Video referees, picking the football off the ground and an official timekeeper are among proposals put forward by Croke Park's head of games Pat Daly.
In his wide ranging "Games Development Overview" - always one of the more interesting aspects of the association's annual report - he suggests a series of reforms to both playing rules and disciplinary procedures.
Although the ideas are purely suggestions they highlight a serious issue for the GAA, one that is addressed in next month's motions list for Congress.
Traditionally playing rules could be discussed every five years but in 2000 Tyrone succeeded in having passed a proposal banning such discussion until 2010.
This means that as things stand next year's Congress will not be able to take motions on the playing rules.
There is a motion from Down to reverse the Tyrone moratorium but so far any attempt to do so at recent congresses has failed.
Daly's report illustrates the extent to which innovative thinking is needed in relation to the rules and the obvious disadvantage of not being able to amend them even within the normal five-year time span.
On the issue of rule change the report says: "While it's not easy to get consensus on the way forward in football, doing nothing or waiting for these matters to resolve themselves are not realistic options.
By the same token it is unrealistic to expect that a body such as Congress - with 330/340 delegates in attendance - could adequately deal with technical issues of this nature.
"The establishment of a Playing Rules Committee, as recommended by the Strategic Review Committee, is the best way forward on the basis that matters such as these (the overview's recommendations) can be addressed as the need arises."
As well as the video referee and time-keeper (whose functions it's suggested should be combined) and the pick-up (reasoned on the basis that it would reduce technical fouls and incidents of players diving as they bend to lift the ball) the recommendations include: restricting the hand pass to fisting the ball; hurling puck-outs to be taken from the ground to stop goalkeepers stepping outside the small rectangle; starting and restarting both hurling and football matches with a kick-out or puck-out. (When tried in hurling a couple of years ago, this proved very unpopular); that the square ball offence be abolished; revolving replacements be permitted in both football and hurling (as in International Rules); no stoppages for treatment of injuries except when a stretcher is brought onto the field in which case the player involved will not be allowed recommence play for 10 minutes; provide a radio link between all match officials (another innovation successfully applied in International Rules).
