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Rules Query - Obligation to play both codes

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  • 23-04-2014 4:56pm
    #1
    Yittisay
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭


    Hi there - just wondering if someone could help me with a query. Is it within the rules of the GAA to say to underage players that if you do not play 1 code then you cannot play the other? I'm pretty sure it's not in the spirit of thing but does anyone know if this is something a club can officially enforce?

    Thanks in advance for any help.


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    #2
    DDC1990
    Registered Users Posts: 10,363 ✭✭✭✭DDC1990


    If i'm understanding correctly you are saying:

    Player A only Plays football and not Hurling so therefor cannot play football?

    I seriously doubt it.


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    #3
    Yittisay
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭Yittisay


    Yes, if player A says I do not wish to play football, can the club then say well then you can't play hurling either then? I wouldn't have thought so either but I'm not sure under the rules what would prevent a club from making such a rule.


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    #4
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    The club can do whatever they want, it's their club, but according to the rules of the association no you don't have to play both and I'd imagine you would find it fairly easy to get a transfer, just get a letter from the club saying that you can't play hurling as you aren't playing football.


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    #5
    Connorzee
    Registered Users Posts: 679 ✭✭✭Connorzee


    If it was a rule, there'd be a lot of Kilkenny youngfellas not playing hurling... and Kerry the opposite


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    #6
    km79
    Registered Users Posts: 48,137 ✭✭✭✭km79


    It sounds ridiculous! Imagine the parents of a leaving cert student for example wanting the child to just play and train for the one sport to cut down on training time etc to be told they MUST play both! Never heard the like .
    I assume the player in question must be very good at the sport they have chosen not to play and/or chosen not to play the sport that the club considers their "main " sport ?


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    #7
    h2005
    Registered Users Posts: 1,384 ✭✭✭h2005


    There's no such rule.


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    #8
    dundalkfc10
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,719 ✭✭✭dundalkfc10


    When I was 17 (would have played County Minor at 17 and 18) My club told me I couldnt play Soccer if I wanted to continue playing with my club, I never played with them again, Had an email from the chairman confirming this and applied for a transfer, club wouldnt sign it, took it to Louth county board and they rejected my transfer so I signed for a team in Down and went to the team I wanted to join the following year

    Thats a bit off topic, but for your queory there is no suck rule


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    #9
    Hesh's Umpire
    Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭Hesh's Umpire


    No way is it a rule of the GAA - it could however be a club by-law or guideline.
    Hard to see how it could be enforced.


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    #10
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Yittisay wrote: »
    Hi there - just wondering if someone could help me with a query. Is it within the rules of the GAA to say to underage players that if you do not play 1 code then you cannot play the other? I'm pretty sure it's not in the spirit of thing but does anyone know if this is something a club can officially enforce?

    Thanks in advance for any help.

    While there's no rule saying that a player has to play both codes, in a dual club players can not choose to play either code with a different club.


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    #11
    premierstone
    Registered Users Posts: 7,706 ✭✭✭premierstone


    Connorzee wrote: »
    If it was a rule, there'd be a lot of Kilkenny youngfellas not playing hurling... and Kerry the opposite

    Thats a bit unfair on Kerry tbh and there is quite a large hurling stronghold in North Kerry where hurling is actually the number one, you could have picked almost 20 better examples tbh.

    Back to the OP, no there is no such rule but as such a club can do what they like really with regard to team selections, they can just say ''player x isnt good enough to make the starting 15'' and let him rot on the bench.


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    #12
    bren2001
    Registered Users Posts: 6,066 ✭✭✭bren2001


    I know of a few clubs that implement this rule at younger ages, usually up to U12 when they hit secondary school. Tbh I think it is a fantastic idea, it promotes both sports and there are plenty of other clubs parents to pick from if they don't want their child playing one of the sports. However, if you took a legal challenge against it, I'm sure you would win.


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    #13
    Mal-Adjusted
    Registered Users Posts: 3,576 ✭✭✭Mal-Adjusted


    bren2001 wrote: »
    I know of a few clubs that implement this rule at younger ages, usually up to U12 when they hit secondary school. Tbh I think it is a fantastic idea, it promotes both sports and there are plenty of other clubs parents to pick from if they don't want their child playing one of the sports. However, if you took a legal challenge against it, I'm sure you would win.

    Forcing a child into a sport does not promote it. It does the opposite and they'll end up resenting Football/Hurling or the GAA in general.


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    #14
    bren2001
    Registered Users Posts: 6,066 ✭✭✭bren2001


    Mal-Adjusted wrote: »
    Forcing a child into a sport does not promote it. It does the opposite and they'll end up resenting Football/Hurling or the GAA in general.

    That is in no way true. When I was younger we have a panel of 40+ for Gaelic and struggled to get 15 down in hurling (usually had to use younger players). Most had never tried hurling and by the time they had, it was a bit too late for them to start playing. Children will try anything, especially if their friends are doing it. When I go down to the same club now, most ages have 2 hurling and football teams. In certain circumstances where children don't like playing one of the sports, the club allow them to play only one. They are not being forced to come down and there are other local clubs available if they only want to play one. It is seen as a restriction for parents not the kids.


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    #15
    A2LUE42
    Registered Users Posts: 2,533 ✭✭✭A2LUE42


    Mal-Adjusted wrote: »
    Forcing a child into a sport does not promote it. It does the opposite and they'll end up resenting Football/Hurling or the GAA in general.

    Agree with this. One of my sons won player of the year in his age group for football, but a year later didn't want to play anymore. Clubs policy was to keep pushing the kids to play hurling and football. He had no interest in hurling and only wanted to play football. He has been playing soccer since. I doubt he would ever play GAA again.


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    #16
    Yittisay
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭Yittisay


    Thanks for all the replies. Seems like while it may not be strictly legal, a club can probably apply it nonetheless. I think the idea has merits up to say 14s but thereafter study commitments and interest in other sports will make probably result in a net loss of players to the club, dragging both codes into mediocrity.


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