Traditional 15-a-side juvenile GAA competitions on full-sized pitches can disadvantage smaller or later-maturing adolescents, according to a new evidence-based research report.
Shaping Future Youth Gaelic Games
A fresh study has advocated for greater attention to be directed towards how youth GAA tournaments are structured and planned going forward. Entitled ‘Shaping the future of juvenile Gaelic Games – evidence to inform a youth games framework’, the publication clarifies at the outset that it has no intention of eliminating competition from juvenile GAA. Proposed modified games would still retain score, challenge, and competitive identity.
The suggestions are meant to guide upcoming deliberations regarding youth games policy rather than declare immediate alterations to current competition layouts. The report advocates further consultation, piloting, and evaluation of proposed approaches before any wider implementation.
The document calls to ensure that competition serves development, participation, belonging, and long-term retention. It aims to avoid leaving behind those who need support most.
Introducing National Youth Framework
The paper was written by Dr Michael McKay, Dr Paul Donnelly, Dr Richard Bowles, and Dr Peter Horgan. They recommend that the GAA introduce a national, evidence-informed Youth Games Framework for U13–U17 players.
This would combine meaningful game-time guarantees for every player and provide formally embedded modified game formats. These would primarily be 11 v 11 and 9 v 9 on appropriately scaled pitches.
It also proposes to reform grading systems that create close, meaningful competition. Other recommendations include enhanced coach education in inclusion, adolescent development, and player-centred coaching.
Better fixture planning with greater regularity and cross-code coordination is also advised. Structural protections for late developers, on-age players, and players at key transition points form part of the proposal.
Modifying Gaelic Games for Young Players' Developmental Needs
“The purpose is not to dilute Gaelic games or remove competition,” Shane Flanagan wrote in the document.
“This report examines the case for modified games for players aged 13–17. The term modified games is used deliberately,” wrote Shane Flanagan. “It refers to structured versions of Gaelic games in which player numbers, pitch dimensions, goal sizes, rules, substitution systems, playing time and competition formats are adjusted to better align with the age, size, maturation, ability and developmental needs of young players.”
“The purpose is not to dilute Gaelic games or remove competition. Rather, it is to ensure that competition remains meaningful while also supporting skill development, decision-making, enjoyment, belonging, confidence and long-term participation,” the report adds.
Issues leading to the undertaking of the research included findings such as a pervasive win-at-all-costs ethos. This prevented many 13-to-17-year-olds from participating.
Addressing Dropout Through Improved Game Time and Coaching Traditions
The paper reports that this culture was rooted in adult expectations and coaching traditions. It was seen as fundamentally misaligned with the developmental needs of young players.
Among teenagers aged 13 to 17, a primary driver of disengagement was linked to lacking or unequal opportunities to secure meaningful playing time. Despite acknowledging existing anxieties surrounding competition management and playing opportunities, the study simultaneously underscores the generally rewarding experiences reported by numerous young attendees.
Among the 603 young players who responded to the public survey, 89.1% reported enjoying Gaelic games. Almost two-thirds indicated that they enjoyed playing a lot.
The report looks at opportunities to build on existing strengths whilst addressing aspects of the playing environment that could contribute to disengagement. People involved in the sport repeatedly expressed anxieties regarding whether traditional 15-a-side setups on full-sized pitches suit the developmental stages of younger teenagers.
Field-Testing Modified Formats
The research included practical field-testing at the GAA National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown. Different playing formats were examined in U-14 and U-16 football and hurling.
Among the standout discoveries was that football matches featuring 11 players per side on appropriately proportioned fields produced roughly 28% higher quantities of logged match incidents. They generated 29% more in hurling than equivalent games played on full-sized pitches.
These included increased numbers of passing, carrying, contest, and shooting events. This suggests that changes to pitch dimensions alongside player numbers could create more opportunities for involvement.
Although the pilot assessments were preliminary in nature and limited to four fixtures, the results supply a foundation for conducting broader evaluations of altered formats, the publication notes. “Youth Gaelic games should remain competitive, but not at the expense of participation, development, enjoyment, belonging, and long-term retention,” the report adds.
Common Juvenile Games Questions
- What age groups would the Youth Games Framework cover?
- The proposed framework targets U13 to U17 players with formally embedded modified game formats.
- Will traditional 15-a-side competitions be completely removed?
- The report does not seek to remove competition or traditional formats entirely, but suggests balancing leagues and championships alongside modified structures.
- What did field tests at Abbotstown reveal about pitch scaling?
- Tests showed 11-a-side games on scaled pitches generated about 28% more recorded game events in football and 29% more in hurling.
“The evidence gathered in this study is substantial, multi-method, and consistent, and the case for reform is clear,” the report says.