The GAA have come up with a fresh proposal to solve the controversial minor grade issue.
GAA chiefs have faced widespread opposition to the under-17 grade with many members feeling it's too soon for players to go senior and that minor level should return to under-18.
Now it has emerged that counties will have the option of reverting to even-numbered underage competitions (U-18/16/14/12) and still have players in their 18th year eligible for adult level.
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Smaller clubs have insisted that they would struggle to field at adult level if under-18s were not allowed to play in the adult ranks.
The main reasons for the move to under-17 were to take younger players out of the adult ranks for player welfare reasons, and to decouple underage and adult fixtures, which often saw clashes involving underage players.
A GAA Task Force has given counties three different choices, but they aren’t expected to come into play until the 2024 season - provided they are passed at Central Council level.
One proposal would see a player in their 18th year allowed to play adult level, but not until after March 1 when school games would be completed.
There would also have to be at least 60 hours between an adult and underage game where an under-18 is involved.
A consent form would also be mandatory to alert those involved to “the risks around burnout/overtraining/overuse injuries for players in their 18th year playing with and training for multiple teams across the youth and adult games programmes."
Another proposal is the current status quo of under-17/15/13 is maintained.
The final proposal would see the grades move to under-12/14/16/18 but prevent players in their 18th year lining out at adult level.
At inter-county level the Task Force is proposing that the minor grade in both codes moves from under-17 to under-19.
A motion at this year’s GAA Congress seeking to move inter-county minor to under-19 gained 55 percent of the vote, just five percent short of the 60 percent required.
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