Underage Age Grades

What age grade would you like for underage football in Armagh.

  • A

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B

    Votes: 9 37.5%
  • C

    Votes: 15 62.5%

  • Total voters
    24

Diarmi

Well-Known Member
I want to try to gauge the opinion of members on the age grades for underage football.

On Monday the grades were changed from U11, U13, U15 and U17 to U12, U14, U16 and U18. These grades are both based on the players age on 1st January 2023. So a player who is 11 years old on 1st January 2023 can play U12 but not if they have already turned 12.

Previously, before 2019, the age grades were based on school years so a player who had not turned 13 years old on 30th June could still play U12. This meant that kids played with kids in their school year group. Although this was often referred to as U12, 14, 16 & 18 in effect is was U12.5 etc.

Please note this is purely for interest and will not have any bearing on what happens in the county.

There are three options;

A. U11, 13, 15 & 17 - This is how it was last year

B. U12,14,16 &18 - This is how it has been changed for 2023

C. U12.5, 14.5, 16.5 & 18.5 - - This is how it was before 2019
 

South Armagh

New Member
Definitely option C is by far the best, it keeps school classes & friends together.
A young lad could of missed out on U13 last season by 1 week (Born on *20/12/08) and this season he's still only year 10 (3rd year) at secondary school and he must play U16 - with a size 5 football.
 

Kem

Active Member
I want to try to gauge the opinion of members on the age grades for underage football.

On Monday the grades were changed from U11, U13, U15 and U17 to U12, U14, U16 and U18. These grades are both based on the players age on 1st January 2023. So a player who is 11 years old on 1st January 2023 can play U12 but not if they have already turned 12.

Previously, before 2019, the age grades were based on school years so a player who had not turned 13 years old on 30th June could still play U12. This meant that kids played with kids in their school year group. Although this was often referred to as U12, 14, 16 & 18 in effect is was U12.5 etc.

Please note this is purely for interest and will not have any bearing on what happens in the county.

There are three options;

A. U11, 13, 15 & 17 - This is how it was last year

B. U12,14,16 &18 - This is how it has been changed for 2023

C. U12.5, 14.5, 16.5 & 18.5 - - This is how it was before 2019
Was never 16.5 or 18.5
 

Armaghball

Well-Known Member
I think it was the year silverbridge won the minor, people gave out because Jarlath Burns had been advocating for the 16.5, 18.5 age.

May be wrong about that but it was definitely the .5 age group for at least a year just before covid.
 

Smallball

Active Member
I think it was the year silverbridge won the minor, people gave out because Jarlath Burns had been advocating for the 16.5, 18.5 age.

May be wrong about that but it was definitely the .5 age group for at least a year just before covid.
I personally don't remember the .5 age at 16s and 18s but it was in play at a point at u14 when I was that age, I don't think if it has been there before or hasn't is the point t here though, the point is this is the only change to the age grades that should and needs to be made. We spend 6 years coaching and creating teams of primary school age children. Try to pass on our love for gealic games to them and watch them grow with their friends, then 1st year of secondary school hits and we split them into different teams and thus begins the drop off that continues through u14, u16 and minor. It fully believe that this directly impacts our aim of player retention and completely goes against the gaas latest tagline of "as many as possible for as long as possible"
 

Armaghball

Well-Known Member
I personally don't remember the .5 age at 16s and 18s but it was in play at a point at u14 when I was that age, I don't think if it has been there before or hasn't is the point t here though, the point is this is the only change to the age grades that should and needs to be made. We spend 6 years coaching and creating teams of primary school age children. Try to pass on our love for gealic games to them and watch them grow with their friends, then 1st year of secondary school hits and we split them into different teams and thus begins the drop off that continues through u14, u16 and minor. It fully believe that this directly impacts our aim of player retention and completely goes against the gaas latest tagline of "as many as possible for as long as possible"
Agreed. I know a lot of lads that when they were in school playing macrory, half the lads would have still been minor and half would have had to step up to senior. The .5 stops this .
 
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