SATURDAY’S GAA Central Council meeting in Croke Park voted 39-5 to send the recent agreement with the Gaelic Players Association to next April’s annual congress. Although the roll call of counties discussing the issue in the past week had left little doubt, the result was every bit as emphatic as GAA president Christy Cooney would have wished for, with only five counties opposing the deal.

All five were from Ulster – Armagh, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone. The matter will go forward for discussion at congress where it will require a simple rather than weighted majority.

The meeting also agreed to experiment with the playing rules during the coming national leagues. Details will be unveiled this week or next but speculation suggests some version of the mark, as used in international rules, will be trialled.

It is also reported the square-ball rule will be modified with players required only to be outside the area when the ball is kicked rather than when it arrives. Penalty kicks will be two metres closer to goal and kick-outs taken from the 13-metre line to speed up play.

Hurling is to see all throw-in re-starts taken 13 metres from the sideline and both games will not allow matches to terminate when either side is on the attack.

Other matters for consideration include the abolition of the junior and intermediate championships and the scrapping of re-entry to the minor championships for defeated provincial finalists.