Overview
The Competitions Control Committee (‘CCC’) is an important sub-committee of Gaelic Games Europe (‘GGE’). Its role and responsibilities are set out in the Official Guide of the GAA, the Bye-Laws of GGE and other governance documents especially the GGE ‘Competition Regulations’.
Essentially, the CCC’s main role is to implement certain GAA rules and ensure that an optimum programme of competitions and fixtures is planned and organised so that players have the opportunity to play gaelic games in accordance with the wishes of clubs as decided at the Annual Convention of GGE.
These roles include a range of functions from planning and running competitions (formats, structures, regulations etc.) to fixing the dates and venues for games, known as ‘fixtures’. The CCC outlines the requirements and invites clubs to apply to host tournaments and competition rounds, before recommending which clubs should host to the GGE Management Committee, who formally approve the ‘Master Fixtures Plan’ each year.
The CCC also deals with related matters such as drawing up the necessary regulations for running competitions, seeking entries for competitions, deciding on seeding of teams, appointing referees, dealing with any disciplinary matters, and maintaining records of results etc.
The CCC also deals with disputes, objections and counter-objections and the enforcement of all relevant rules in the GAA Official Guide. Other duties include approving transfers of players between clubs and other matters referred from the GGE Annual Convention or Management Committee. The CCC reports as required by rules etc. to the Management and County Committees, who may note, approve or amend any decisions of the CCC – except on matters where plenary powers have been delegated to the CCC.
The CCC members are drawn from the GGE Management Committee and representatives of the various gaelic sports (camogie, hurling, football, handball) and meetings are usually attended by the GGE officers and regional representatives.
Roles and responsibilities
The GAA Official Guide [Rule 3.20 9 (ii)] sets out the following functions; –
- Control of all matters arising from games
- Disciplinary matters (other than functions reserved for ‘Hearings Committee’)
- Appointment of referees (in consultation with Referees Administrator)
- Grading of clubs and players
- Matters relating to Enforcement of Rules including hearing Objections & Counter Objections
- Transfers of players
- Other matters delegated from Annual Convention and/or Management Committee
These functions are supplemented by the GGE ‘Bye-laws’ which include; –
- Exercise of delegated ‘plenary powers’
- Approving transfers within Europe
- Drawing up Regulations for all competitions
- Approving Competition Regulations of Divisional Committees (i.e. competitions below ‘European’ level)
The European Competition Regulations also set out other duties including; –
- Deciding on the structure and format of all competitions and approving formats and dates of competitions at a regional or other levels
- Drawing up an annual calendar of competitions and/or other fixtures
- Establishing criteria for and awarding the hosting of fixtures, or rounds, to clubs
- Confirming entries to competition(s)/rounds
- Deciding on seeding of teams when required
- Deciding whether a particular tournament qualifies as a Competition Round
- Approving participation of non-European clubs in competition rounds
- Making the draw for competition rounds
- Confirming the calculation of competition round points AND awarding such points to clubs
- Maintaining records of results and standings (rankings)
- Appointing Competition Control Officers (‘CCOs’) and notifying clubs of same
- Receiving Referees match reports and dealing with same
- Maintaining records of disciplinary actions (i.e. cards issued by referees and subsequent decisions etc.)
- Investigating any alleged breach of Rules, Competition Regulations or Hosting Guidelines and proposing sanctions/penalties if required
- Deciding on any other issues when required
Membership of the CCC
GGE Bye-Laws provide for the following membership of the CCC; –
C.2 It shall consist of seven members who shall be appointed from members of the County Committee and/or other suitable personnel, together with the County Referees’ Administrator, who shall be entitled to vote only on the appointment of referees.
C.3 The Vice-Chairman shall chair the CCC and the Assistant Secretary shall normally be convenor of this Committee.
C.4 The quorum for meetings shall be three voting members.
In addition, GGE Bye-Law A.14 states; –
…. Each Sub-Committee will have at least three members not including the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who shall be ex-officio, non-voting members of all Sub-Committees.
The above have been previously been interpreted to mean that the voting members of the CCC are; –
- GGE Vice-Chairperson
- GGE Asst. Secretary
- Camogie Officer
- Ladies Football Officer
- Hurling Officer
- Football Officer
- Handball Officer
However, the custom and practice has been that representatives of each of the regions in Europe are invited to attend CCC meetings to communicate information to/from clubs in their region. This led to the passing of an amendment to GGE Bye-Law C.2 (at Annual Convention 2016) so the Bye-Law now states that; –
It shall consist of 15 members including the Hurling Officer; Football Officer; Handball Officer; Ladies Football Officer, Camogie Officer, a Fixtures Analyst, the Vice-Chairperson and Assistant Secretary, a representative of any recognised Divisional Committee and other suitable personnel, together with the County Referees’ Administrator, who shall be entitled to vote only on the appointment of referees. If any of the members advise the Executive Committee that they are unavailable to attend a particular meeting, the Executive Committee may appoint a substitute from amongst the members of the Management Committee, or other suitable personnel, for the meeting concerned.
