Club Transfers

• Information relating to Club transfers can be found in the GAA Official Guide – Rules 31 to 43.
• For information pertaining to Club transfers within a County, please contact your County Board.
• For information pertaining to Club transfers within a Province, please contact the Provincial Council you are transferring to.
• For information pertaining to Club transfers Inter-Provincially, please click on Archives on the GAA Home Page.
• Next, scroll down to ‘Club Transfers’ and select the year you want and then click the ‘View’ button, beneath. Then click on the month or type of transfer you wish to view.
   
  

1. What is a Sanction?
A Sanction entitles a player to play Gaelic Football and/or Hurling with a
NACB/Australasian/Canadian/New York Board area team on a temporary basis.

2. How many different kinds of Sanctions exist ?
There are 3 different types of Sanction.
(i) The 60 day (minimum) Sanction to play in Canada, New York or in the NACB area, (The NACB area means any part of North America outside the jurisdiction of the New York GAA Board.)
(ii) The J1 (Student) Visa Sanction to play in the NACB area., i. e. in any area that comes under the jurisdiction of the North American County Board (NACB).
(iii) The one year Sanction to play in the area under the jurisdiction of the Australasian Board..

3. What does the 60 day minimum mean?
It means a player is not entitled to play for his own Club in Ireland for 60 days from the date on which his Sanction has been signed in Croke Park.

4. Who is entitled to apply for a Sanction?
Any player from a club in Ireland with the following exception:
A member of a Senior Inter-County Championship Panel, other than a holder of a current, valid J1 Visa, is not entitled to apply for a Sanction to play with a club under the jurisdiction of the North American County Board. See 5 below.

5. I am a member of a current Senior Inter-County Championship Panel and I also hold a current J1(Student) Visa. Can I apply for a Sanction?
Yes, you can apply for a Sanction to the New York, Canadian or Australasian Board areas. You can apply for a J1Visa (Student) Sanction only to the NACB area.

6. Where can I access a Sanction Form ?
A Sanction Form can be accessed from a County Secretary or from the GAA Website on http://www.gaa.ie/page/gaa_forms.html

7. What information is required to complete a Sanction Form?
Details about your Club in Ireland and your Overseas Club. Some additional information is also required, e.g. passport number and date of birth. This is needed for reference purposes.

8. When should I make my application for a Sanction ?
You should commence the process not less than two weeks prior to your departure date so that you have enough time to have the Sanction Form completed.. This involves getting the form signed by your Club and County secretary. Once the form has been completed, and you have all the relevant signatures, it then has to be submitted to Croke Park either by hand or post.

9. How long does it take Croke Park to process a Sanction ?
The completed form should arrive in Croke Park 4 days before you intend to fly out of Ireland. Applicants are encouraged not to leave this until the last minute. Once it is received in Croke Park the details are emailed to the relevant Overseas unit.

10. What happens if my Club or County Secretary does not sign the Sanction Form? Can I still play?
No.

11. How do I know if my Sanction has been processed by Croke Park?
Details of approved Sanctions will be posted on the GAA Website http://www.gaa.ie/page/2008_club_sanctions.html on the Friday of each week during the playing season.#

12. How often is the Website updated?
The GAA website is updated on a weekly basis, every Friday.

13. Who do I contact if my Sanction Form does not appear on the GAA Website?
You should contact the County (or Divisional) Secretary of the Overseas Unit to which you are going. To find the relevant contact for the North American Board go to www.nagaa.org. To find the contact for New York go to www.ny-gaa.org/ To find the contact for Canada go to. www.canada.gaa.ie Croke Park is not in a position to process calls in this context.

14. I’ve arrived at my Overseas destination to find my friends are playing with another Club. Can I change Clubs.
No.

15. I’ve arrived back in Ireland for personal reasons. Can I return to play with the Overseas Club I’ve just left?
To date Central Council has approved of the following exceptional circumstances under which a player may come home to Ireland and return to play with his Club in the USA or Canada :
(i) The death of an immediate family member of a player.
(ii) To repeat a Third Level examination.
(iii) To enrol/register for a Third Level Course of Education.
(iv) To start a Third Level Course of Education.
Additions to this list of Exceptional Circumstances must have the prior approval of Central Council.

16. I’ve arrived back in Ireland for personal reasons. Can I play with my Club in Ireland if my 60 days are not up?
No.

17. When can I play with my Club in Ireland again?
Sixty (60) days after the date your Sanction has been granted by Croke Park.

18. Can I get an Inter-County transfer to New York?
Yes, but to qualify for an inter-county transfer you must have resided in the jurisdiction of the New York GAA Board for a minimum of four weeks.

19. Can I get an Inter-County Transfer to Australasia, Canada or to the North American Board area?
No. This is not possible in year one. The Sanction covers you for the first year. Following that, you may apply for an Inter-County Transfer if you have remained permanently in the relevant Board region. Inter-County Transfer Forms are available from a County Secretary or from the GAA Website http://www.gaa.ie/page/gaa_forms.html


Authorisations

1. What is an Authorisation?

An Authorisation entitles a player from Ireland to play Gaelic Football or Hurling with a team in Europe or New York for a specific weekend.

2. Who is entitled to apply for an Authorisation?
Any player from Ireland, who is not under suspension, is entitled to apply for an Authorisation.

3. Where can I access an Authorisation Form?
An Authorisation Form can be accessed from the County Secretary or from the GAA Website on http://www.gaa.ie/page/gaa_forms.html

4. What information is required to complete an Authorisation Form?
Details are required about your Club in Ireland and the Overseas Club. Some additional information is also required e.g. passport number and date of birth. This is needed for reference purposes.

5. How long in advance should I give myself before applying for an Authorisation?
You should commence the process not less than two weeks prior to your departure date so that you get the Authorisation Form completed. This involves getting the form signed by your Club and County Secretary. Once the form has been completed, and you have all of the relevant signatures, it then has to be submitted to Croke Park by either hand or post.

6. How long does it take Croke Park to process an Authorisation?
The completed Sanction Form must arrive in Croke Park, by 4pm, on the Wednesday of the weekend you intend to fly out of Ireland. (Applicants are encouraged not to leave this until the last minute). Once it is received in Croke Park by 4.00pm on the Wednesday of the weekend you intend to fly out of Ireland, the details are emailed to Europe or New York.

7. What happens if my Club or County Secretary does not sign the Authorisation Form? Can I still play?
No.

8. How do I know if my Authorisation has been processed by Croke Park?
It is posted on the GAA website on http://www.gaa.ie/page/2008_club_sanctions.html

9. How often is the Website updated?
The GAA Website is updated on a weekly basis – every Friday.

10. Who do I contact if my Authorisation Form does not appear on the GAA Website?
You should contact the European County Secretary or the New York County Secretary. To find the contact for Europe go to http://europe.gaa.ie. To find the contact for New York go to www.ny-gaa.org. Croke Park is not in a position to process personal calls in this context.

11. I’ve arrived in Europe or New York to find that my friends are playing with another Club. Can I change Clubs?
No.

12. If I travel to Europe or New York on 4 different weekends, do I have to get an Authorisation for each weekend?
Yes.

13. If I choose not to do so, what happens?
You will be playing illegally and will be subject to a suspension.

14. I was Authorised to play in a game and it finished in a draw. Do I have to repeat the Authorisation process?
No. An Authorisation is valid for the scheduled game and any replay(s) of the game.

15. Is there a limit on the number of Authorised players that can be used by a Club on any given weekend?
Clubs are permitted to have a maximum number of 2 authorised players in Football.
The maximum number for Hurling is 3.