Thoughts on the new u17 and u20 grade? I'm all for it except I believe for the year they implement it they should run the original u18 and u21 grades along side it. Its unfair on the lads who have been training and looking forward to making a county team are unable to do so just because their age has been forgotten about. Also a young talent could be wasted as making a intercounty team at underage level is a great step forward to improving your game and becoming noticed by the senior management.

gaillimh4sam (Galway) - Posts: 14 - 27/02/2016 10:48:42    1828583

Don't get it ? Why have they changed it?

I absolutely love minor n 21 grade cannot understand why they've changed it , posters there was no problem with these grades whatsoever surely the powers that be should be more worried about 15 players in there own half or the fact our game is now just like basketball with non stop hand passing?

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 27/02/2016 10:54:42    1828584

Thoughts on the new u17 and u20 grade? I'm all for it except I believe for the year they implement it they should run the original u18 and u21 grades along side it. Its unfair on the lads who have been training and looking forward to making a county team are unable to do so just because their age has been forgotten about. Also a young talent could be wasted as making a intercounty team at underage level is a great step forward to improving your game and becoming noticed by the senior management.
gaillimh4sam (Galway) - Posts:10 - 27/02/2016 10:48:42 That isn't a good solution and it will be unfortunate for those who have lost out on a year of age grade GAA but that's life. Its happened in rugby in recent years with changes to age grades but this change is good and there wont be u18/21 also ran as that would be crazy

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 27/02/2016 11:25:51    1828587

It's been introduced in 2018 isn't it? So that will ensure very few will lose out as the transition happens.

As regards why the change - at the moment you have young lads playing U21/Colleges/Senior sometimes in back-to-back weeks - at an U20 level they are less likely to be playing College football at the same time, you would think, so this would help alleviate player 'burn-out'

jimski (Kildare) - Posts: 381 - 27/02/2016 13:13:04    1828596

It's for county teams only - doesn't affect the grades for clubs. If you're U17 you can't play U20; if you're U20 you can't play senior. I'd say it's probably a positive step regarding player burnout. Also less lads affected at U17 with important exams.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 27/02/2016 13:17:12    1828597

My son is distraught , gets one chance at minor loses a year , all this after applying himself since thirteen .didnt know what to say to him .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 27/02/2016 13:26:14    1828598

Fair enough changing the grades could help with the burnout issue as well as a less hectic schedule in LC year. However I cannot see any logic in applying this change to the intercounty football championship only. If I'm understanding it correctly, it does not apply to hurling or club competitions. That makes no sense?

Former_Poster (Meath) - Posts: 394 - 27/02/2016 13:31:33    1828599

Absolute bs no need whatsoever to change these two grades, college football there's about 5 games played how can that cause burn out ? Someone tell me these players that are burned out from all these games they play? I can't believe they've changed these grades it's so wrong. Disgusted

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 27/02/2016 14:00:53    1828605

"My son is distraught , gets one chance at minor loses a year"

Is he a county minor? It's not coming into effect until 2018, I think...?

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 27/02/2016 14:23:25    1828613

How do you figure that Jimski?

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 27/02/2016 15:02:07    1828631

My son is distraught , gets one chance at minor loses a year"

Is he a county minor? It's not coming into effect until 2018, I think...?

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts:2683 - 27/02/2016 14:23:25 1828613

No under 16 , in other words in 2018 he would be 18 second year minor which of course now hes going to miss , sods law , of course thats if he made the cut squad etc

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 27/02/2016 17:12:36    1828652

I think this motion needs to be looked at in two ways.

It's positive in regards that it will reduce the amount of players who are playing county minor into the summer while doing th leaving cert, positive in the fact that you can't have players playing up a grade. That's as far as it goes.

The 20s championship is going to be played in July and August, every player on their county 20's team is going to be key players for the adult team In their clubs who they'll have been training and playing with since the start of the year, towards business end of club championship they're being put under pressure by two sets of managers and training for two serious competitions, how's that reducing burn-out and fixture congestion?

What they should do is play the under 17s competition at this time of the year when the 21s is on at the moment, have it done by the start of April, then start the Under 20s at the end of May, finishing up in Mid June. Let young lads have the rest of the summer for holidays, festivals and club football.

