Cratloe Camogie Club Player Policy- produced in 2026

Cratloe Camogie Club is guided by principles that emphasise the participation and development of younger players and that encourage our players to enjoy camogie, and to continue to play camogie into adulthood. The purpose of this policy is to outline clear, consistent, and fair team structures to support coaches/mentors in their responsibilities to foster the participation, inclusion and development of all underage players in Cratloe Camogie Club. It is important that all players, irrespective of their abilities, should be given equal attention in coaching and game time.

It is our philosophy that our girls:

• Always prioritise their own age group through training and playing.

• play up in age only if there is a shortage of on-age players available

This policy outlines player selection processes that will evolve with the players’  development stages and will align with Gaelic Games player pathway as shown below (Figure 1). This pathway provides a structure for participation, development and performance to ensure positive experience, fun, enjoyment and variety for all players through their clubs, schools, colleges and counties (Dempsey et al 2020). We encourage coaching practice that will respect enthusiasm, talent and hard work, while recognising the importance of building competitive teams and ensuring that Cratloe Camogie Club is well represented in Clare league, championship and academy competitions. We encourage multi-sport participation and always welcome girls to training and to matches.

The Cratloe Camogie playing policy aligns with the Gaelic Games Player Pathway and its six key underlying principles: 

1. Club is Core 

2. Player Centred 

3. Quality Coaching Experiences 

4. Connection 

5. Inclusive 

6. As Many as possible for as long as possible

 

 

Figure One: Gaelic Games Player Pathway

 

Recent research has acknowledged the difficulty clubs face with player selection and team decision-making, especially in clubs that have large numbers, and concluded that each club is individual in its approach to player selection guidelines. ( Moran et al 2025) 

The Gaelic Games Go Games refers to a games development pathway that is aligned to the Gaelic Games Player Pathway Foundation 2 (F2). Emphasis during this phase is on further developing functional movement skills and the early acquisition of the specific skills of Gaelic Games. GO games rules guide our playing structures from under 7 to under 12 and these rules place full emphasis on equal play time, on inclusion and on fun ( Go Games 2025).

From under 13’s the girls take parts in competitions. This coincides with the onset of their teenage years. Research from Sports Ireland has reported that many girls are disengaged from sport and exercise in their teens. Evidence suggests participation plummets during adolescence with just 7% of girls age 14-15 years meeting recommended physical activity levels. Girls who are active in their teenage years and develop a love of sport are much more likely to establish a life-long relationship with sport and exercise in adulthood (Sport Ireland 2021). 

This guidelines encourages inclusion of all players in all club activities, fairness for all, consistent player development and timely competitive and talent considerations. It acknowledges and incorporates the work done by researchers in the area of teenagers in sport, the Long-term athletic development plan and guidelines produced by the GAA and Camogie Associations. 

This policy applies to all players from U6, up to and including U18 players.

There are three main development stages

1. The introductory ages of camogie ie Under 5 to under 6

2. Go Game development age groups of under 7 to under 12

3. The Competitive age groups of under 13- under 18

 

1. The introductory ages of camogie ie Under 5 to under 6

Children may train with the Under 6 group during the years they are turning 5 or 6 e.g in 2026 children who are born in 2020 and 2021 may train with the under 6 group.

Skills development at this stage is not the most important aspect but a good foundation can be created nonetheless. The base skills such as teaching the correct grip, the ready position and the swings will be introduced. Other skills that may be developed are striking and stopping the moving ball. The two most important aspects of coaching children this age are enjoyment and fundamental movements which can be incorporated by coaches in games and drills during the sessions.

 

2. Go Game development age groups of under 7 to under 12

Go-Games are national policy of the GAA and the Camogie Association. The philosophy is that every child gets to play (a Go) in every game, for the full game and it applies to all children up to and including 11 years of age. Here is a brief summary of Go Games rules for every age based on  Camogie association guidelines-

 

Key Principles Underpinning Go Games The key underpinning principles of Go Games are:

I. All participants play in the Game i.e., everyone ‘Has a Go’

II. Games are small sided with modified playing rules to allow more time and space for players to master the skills, make decisions and as a result experience a sense of achievement. 

III. Participant needs are catered for at U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12.The U6 age grade or below is not permitted.

IV. The games are progressive and inclusive, structured in a manner which optimises the level of fun, friendship, fair-play, and enjoyment.

Go Games at this level primarily involve blitzes and all players must be given equal play time as much as possible. Girls begin Go-Games as per guidelines when they are under 8 on the 1st of January of the year they turn eight and play time is given to girls in this age group only.

