The GPA is finalising a radical proposal that would wrap up the inter-county season by late July.
The plan would see inter-county games commence in early February and run for 23 weeks, leaving the rest of the year largely for club fixtures.
It will be presented to the GAA’s Fixture Calendar Review Task Force, which meets on August 19, once it is finalised in consultation with players with a view to kicking in from 2021.
In an email to members, GPA chief executive Paul Flynn said: “2020 has taught us all a lot about how it is possible to condense the fixture schedule. We now have an opportunity to shorten the season which is something you have told us that you want.”
He continued: “The usual inter-county season runs for up to 40 weeks. However, the current season has been reformatted to fit club and county into just 26 weeks.
“It is our firmly held view that this shows we should be capable of completing an inter-county season in the much-reduced timeframe.
“This would help to alleviate the unsustainable demands on you, allowing you to strike a better balance across your physical, personal and professional lives and also between club and county commitments.”
Listing the benefits of a shorter season, Flynn said it “supports a sustainable amateur model”, and provides defined periods for club and college fixtures, as well as a closed season.
He also said that it would present an opportunity to redraw the current League and Championship structures and “embed optimal sports science and competitive balance principles".
He added: “We believe this is an essential step for our games, and one we believe will have a hugely positive effect on your lives and the long-term growth and sustainability of the inter-county game.”
How the proposal is received by the GAA hierarchy remains to be seen. The GPA sat on the Fixture Calendar Review Task Force which brought three recommendations last year that may not fit with is now being proposed by the players’ body.
The task force recommended that, in football, the provincial Championships be redrawn into groups of eight, the Allianz League format be adopted for the Championships or simply stick with the status quo.
