m line nearest the KickOut point, he shall be awarded ‘a Mark’ by the Referee. The player awarded a ‘Mark’ shall have the options of (a) Taking a free kick or (b Playing on immediately.”

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    Mute Aideen Thornton
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    Mar 19th 2016, 6:30 PM

    That’s for Ryan Clarke.

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    Mute Sean O'Fiannachta
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    Mar 20th 2016, 12:26 PM

    Mark is timely

    should also limit hand-bpasses to no more than possibly 3 in a row

    also unless the umpires and linesmen are given more powers there should be a referee in each half as in hockey

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    Mute Aideen Thornton
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    Mar 19th 2016, 6:29 PM

    That’s for Ryan Clarke. Reply option not working.

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    Mute Trevor Dunne
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    Mar 19th 2016, 11:55 PM

    Will needlessly slow the game down. Pointless.

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    Mute Ryan Clarke
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    Mar 19th 2016, 6:26 PM

    Sorry if this is a silly question but what is “the mark”?

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    Mute Ossi Fritsche
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    Mar 19th 2016, 6:27 PM

    Same the mark in Rugby.

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