Go Games allow children to have fun, grow, and learn, physically, socially, and psychologically and develop the key attributes for life. They are inclusive, and structured to cater for the needs, abilities and backgrounds of all participants ( Go Games, 2025). 

3. The Competitive age groups of under 13- under 18

In Clare the competitive under-age season begins with Under 13 and Under 15s competitions. When these competitions are finished the under 14s, under 16s and under 18s competitions take place. 

 

This is the first age group where players compete in a championship. If there are sufficient players in the available panel ( as decided by coaches and the committee), clubs can enter in the Championship competition and in an academy competition. While thegoal of competing in championship will be to win games and play the strongest team, the  overall emphasis at under 13s is to build strength of the whole panel, and to ensure that every player has meaningful playing time. Having both championship and academy competitions ensures the balance between competition and development at this age group. 

-Championship Competition:

Players will experience a competitive championship structure whereby games are first played in group stages and team may progress to a semi-final and final, or may be eliminated from the competition.

-Academy Competition:

Where the under 13s panel has sufficient numbers, as decided by the coaching team and the committee, the team can also enter the academy competition. This follows a similar format to the championship and finishes with a final for every team. Taking part in this competition ensure that all girls within the 13s panel have ample opportunity to play camogie games across the season. 

In Clare a certain number of players must be named on the championship team and this number is decide by the County Board at the beginning of each season. In under 13’s these players are selected based on their ability within the upper age group ( i.e over 12 and under 13) and these players are not allowed to take part in the Academy competition. These girls, who are named on the under 13’s championship team cannot play their own age group of academy but can ‘play up’ and be available for the under 15s academy team. Girls who are not named on the under 13’s Championship team are eligible to play in the under 13s championship competition and in the under 13s Academy competition.

Here are examples of how the season will look for two players in the under 13 panel:

Takes part in under 13s training sessions only.

Is named on the 13s Championship team as per County Board named player rule (selected by the under 13 coaching team based on upper age group and ability within this age group). She will most likely play full championship games during the competition.

Will not play under 13s Academy games but may play in under 15s Academy competition.

Will also be available for under 15 matches only if required i.e if there are too few under 15 players available  on a given day.

 

Takes part in under 13s training sessions only.

Is not named on under 13s Championship team as per County board named player rule.

May play championship games as well Academy games at under 13s.

The overall emphasis in under 13s is on ensuring all girls get plenty of play-time during the season (At this age, multi-sport participation should never be discouraged or used to limit selection on teams at this age).

If there are not adequate numbers available within the under 13s age group to field an under 13s  game,  the coaches of the under 13s group may liaise with the coaches of the under 11s group to seek players to boost their panel numbers. The upper age girls who are under 11 ( i.e over 10 and under 11) may be invited to attend the fixture. If the interest in one game is high some girls may attend one game and others may be selected to attend another game. Priority will be given to under 13s girls who are entitled to maximum playing time, especially if they have not  played in their most recent championship match. Under 11 girls may be invited to Under 13 Academy games as required.

 

The under 15s championship runs alongside the Under 13s championship and it follows the same structure i.e the club may enter championship and academy competitions. While the emphasis remains on developing all of our players, at under 15s the strongest team will be selected from within the whole panel, whether they are turning 14 or 15 that year, to represent the club at championship. The county board, again, will set rules around named players and the coaches will select these players. The coaches will communicate with the girls and ensure that everyone understands the selection process.  Participation in the championship and academy competition will allow all girls to play games at a suitable level and ensure they have a great season of camogie.

 

Note: Most girls will have ONE OPPORTUNITY to play camogie and that will be with their club at their own age group. Other girls, at this stage in their development, will have extra opportunities to play with competitive school teams and with county development squads. 

It is also worth noting that we need to ensure player retention to be able to enter academy competitions and to ensure that all girls have adequate playing time. It is crucial that we recognise player retention as a measure of success during these early championship years.

 

Cratloe Camogie club has always enjoyed and gained benefit from participation in Féile, and the directions below are intended to help parents & mentors though some of the decisions associated with participation. Teams qualifying for the National Féile may incur additional expense in preparing and participating in the All-Ireland stages of the competition. Féile is about participation and enjoyment by players and their families and we will support and promote this ethos.

 

 

 

1. All players in the under 15s panel will form the Féile squad. Féile rules dictate up to a limit of 24 on the actual playing squad. This does not mean that the 24 limit has be filled.

2. If there are more than 24 players available to play, the players at the older age group will make up the panel first and foremost. Only If required, the younger age group girls may be asked play up in order to make an appropriate panel number that allows for suitable team substitutions throughout the tournament. For example, a panel of 20 is an appropriate number to allow for rotating 5 team substitutions throughout the tournament. Note, the lower age group will have an opportunity to participate in the following years Féile as they become the on-age panel for that year.

