Congress accept proposal for sin-bin to be used in 2021 All-Ireland hurling championship

After an emotive 55-minute debate at Congress delegates decided to accept the controversial proposal on 168 to 108 votes. This is an experimental rule which will operate initially at inter-county senior level only and will be used this year.

The rule, which will also impact on football, means a penalty will be awarded in both hurling and football should a cynical foul be committed on an attacking player inside the 20-metre line or the semi-circle that is deemed to deny the chance of a goal.

Footballers deemed guilty of this offence will also be shown a black card and sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes.

Hurlers will also be sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes, but they will be shown a yellow card.

Cynical fouls in hurling are listed as those when a player is pulled down, tripped with the hand, arm, leg, foot, or hurley, or there is a careless use of the hurley.

The majority of the delegates who opposed the motion wanted it deferred until the special Congress until September. But after a show of hands GAA President John Horan opted to go ahead with the vote.

The opposition to the motion was led by Limerick. County chair John Cregan said referees would have to determine three issues under the new rules; where the foul occurred, was it a cynical foul and did the foul deny a goalscoring opportunity.

“This is a huge call for any referee to make in real time. Referees could make an error which could be game changing or even season changing,” he said adding that the GAA should examine the introduction of technology to aid the referees.

Meantime, discussion on the motion should be deferred until a special congress later in the year at which other contentious proposals are due to be debated.

But former Offaly star Michael Duignan strongly supported the motion.

“A laziness has crept into defending; the first option is to foul. Fouling has become a tactic to break the momentum of a team particularly in the first half. It is worth supporting on a trial basis and if the outcome if the skilful forward is given more protection, it will be worthwhile,” he said.

The motion was also opposed by Kilkenny, Westmeath, Galway, London, and Kildare who all wanted to have the debate deferred.

However, Tipperary and Cork together with Pat Teehan, Leinster Council chairman and John Prenty, secretary of the Connacht Council urged Congress to back the proposal.

Last year a similar proposal was overwhelming defeated. The only significant change in this year's proposal is that hurlers being sent to the sin-bin will not be shown a black card as happens in football. Instead, they will be shown a yellow card.

Even though this has the potential to cause confusion given that yellow cards are also used to sanction players for lesser offences this issue wasn't raised by the delegates.