Nenagh hand-pass motion defeated

One of the highest profile motions down for debate at County Convention on Sunday was a proposal to eliminate ball throwing from hurling, which was defeated by 40 votes to 35.

The motion proposed that it would be a foul to either hand-pass the ball or palm the ball directly from the same hand that is holding the ball.

Proposing it on behalf of Nenagh Eire Og, club chairperson John Tooher said the current situation is leading to more and more players throwing the ball and on occasion referees then incorrectly penalise a player who have hand-passed the ball correctly and is leading to confusion and frustrating among players, mentors, and spectators alike.

“The introduction of this motion would definitively eliminate ball-throwing from hurling and in doing so bring about clarity for everyone concerned,” Tooher explained.

“Ball throwing in hurling is not a skill. Not only is it against the spirit of hurling but fundamentally is against the playing rules of hurling.

“Many hurling fans are dismayed at what the sport of hurling is evolving into. Hurling should have nothing to fear about the introduction of this rule as it would lead to them using a lot more of their range of hurling skills, including the other hand-passing skills, all of which we are seeing fewer of nowadays.

“Ball-throwing cannot be eliminated from hurling by leaving the current playing rules unchanged.”

Supporting the motion, Liam Hogan of Shannon Rovers said ball-throwing is endemic in the game.

“Players are depending now on throwing the ball,” he said.

“Players are now turning four different directions to see who they are throwing the ball to, rather than hitting it. It is a game of hurling and not a game of basketball.”

Speaking against the motion, Frankie McGrath of Drom & Inch said such a change would lead to a massive change in how the game is played.

“You are going back to having to coach fellas that have started at six and seven years of age, to retrain a skill that has been there since we all got involved in the game,” he said, while former County Board chairman Con Hogan felt the proposal was impractical.

“I can’t understand how you would do it as if you have the ball in one hand and the hurley in the other hand and you can’t pass the ball from the hand you have the ball in, then you cannot transfer it to the other hand unless you drop the hurley and if you are in a tackle, how do you get rid of the ball. I don’t think it is practical,” he said.

Following a vote, the motion was narrowly defeated.

A joint motion from five West Tipperary clubs for the restoration of even-age grades and minor returning to under 18 was carried strongly.

Clonoulty/Rossmore’s Andrew Fryday said “we need to get back to under 18 and under 21. We need all these players to fill senior and junior teams.”

County Board na nOg chairperson Tommy Landers, who was against the change to uneven ages three years ago, admitted the new grades are working very well “to my surprise” he said.

Liam Hogan said that any decision would want to be carefully made as if minor returns to under 18 with no decoupling from the adult grades, you could have a lot of minor players sitting waiting to play games while adult competitions take priority.

While the motion was overwhelmingly passed, it won’t mean a change for 2023 as the current age-grades are national policy but there is likely to be changing coming at the next Congress which could see change for 2024.