The GAA is preparing statistical data on the level of fouling in football and hurling in an effort to prove the value of the experimental rules ahead of next month's Congress. While the current feeling is that the rules won't survive a vote of approval at Congress, evidence of their practicality should at least provide a more reasoned debate on any permanent application.

Data on last year's Allianz National League games will be released later this week, and that will be used for comparison purposes with the early rounds of this year's league. The GAA's head of games Pat Daly will oversee the analysis and believes the initial results will help determine if the new rules, particularly the use of the yellow card, are fulfilling their purpose.

"What we would be proposing to do is release last year's statistics first," said Daly, "which in themselves will be quite interesting. What we'd then attempt to do is get, say, six rounds of this year's league and have the comparisons for Congress." He added: "We'll be as objective as we possibly can, but at least people can compare like with like. Obviously there are different opinions right now of what the problems are, but we believe that the statistics which are there do point towards a problem."

Sunday's second round of the National Hurling League has already thrown up some interesting statistics. In Division One the total yellow card count, or occasions where players were sent off and replaced by a substitute, numbered 16. That was a notable increase on last Sunday week's Division One total of 12, which suggests players haven't yet been tempted to reduce their level of fouling despite the threat of being sent to the line.

Four players each saw the line in the Waterford-Laois and Antrim-Down games and, unlike the opening round where Down and Tipperary escaped without any yellow cards, all six fixtures had players taking early showers.

It appears there was also an increase in the level of ticking offences, where the referee raises his black book above his head. In the Kilkenny-Galway match, for example, the entire Kilkenny full back line was ticked in the first half.

The main aim of the GAA's analysis, however, is to prove the overall level of fouling, plus related matters such as amount of actual playing time, is more favourable than last year. The initial data will include statistics from the seven ordinary rounds of last year's league, although Daly admits this will only provide a general platform for the comparisons.

"For full comparative purposes you would want the seven rounds of this year's league. Even then there would be some difficulties because we have some yellow-card offences now that weren't there last year. But we should at least be able to establish if there are any more or any less yellow cards. If there are less then I think we can attribute it to the greater punitive sanctions which have been laid down this year.

"One of the things it might highlight as well is how difficult it is to get consistency. One of the things I've spoken about before is the need for uniform interpretation of the rules, and the consistent application and implementation. And that's not easy. There is still a small culture in the GAA of referees applying whatever rule suits them."

The data for the 2004 league will be largely based on the number of yellow cards issued to players over the seven rounds. While the players won't be named, there will also be a county-by-county breakdown, as well as yellow cards round-by-round, and division-by-division.

Daly also believes the statistical data will later help determine related matters, such as the amount of playing time and high catches. "It's all inter-related, but the first thing we want to establish is some level of foul play as reflected in red and yellow cards.

"A separate issue is trying to get consistency. We would also be attempting to get some comparison of games . . . such as Kerry against Cork under the floodlights this year, and last year. And we'll try to draw whatever conclusions we can."