For the 2018 season, all sanction applications must be made online via the Player Transfer System (PTS). This will see clubs in North America initiate the sanction process in a similar process as to how online transfer operate.
This process must be initiated by the club in USGAA/Canada/New York that the player wishes to play with.
Players who are intending to play in these jurisdictions in Summer 2018 should:
1. Contact the club secretary of the club they intend to play with in USGAA/Canada/New York.
2. If the club in USGAA/Canada/New York would like to initiate a sanction application for the player, the player should purchase suitable travel insurance.
The only currently acceptable insurances are those provided by Chubb (available via the link below on gaa.ie) and USIT(MAPFRE – which must include confirmation of an upgrade from the standard cover of “Hazardous Activities Grade 1”: to include “Hazardous Activities: Grade 5”).
Please note Travel insurance must be purchased before the player leaves Ireland – Further details below.
3. The player should supply their e-mail address to the club secretary of the club they wish to play in USGAA/Canada/New York.
4. Complete the application form online via a link which will be received by the player via e-mail from the PTS once an application has been initiated by the club secretary in USGAA/Canada/New York via the Sanctions tab. Players must upload proof of their travel insurance information when completing the application form or the application will not be processed. In addition, players applying for a J1 Sanction must also provide proof of their J1 Visa (a copy of the J1 Visa will suffice)
5. Once the form has been completed, the club secretary of the club they wish to play in USGAA/Canada/New York will review the details and if appropriate submit the application to Croke Park for processing.
6. Croke Park will then process the application if all information has been provided. The club and county in Ireland will then receive an e-mail notification that the application requires their approval and will be invited to approve or reject the application.
7. Once all parties have approved the application, the sanction will be granted by Croke Park. An e-mail notification will advise all parties, including the player, that the sanction has now been granted.
8. The USGAA/Canada/New York may have additional requirements with regard to registration in advance of a player being eligible to play in a fixture. Players are advised to confirm they have been registered with the club secretary in USGAA/Canada/New York prior to participating in a fixture.
Mandatory Travel Insurance
All players that will be seeking an Official GAA Sanction from Central Council to play in North America (USGAA), New York or Canada for the summer are reminded that travel insurance must be arranged in Ireland before they commence their journeys.Proof of this insurance is required as part of the application process
Players should note the following:
Like the vast majority of travel insurance policies, the option offered by the GAA can only be purchased by individuals before they leave Ireland. Important points for players to note include:
- The only currently acceptable insurances are those provided by Chubb (available via the link below) and USIT (which must include Grade 5 hazardous activities cover).
- The cost of insurance will depend on the duration of a player’s stay in a particular country.
- Players wishing to play in North America must purchase cover for a minimum of 90 days. It is the player’s own responsibility to ensure they are covered for all dates of potential fixtures.
- Travel insurance is not a private health insurance. It only covers players if there is a sudden and unexpected accident or if a player becomes ill during his trip.
- Generally where doctors appointed by Insurers deem treatment in Ireland//Britain more appropriate, players will be repatriated home for treatment.
- Players playing overseas are not covered under the GAA Injury Benefit Fund.
The following are the steps which player’s need to take to purchase the required insurance:
- Go to the following link – http://www.chubbinsure.ie/travel/?afl=5781
- Choose Backpacker cover for a minimum of 90 days. It is the player’s own responsibility to ensure they are covered for all dates of potential fixtures.if you do not have cover for a fixture you will not be eligible to play or covered in the event of a sudden or unexpected accident.
- Please Note: ensure you select ‘Worldwide Cover inc. US/Canada/Caribbean’
- Choose the most accurate number of days that you will be staying in North America / New York / Canada
– Minimum for North America is 90 days - Please read and accept the terms and conditions of the policy and apply for the cover
- Fill in all the required fields in order to obtain your documentation
- Once purchased, the confirmation letter should be submitted when applying via the GAA Player Transfer System.
- Once approved, all Sanctions will appear on the relevant lists on the Official GAA website
Note – A player who has been included on an Inter-County Senior Championship list submitted to the Referee, in accordance with Rules of Specification 2.5 (ii)(a) for a game in the current year’s Championship shall not be eligible to be accepted for Registration as a member of any Club in the North American County Board Jurisdiction.
Exception – A player who has been included on an Inter-County Senior Championship list submitted to the Referee, in accordance with Rules of Specification 2.5 (ii)(a), for a game in the current year’s Championship, who holds a valid current J1 Visa or who is eligible for a J1 Visa and who obtains an Official J1 Sanction may be accepted for registration.
Such a player may only have his J1 Sanction approved once his team has been eliminated from the Senior Inter-County Championship (including All-Ireland qualifier games).
The J1 Visa concerned with this Exception is the J1 Work and Travel Programme Visa only – i.e. the four month Visa for 3rd Level Students.
General Rules
- A Sanction entitles a player to play with a Club from March 1 until the end of October
- Sanctions to USGAA (North America),New York or Canada, will not be granted after July 1
- A player who has received a Sanction will not be able to play again with his Club in Ireland for 30 days after the date of approval of his Sanction in Croke Park
- Sanctions are only available to current members of Clubs in Ireland or members of clubs in Britain, whose First Club is their current club.
- For more information, go to Rule 6.12 of the Official Guide.
