THERE IS SIGNIFICANT support for the introduction of Friday night games among male inter-county GAA players, according to the GPA’s Member Survey Report for 2026.
63% of male players say they support the fixture suggestion if they are not required to take time off work, or if they are compensated for time off.
The survey also found that 76% of male footballers are opposed to introducing further rule changes. The Kevin McStay-chaired Expert Advisory Group has proposed 11 new changes to the rules which are currently being trialled in the third-level Ryan Cup games.
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But just 23.5% of respondents to the GPA survey want only small tweaks in Gaelic football.
In hurling, there is majority support for three proposed rule changes including the Maor Foirne (66%), seven substitutions (58%), and two-point sideline cuts (51%).
There is considerable objection to the rule that a puckout must go beyond the 45m line, with 86% voting against it. 81% disagree with the rule that brings 65s back to the halfway line, and 65% are against removing back-passes to the goalkeeper.
Experimental rules will be trialled at third-level league games this year and have been proposed by John Meyler’s expert hurling body.
The survey also revealed that 74% of male and female players reported an injury this year, which is in line with figures from 2025, while 49% of players had two weeks or fewer rest between the end of their club and the start of their inter-county seasons.
The majority of players support sharing their performance data to a centralised database to support workload, welfare and injury risk, with 85% voting in favour of it. However, 80% want to have a meaningful role in the collection and use of their data, while 82% support commercial use of performance data if players receive a fair share of revenue.
“One of the most encouraging things in this survey is that players are not resistant to innovation,” GPA CEO Tom Parsons said on the survey findings.
“They see real value in their data being used to support welfare and help us better understand workload and injury, but they also want transparency and a proper say in how their data is used.
“The findings on the rules are also useful at a time when changes are being reviewed and trialled. The message from players is that minimal change is needed. In both football and hurling, the preference is for small, practical improvements.
“Injury levels remain high and too many players are still moving from one season into another with very little recovery. Better use of player data can be part of how we understand and address that.”
63% of inter-county players in favour of Friday night games, according to GPA survey
THERE IS SIGNIFICANT support for the introduction of Friday night games among male inter-county GAA players, according to the GPA’s Member Survey Report for 2026.
63% of male players say they support the fixture suggestion if they are not required to take time off work, or if they are compensated for time off.
The survey also found that 76% of male footballers are opposed to introducing further rule changes. The Kevin McStay-chaired Expert Advisory Group has proposed 11 new changes to the rules which are currently being trialled in the third-level Ryan Cup games.
But just 23.5% of respondents to the GPA survey want only small tweaks in Gaelic football.
In hurling, there is majority support for three proposed rule changes including the Maor Foirne (66%), seven substitutions (58%), and two-point sideline cuts (51%).
There is considerable objection to the rule that a puckout must go beyond the 45m line, with 86% voting against it. 81% disagree with the rule that brings 65s back to the halfway line, and 65% are against removing back-passes to the goalkeeper.
Experimental rules will be trialled at third-level league games this year and have been proposed by John Meyler’s expert hurling body.
The survey also revealed that 74% of male and female players reported an injury this year, which is in line with figures from 2025, while 49% of players had two weeks or fewer rest between the end of their club and the start of their inter-county seasons.
The majority of players support sharing their performance data to a centralised database to support workload, welfare and injury risk, with 85% voting in favour of it. However, 80% want to have a meaningful role in the collection and use of their data, while 82% support commercial use of performance data if players receive a fair share of revenue.
“One of the most encouraging things in this survey is that players are not resistant to innovation,” GPA CEO Tom Parsons said on the survey findings.
“They see real value in their data being used to support welfare and help us better understand workload and injury, but they also want transparency and a proper say in how their data is used.
“The findings on the rules are also useful at a time when changes are being reviewed and trialled. The message from players is that minimal change is needed. In both football and hurling, the preference is for small, practical improvements.
“Injury levels remain high and too many players are still moving from one season into another with very little recovery. Better use of player data can be part of how we understand and address that.”
Camogie findings GAA Gaelic Football GPA Hurling October