1. What is a transfer? A transfer is the process by which a player transfers from one club to another on a permanent basis. Transfers can be within a county, a country or between countries. All transfers require that an appropriate transfer form be filled out. Please contact your club or county secretary for the appropriate transfer form. A requirement for any transfer is that the player must be a registered Full Member or Youth Member of the Club and Association. 2. What is a sanction? A sanction is a process by which a player gets a temporary dispensation to leave his home club and play with another club for a specified period of time. Sanctions are only available to players intending to play outside Ireland and Britain for a short period of time. Sanctions do not give players a permanent right to play with a specific club. A player who has received a Sanction shall not be eligible to play again with his Club in Ireland for the 60 days after the date of approval of his Sanction in Croke Park, but is eligible to play with his County. A player may receive only one Sanction in any Calendar Year. An exception to this is a Player who played on a Sanction in the North American County Board, New York or Canadian Board Area Jurisdictions may obtain a sanction to play in the Australasian Board Area or vice versa. For more information on sanctions please see Rule 6.13 of the Official Guide. 3. What is the difference between a transfer and a sanction? A transfer is based on permanent residency while a sanction is granted on a temporary basis. A good rule of thumb is that if you are going to live permanently in a specific place a transfer is appropriate, if you are going on a temporary basis then a sanction is appropriate. 4. I want to transfer within my own county, who handles my transfer? Transfers within a county are handled and processed by the County Committee within that County. A County shall have a Bye-Law governing the transfer of players from one Club to another within the County. The County Committee has the right, acting within its Bye-Laws, to grant or not to grant the application for transfer. Please contact the relevant County to obtain the relevant transfer form. Click here for county details. 5. I want to transfer within my own Province, who handles my transfer? Transfers within a Province are handled and processed by the Provincial Committee. Please contact the relevant Province to obtain the appropriate transfer form. Click here for Provincial Council details. 6. I want to transfer across Provinces, who handles my transfer? Transfers between Provinces are handled nationally through Croke Park. Rule 6.10 (b) of the Official Guide covers such transfers. Correspondences will not entered into between club and Croke Park, all queries should be directed through the relevant County Board. 7. I want to transfer clubs from one county to another (e.g. Galway Club to Dublin Club) but still play in Inter-County and Inter-Provincial Competitions for my Home County, what should I do? Provision is made on the Inter-County Transfer form for such circumstances. Section C of the Inter-County Transfer form must be filled in to declare for your Home County. 8. What is required for a transfer/sanction to be approved? For a transfer/sanction to be approved it is determined by the speed of which the necessary signatures are received. This can take one day or two weeks. It is entirely dependant on the people involved and there is no standard approval period. Once inter-county transfers and sanction are approved they are listed on the Clubzone section of the GAA website. Please defer to County or Provincial Committees when dealing with intra-county or intra-provincial transfers. 9. Can I play Championship with two different clubs in the one calender year? Generally no, as it is prohibited by rule 6.13. A player may not play in any Championship with two clubs in a given year’s Championship, either within a County or in different counties. However exceptions are provided for in Rule 6.11 (a) of the Official Guide. 10. Can I play league with one club and then transfer to another club and play League with my new club, all within the same year? Yes, this is possible. It is allowed within rule that if a player has commenced playing League with Club A and then transfers to Club B he is allowed to finish playing League with Club A while also playing League with Club B. This is only allowed in the year of which a player has transferred. 11. I am going to the USA (excl New York) just for the summer? Do I get a transfer or sanction? A sanction is the appropriate method to pursue in these circumstances. A sanction shall entitle a player to play with a club in North American County Board Area (excluding New York) from March 1st to October 31st in any one year. Sanctions will not be granted after July 1st for players intending to play in the USA (excluding New York). The relevant forms are available here to download and print. 12. I am going to the New York just for the summer? Do I get a transfer or sanction? A sanction is the appropriate method to pursue in these circumstances. A Sanction shall entitle a player to play with a club in the New York area from March 1st to October 31st in any one year. Sanctions will not be granted after July 20th for players intending to play in New York. The relevant forms are available here to download and print. 