Section 8: Safety Considerations
Legal contact. The only form of body contact permitted between opponents is the shoulder-to-shoulder charge, directed at the torso of a player who is playing, or is in a position to play, the ball. Charges directed at an opponent's back, head, or neck, charges delivered with excessive force, and challenges made when an opponent is not in a position to play the ball are prohibited as dangerous play and are penalised as aggressive fouls, typically with a card. A player may make a shoulder-to-shoulder charge on an opponent who is in possession, is playing the ball, or when both are moving toward the ball to play it, provided the player has at least one foot on the ground (Rule 1.9).
Dangerous tackling. The third-man tackle, the "chop" tackle around an opponent's legs, and any challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent are not named as such in the Playing Rules; they fall under Rule 5.19, behaving in any way which is dangerous to an opponent, and are subject to sanction, up to and including dismissal for reckless or deliberate endangerment.
Head injury protocols. Inter-county competitions operate a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocol, under which a player suspected of having sustained a head injury is removed from the field for assessment by team medical personnel, with a temporary substitute permitted while the assessment is carried out. A player who fails the assessment or shows signs of concussion may not return to play in that game. Temporary substitution for blood or a suspected head injury is provided for at Rules of Control, Rule 1.5(b), and such a substitution does not count against the substitution limits (Rule 2.3(iii), The Players).
Playing surface and equipment safety. The referee has authority under the Official Guide to inspect the playing surface and goalposts before a game and to prohibit play, or require remedial action, where conditions are considered unsafe. The referee may likewise prohibit any player from taking the field while wearing jewellery, casts, or other rigid items considered a danger to any player.
Qualified medical cover. Organising county boards are required to ensure that appropriately qualified first-aid or medical personnel, along with the necessary emergency equipment, are present at the venue for the duration of the game.