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 27/02/2016 19:28:09    1828675

Maybe U 21 players playing senior should only be allowed play one half (or agreed time limit) for the seniors. It might sound a bit simple but it would avoid burnout. Still gives them senior experience and lets the manager have a look at them. Same rule could be brought in for minors playing U 21. Could allow an extra sub to allow for the ruling.

crikey (Australia) - Posts: 355 - 27/02/2016 20:55:20    1828697

I think the fact that those in senior squads can't play u/20 will obviously have a greater impact on smaller counties, just like a lot of the changes over the last 15/20 years. I also don't like the timing of it, like when do they start training? and it will hardly be adhered to.
Re the minors I'm not sure how it will work, some people say it's only at county level so clubs continue @ 16 and 18 but here in Kildare u/16 league is sat and u/18 on Sunday during the spring so where those that leave an u/16 lad on a minor/u17 squad? the whole club structure will have to be changed

lillyboy (Kildare) - Posts: 429 - 27/02/2016 21:28:07    1828707

I have to say this is a panic reaction to player burnout
it as focused on under 21 which at county level is knock out yes knock out
for the majority of countys they will play one match and there out
the prob is not the grade its the overuse of the same talented players
for example a senior manager has the choice of 30 players in his county panel
yet what happens he decides t play the 2 or 3 lads on a sunday or satthat have already played sigerson or maybe under 21 that same week
despite the fact that there another 25 or 26 lads thee that's the problem but wre not facing up to it
it start with the 17 yr old hes on the school team hes on the minor club and county hes on the under 21 in some cases hes on the senior club teamhow many teams iis that
its the blatant overuse of the more talented lads that at the heart of the issue here not the under 21

rhudson (Galway) - Posts: 1478 - 28/02/2016 13:40:10    1828793

My son is distraught , gets one chance at minor loses a year, all this after applying himself since thirteen .didnt know what to say to him.
Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts:3063 - 27/02/2016 13:26:14Its unfortunate for some but its a decision for the greater good and this change is better for all in the long run.
Absolute bs no need whatsoever to change these two grades, college football there's about 5 games played how can that cause burn out ? Someone tell me these players that are burned out from all these games they play? I can't believe they've changed these grades it's so wrong. Disgusted
clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts:7087 - 27/02/2016 14:00:53college teams play a lot more than 5 games and its the training and the serious amount of training that the top players on college teams who are also on county teams that is the issue. It isn't so much the amount of games but the number of training sessions players do that is the issue.

I have to say this is a panic reaction to player burnout it as focused on under 21 which at county level is knock out yes knock out for the majority of countys they will play one match and there out
the prob is not the grade its the overuse of the same talented players for example a senior manager has the choice of 30 players in his county squad
yet what happens he decides t play the 2 or 3 lads on a sunday or sat that have already played sigerson or maybe under 21 that same week
despite the fact that there another 25 or 26 lads thee that's the problem but wre not facing up to it
it start with the 17 yr old hes on the school team hes on the minor club and county hes on the under 21 in some cases hes on the senior club team how many teams is that
its the blatant overuse of the more talented lads that at the heart of the issue here not the under 21
rhudson (Galway) - Posts:470 - 28/02/2016 13:40:10The overuse of the very talented is the issue but the changes are on the way to addressing that so what do you propose that is better?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 28/02/2016 20:26:08    1829030

I'm gobsmacked. I actually completely agree with you, Ormondo...

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 28/02/2016 21:25:46    1829060

its very simple if there playing college or under 21they play with them until their teams are finished
after all they have all the rest of their years to play senior
whats the point of having a panel of 30 senior county players
why are senior managers not taken to task fo this exploitation of the more talented lads

rhudson (Galway) - Posts: 1478 - 28/02/2016 21:48:05    1829075

Not sure I think this will be a solution - if there are less demands on a player from one port I can just see another manager upping his demands of the player. I think back to my late teens/early 20's when I was playing for the club, Uni and County teams - I went through a few seasons of not having any break and training or playing 7 days a week most weeks for one team or the other. In this scenario I had to juggle what time I could give each team and naturally missed some sessions with certain teams as there were overlaps in training. If I hadn't the County U21 team to train with the days I was giving them would then just have been replaced with the Club trainings or Uni trainings which I was missing to attend the County trainings. Right enough back then Player Burnout wasn't invented and you just got on with your 7 days a week. But to change the eligible age groups and think this will solve the issue I think isn't the best thought out plan - especially when the change is just at County level.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 29/02/2016 10:07:02    1829128

Could I just ask a few fact based questions here.
- Is this for football, hurling or both?
-Is this for only intecounty teams or does it apply to clubs as well?
-With this being introduced in 2018, is there any accommodation for this current years u16 or are they basically being told that they will never get an opportunity to play Minor level?

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 29/02/2016 10:31:59    1829144