13. What is the difference about traveling to the USA (excl New York) on a regular sanction and a J1 sanction? Members of an inter-county panels are not eligible for sanctions to the USA however under Rule 6.13 (b) (i) a member of an inter-county panel who holds a valid J1 Visa can apply to play in the USA (excl New York) under a form known as a J1 sanction form. The relevant forms are available here to download and print. 14. I’ve heard things about a ‘60 day rule’ or ‘60 day sanction’. What exactly do these terms mean? A player who has received a Sanction shall not be eligible to play again with his Club in Ireland for the 60 days after the date of approval of his Sanction in Croke Park, but is eligible to play with his County. However, other than in exceptional circumstances a Sanctioned player who returns to Ireland may not subsequently return to resume playing in America or Canada in the same year. 15. I’ve heard about ‘Weekend Authorizations’, what exactly are they? Weekend Authorizations allow a player to assist a club in only the New York or European Board areas to be joined by any player intending to assist that club for one a weekend only. The Official Authorisation, in duplicate, requires the signatures of the player’s Home Club Secretary and the County Secretary, and must be presented for signature to the Transfers section in Croke Park before 4 p.m. on the Wednesday before the game. An Authorisation is valid for one weekend only other than where there is a replay of the game for which the Authorisation was granted. The relevant form is available here to download and print. 16. I am going to Canada just for the summer? Do I get a transfer or sanction? A sanction is generally the appropriate method to pursue in these circumstances. A Sanction shall entitle a player to play with a club in Canada from March 1st to October 31st in any one year. Sanctions will not be granted after July 1st for players intending to play in Canada. 17. I am going to Australia (includes New Zealand) for 6 months and I don’t know if I will stay long term? Do I get a transfer or sanction? A sanction is generally the appropriate method to pursue in these circumstances. A sanction shall be granted for a twelve month period from the date of approval in Croke Park. This can be organised by the relevant club secretary in Australia. If a player decides during his stay in Australia to permanently reside there a sanction can be converted into a full transfer. For more information on clubs in Australia please click here. 18. I am moving to Australia (includes New Zealand) to permanently live there? What should I do? A full transfer should be effected for players who intend to reside permanently in Australia. This can be organised by the relevant club secretary in Australia. For more information on clubs in Australia please click here. 19. I am moving to England to permanently live there? What should I do? A full transfer should be effected for players who intend to reside permanently reside in England. This can be organised by the relevant club secretary in England. For more information on clubs in England please click here. 20. I’ve heard about something called a ‘hurling permit’. What is it? A hurling permit is a specialized form of authorization which allows a player to play hurling for his county of residence while also allowing him to play with his home club. An application must be made annual for renewal of permission. Only counties playing in the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard or Lory Meaghar can apply. 21. I left Ireland within the last two years and I now want to return, where do I stand? A player who transfers from one County to another County, and subsequently within two years transfers back to the former County, must rejoin the Club of which he was a member prior to the initial transfer. In essence if you are returning within two years to the county you left, you must join the club which you originally transferred from. 22. I’m in college in Dublin but I’m from Mayo (for example), where do I stand in terms of transfers? Residence in a County for the purposes of attending 3rd Level college does not amount to the necessary criteria to base an inter-county transfer. You cannot transfer to a club in Dublin (example) if you are only attending 3rd Level College in Dublin. This does not prohibit you from joining your respective college team (subject to the Comhairle Ardoideachais Constitution). For more information on Higher Education GAA please click here.
A mens sanction form can be accessed from a County Secretary or from the GAA Website on http://www.gaa.ie/content/documents/publications/club_transfers_and_sanctions/Canadian_Sanction_Form_100111152819.pdf and a ladies sanction form can be found at http://www.ladiesgaelic.ie/docs/Canadian_sanction_form.doc Inter-County Transfer Forms are available from the County Secretary or from the GAA Website on http://www.gaa.ie/content/documents/publications/club_transfers_and_sanctions/Inter_County_Transfer_Form_100111153410.pdf |