3. Féile rules dictate that all players will receive appropriate game time throughout the tournament.

4. Examples of Player Panel decisions –

 

In the event the player panel in the appropriate age group is greater than 24 players, all 24 positions must be filled. The playing panel will consist of players in rank order of their age. Therefore, older age players will automatically make the panel and the younger players will be included up to the 24 players. This may result in players not making the playing panel and in this situation, the manager and mentors should seek to speak directly to the parents by way of explanation and briefing to prepare the player in advance of any panel announcement. Text messaging should never be used.

In the event, the player panel is less than 20, the Féile team can be supported by the lower age group that allows for suitable team substitutions throughout the tournament i.e to complete a panel of 20. The decision on numbers and the players playing up from the lower age group will be determined by the mentors. This decision may be made based on a number of decisions, for example a player’s capability of playing with the older age group, or a positional reason (e.g – goalie). 

Note: the lower age group will always have an opportunity to participate in the following years Féile as they become the player panel for that year. The mentors decision to be ratified and agreed by the full executive committee

 

The under 14 competition begins when the under 13 and under 15 competitions finish so the groups are divided as the older under 13s and the younger under 15s form a new panel for the duration of the camogie year ie those girls who are turning 13 and 14 in the year of the competition. The format  and player selection criteria are the same as the 13s champion and the club will hope to have enough players to enter in the Championship competition and in an academy competition. Development and player retention remains central to all matches and competitions at this age.

Similar to the under 13s and under 15s competitions players will experience a competitive championship structure whereby games are first played in group stages and team may progress to a semi-final and final, or may be eliminated from the competition, and will also take part in the under 14s Academy structure as previous detailed.

Named girls ie those girls who are named on the under 14’s championship team cannot play their own age group of academy but can ‘play up’ and be available for the under 16s academy team. Girls who are not namedon the under 13’s Championship team are eligible to play in the under 14s championship competition and in the under 14s Academy competition.

 

If there are not adequate numbers available within the under 14s age group to field an under 14s  game,  the coaches of the under 14s group may liaise with the coaches of the under 12s group to seek players to boost their panel numbers. The on-age girls who are over 11 and under 12 may be invited to attend the fixture. If the interest in one game is high some girls may attend one game and others may be selected to attend another game. 

 

U16 Players are still developing at this level. Although this is a competitive championship it is still important to continue to focus on the development of players and to remember that their continued engagement with, and enjoyment of, camogie is crucial as this will ensure they continue to play and transition into adult camogie. Managers and coaches should be mindful of the pressure and demands on young people of this age. A positive environment will benefit these girls in every way. The competitions and player selection criteria remain the same as for the under 15s competition.

 

This is the first highly competitive championship for club teams. Players aged 18 and over are considered adults and many players may already be involved in the adult panels. It is important that a place is found for every player in this age group regardless of their ability level to ensure their continued participation. It is the club’s goal that all players progress to adult camogie and beyond i.e., club officers, coaches etc because of the positive experience they have enjoyed with Cratloe Camogie. Any girls who is turning 15 in the competition year may play in the under 16 and under 18s  competitions.

Given the size of our club and the numbers players at most age groups ( Currently approx. 20-26 girls in U13,14,15 and 16) players who are within 1 year of the upper age limit only should make up the Championship panels from U16 down.

 

To illustrate this please see below:

To play U16 a player must turn 16 or 15 in the relevant calendar year

To play U15 a player must turn 15 or 14 in the relevant calendar year

To play U14 a player must turn 14 or 13 in the relevant calendar year

To play U13 a player must turn 13 or 12 in the relevant calendar year

To play U12 a player must turn 12 or 11 in the relevant calendar year

To play U11 a player must turn 11 or 10 in the relevant calendar year

To play U10 a player must turn 10 or 9 in the relevant calendar year

 

Only if there is a shortage of players should younger players be permitted to play matches with the age group above them. This ensures that the players within their age group get game time, do not feel undermined and would protect the younger players from burnout.

 

 

Dempsey, M, Flanagan, S and Cuthbert, B. 2020 ‘Gaelic Games Player Pathway Guide’. Available at: https://learning.gaa.ie/sites/ default/files/14233%20Duchas%20Doc%20 update.pdf.

Go Games 2025: available on https://camogie.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Go-Games-Policy-2025.pdf

 

Moran,D, Taylor,D  Behan, D, Horgan, P, Mac Namara Á  2025 Grouping by ability in youth sport: Streaming in Gaelic Games

 

Sport Ireland. (2021). Adolescent girls get active. Dublin: Sport Ireland. https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2021-01/sport-ireland-research-report.pdf