Its actually decent at first glance, would it consist of a shorter summer and no more September finals?

222 (UK) - Posts: 695 - 04/08/2016 12:22:53    1895353

Munster and leinster and probably connacht will still be snooze fests

222 (UK) - Posts: 695 - 04/08/2016 12:24:22    1895355

great idea

Tarismelting22 (Roscommon) - Posts: 760 - 04/08/2016 12:27:41    1895359

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 04/08/2016 12:30:09    1895363

The GAA have announced proposed changes to the senior football championship - which include plans to scrap the All-Ireland football quarter finals.

Those four knockout games would be replaced with two groups of four competing in a round-robin competition to reach the semi-finals.
The provincial and qualifier stages would run unchanged - although replays are to be outright abolished.

Furthermore the league semi-finals will also be done away with - leaving us with only six additional games in the calendar year.

GAA director general Páraic Duffy says the proposals will allow for "tighter scheduling and a revised policy on replays can bring improvements to the situations that affect the scheduling of club fixtures and the availability of inter-county players to clubs.

"The new structure would provide a more exacting pathway to the All-Ireland final: the finalists will have had to compete with three of the best teams in the country at the group stage, followed by a semi-final with a top-four team that came through the same test. This will have the effect of ensuring that the finalists will have been equally tested and that the two best teams in the country contest the All-Ireland final.

"Both All-Ireland Semi-Finals would be played over the one weekend which should generate greater excitement and also ensure both teams have the same period of time to prepare for the All-Ireland Final."

Antifa (Donegal) - Posts: 143 - 04/08/2016 12:30:40    1895365

Fair play Hermit. That's a big announcement. This proposal will shut the back door. I'm sure we can find flaws but it looks good. There's a .pdf in your link with more detail.

Under the Ard Stiúrthoir's proposal, the format of the All-Ireland senior football championship would be as follows:

PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Knock-out format as at present.

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIER SERIES

Round 1: Sixteen teams that do not qualify for provincial semi-finals

Round 2: Eight round 1 winners play eight defeated provincial semi-finalists

Round 3: Eight round 2 winners play each other on an open-draw basis

Round 4: Four round 3 winners play four provincial runners-up

Proposal 1:

(i) A Division 3 or 4 team drawn against a Division 1 or 2 team in rounds one, two or three of the qualifiers will be granted an automatic home-venue advantage.

(ii) The format of 'A' and 'B' sides to the qualifier draw will be ended.

QUARTER-FINAL STAGE

Proposal 2:

The current quarter-final stage of the championship to be replaced by a Group Stage, contested by the four provincial champions and the four round 4 qualifier winners.

The group stage will be organised on a league basis with two groups of four teams, with each team playing the other three teams once.

After the group stage is completed the top two teams in each group will progress to the All-Ireland semi-final with the Group 1 winner playing the Group 2 runner-up and the Group 2 winner playing the Group 1 runner-up

Order of fixtures in both groups

Round 1

Team 1 v Team 2. Croke Park

Team 3 v Team 4. Croke Park

Round 2

Team 1 v Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for provincial champions.

Team 2 V Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for provincial champions.

Round 3

Team 1 v Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for Team 3 or 4.

Team 2 v Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for Team 3 or 4.

Note:

Home venues shall be subject to approval by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) and
shall meet the criteria set down by the National Facilities/Health and Safety Committee. CCCC shall
make the draws for Rounds 2 and 3.

The above fixtures format for the group stage means that each team will have one game in Croke Park,
one home game and one away game.

Tie-breakers in the event of teams finishing level on points (in order of application):

(i) Result of game between two tied teams (only where two teams are level on points)

(ii) Score difference

(iii) Highest score for

(iv) Goals scored

(v) Play-off match

All-IRELAND SEMI-FINALS:

Group 1 winner v Group 2 runner-up

Group 2 winner v Group 1 runner-up

(to be played over one weekend)

All-IRELAND FINAL

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7359 - 04/08/2016 12:32:23    1895368

I've no time to read all that...

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 04/08/2016 12:33:10    1895371

Is this just a proposal or is it a done deal for 2017?

