GAA Congress 2025 - Going through the motions

It's about time the GAA had a Congress. It’s been almost five months since the last, a 'special’ one to introduce the new trial playing rules of Gaelic football.

Though it’s arguable how special a second installment is any more - the association has been in such a whirlwind of change in recent times that that was the fifth in six years – this is the regular, annual chance to take the highlighter and red pen to the rulebook.

Donegal Town is the venue, following on from Newry last year, which pleasingly makes the delegates Donegal democrats.

It’s a more interesting Congress schedule than is often the case, with some big changes on the table.

If you really want to, you can read all 40 motions in detail here, but we will endeavour to explain the standout proposals below.

Playing motions

Motion 1

We’re in the ‘year ending in 5’ when clubs can propose playing rule changes but the only one on the clár is to reform the hurling handpass.

The new rule would state that players can no longer handpass using the same hand they are holding the sliotar with. So they would have to a) release the ball and strike it with the hurl, b) release and strike it with the other hand, without dropping the hurl or c) bounce the ball off the hurl and strike it with the original hand. At least we think so. The precise wording says it would be a foul to "handpass the ball, from the same hand that is holding the ball, or without it being released and struck with a definite striking action of a hand", so c) might need to be clarified.

This change has been championed by former Tipperary defender Conor O’Donovan of the Éire Óg club in Nenagh and follows trials in the college Freshers’ leagues in late 2023.

They were held in response to a 40% increase in the