Replying To omahant: "I meant Wham - but maybe you should want it retained too - Muns hurling and Uls foot are crown jewels !
Just back to Inter-Group. I could split my 2x16 Confs into 2 Tiers of 16 (each 2×8). Tier 1 = 2 equally ranked divs of 8. Div 1A v 1B (8 games per team). Top 4 in each to AI KO QFs. Bottom 2 in each go down. 1A 1st v 4th; 2nd v 3rd; winners meet in AI SF. Do same for 1B. 1A v 1B champs in Tier 1 AI Final).
Tier 2 = Divs 2A v 2B. Same format as Tier 1. SF4 go up."
I don't like that. You can have 1 group perform way better than the other and you still get the same number of teams from each group progressing through each round.
You good have 1 section with the 5th placed team winning more matches than the best team of the other group and going out.
Nah. For what?
To avoid repeat pairings until the final. It's not worth it.
To get equal home and away games have 1 neutral venue for every team.
I like the Ulster championship but if it were to be removed to get a better overall season, that'd be fine.
If the Provincial championships were disbanded I think you could get a great season.
I'd like running 2 NFL campaigns. Spring league in March and April with final round on mid bank holiday, summer league May, June and July with final round on August bank holiday.
August for playoffs. Top 2 from each division 1 to Semifinals, if a team qualifies twice they get straight to the Final.
March, April, May, June, July and August bank holiday are 22 weekends. 4 club weekends in each code can be scheduled in that time.
Actually got a little sloppy there - With my 2 Confs of 16, I had '9th & below with better record' replacing '8th & above' in the other Conf - so I agree, for the 2 tiers of 2x8, I should have '5th & below with better record' over '4th & above' on other div.
Equal home/away - 1 neutral works - in a few existing tournaments, the fix is to 'play one main rival twice' (not ideal, impact can vary) - has operated in certain Latin Amer countries (e.g. soccer leagues of Mexico & Colombia), as well as in cricket (Aussie Big Bash T20 and England's new 'Hundred' next summer).
Your 2 leagues within the year - I like that - especially, if promo/releg after each competition (teams could move 2 grades). Again, there is a Latin Amer flavour here - teams play a single round robin before a KO stage in first tournament, before it is all repeated again in the second (called Apertura & Clausura) - sometimes (mostly not) both tourney's best meet to determine overall champs.
I think a '2 league season' would be better with slightly smaller groups.
Say, div 1 with 3 groups of 6 and div 2 with 2 regional groups of 7 (all teams playing intra group, round robin of 5 or 6 games). Bottom 1 down from div 1 groups (plus worst 5th) / top 2 up from div 2 groups after each league (maximises county quantity in at least one phase).
For fixture variery in the second league, prior div 1 1st & 4th stay in same group; each 2nd & 5th (incl 1 promoted team) moves to next group (e.g. 1B to 1C); & each 3rd moves 2 groups forward (e.g.1B to 1A).
End of season AI KO QFs with 6 div 1 group winners plus '2 other best 10-match records' from across both phases - teams qualifying twice get byes to SFs.
Replying To omahant: "I think a '2 league season' would be better with slightly smaller groups.
Say, div 1 with 3 groups of 6 and div 2 with 2 regional groups of 7 (all teams playing intra group, round robin of 5 or 6 games). Bottom 1 down from div 1 groups (plus worst 5th) / top 2 up from div 2 groups after each league (maximises county quantity in at least one phase).
For fixture variery in the second league, prior div 1 1st & 4th stay in same group; each 2nd & 5th (incl 1 promoted team) moves to next group (e.g. 1B to 1C); & each 3rd moves 2 groups forward (e.g.1B to 1A).
End of season AI KO QFs with 6 div 1 group winners plus '2 other best 10-match records' from across both phases - teams qualifying twice get byes to SFs."
I don't think there's a need to.
Everyone knows the current league structure. It's liked. There's no need for a change to be made to it and certainly no need to create lopsided numbers of teams in each section.
Each team can easily play 14 rounds of matches plus max 2 playoff rounds without impacting club fixtures.