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 04/08/2016 12:39:02    1895374

Has its advantages, however they have the health and safety get out clause so as not to move dubs out of croke park, what county can reasonably hold dubs in quarter finals? Cork? Antrim? Tipp? Maybe mayo. Off top of my head that's it, also what will they do with all season ticket holders, ill give you a scenario, lets assume Meath or Kildare reach last rd of qualifiers, and have home advantage against dubs, neither navan nor Newbridge could facilitate the season ticket holders, therefore it will mean Meath or Kildare having to give up home advantage, dubs wont go to second venue (portlaoise) due to small capacity, will it be on a hurling pitch in Kilkenny to appease? Or will they just bring I to croke park for "health and safety" . Total bs and cosmetic pr to try to overcome the problem gaa have created themselves, also what is the point in playing a game where the results are already determined? Ie two bottom teams both beaten by two top teams, playing in a match with zero at stake? Apart from maybe pride? Perhaps a bye in next years championship should be added as a incentive

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 04/08/2016 12:42:41    1895376

Good proposal as long as the provincial champions are run off very quickly (that means Ulster would have to say goodbye to their only one match per week policy) and finish no later than the first week of July.

We'd have a flurry of knockout qualifier matches in June and then from July onwards a lot of good quality matches between the 8 quarter finalists.

I hope this is passed as it is defintely better than the current structure and there are no negatives to it and some positives.It's definitely a step in the right direction.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 04/08/2016 12:43:41    1895377

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 04/08/2016 12:43:46    1895378

Underwhelming.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1904 - 04/08/2016 12:46:42    1895382

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 04/08/2016 12:46:45    1895383

This will cause more grief for club fixture schedules. It suits the elite. If you have the prospects of a couple dead rubber games in group stages too.

Mullerm (Cork) - Posts: 87 - 04/08/2016 12:47:42    1895385

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 04/08/2016 12:49:32    1895390

I assume the round robin games would take place over 3 weekend's? Interesting the first round would be in Croke Park with last two rounds at home/provencial venues.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11236 - 04/08/2016 12:49:48    1895391

it will end with the same teams in the semis but more attendence and money for the gaa.
lets call a spade a spade

heresam (Dublin) - Posts: 156 - 04/08/2016 12:53:43    1895394

PROPOSED ALL IRELAND SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT

Here is the outline and I think it will be acceptable

PROPOSAL
Under this proposal, the format of the All-Ireland senior football championship would be as follows:
PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Knock-out format as at present.
ALL-IRELAND QUALIFER SERIES
Round 1 Sixteen teams that do not qualify for provincial semi-finals
Round 2 Eight round 1 winners play eight defeated provincial semi-finalists
Round 3 Eight round 2 winners play each other on an open-draw basis
Round 4 Four round 3 winners play four provincial runners-up

Proposal 1:
(i) A Division 3 or 4 team drawn against a Division 1 or 2 team in rounds one, two or three of
the qualifiers will be granted an automatic home-venue advantage.
(ii) The format of 'A' and 'B' sides to the qualifier draw will be ended.
QUARTER-FINAL STAGE
Proposal 2:
The current quarter-final stage of the championship to be replaced by a Group Stage, contested by
the four provincial champions and the four round 4 qualifier winners.
The group stage will be organised on a league basis with two groups of four teams, with each team
playing the other three teams once. (See below for tie-breaking devices.)
Year 1 groupings (succeeding years could be based a rota system):

Group 1
Team 1: Munster provincial winner
Team 2: Connacht provincial winner
Team 3: Ulster runner-up, or team that defeats them in round 4
Team 4: Leinster runner-up, or team that defeats them in round 4
Group 2
Team 1: Ulster provincial winner
Team 2: Leinster provincial winner
Team 3: Munster runner-up, or team that defeats them in round 4
Team 4: Connacht runner-up, or team that defeats them in round 4

Order of fixtures in both groups
Round 1
Team 1 v Team 2. Croke Park
Team 3 v Team 4. Croke Park
Round 2
Team 1 v Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for provincial champions.
Team 2 V Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for provincial champions.
Round 3
Team 1 v Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for Team 3 or 4.
Team 2 v Team 3 or 4. Home advantage for Team 3 or 4.
Note:
Home venues shall be subject to approval by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) and shall meet the criteria set down by the National Facilities/Health and Safety Committee. CCCC shall make the draws for Rounds 2 and 3.
The above fixtures format for the group stage means that each team will have one game in Croke Park, one home game and one away game.
Tie-breakers in the event of teams finishing level on points (in order of application):
(i) Result of game between two tied teams (only where two teams are level on points)
(ii) Score difference
(iii) Highest score for
(iv) Goals scored
(v) Play-off match
All-IRELAND SEMI-FINALS:
Group 1 winner v Group 2 runner-up
Group 2 winner v Group 1 runner-up
(to be played over one weekend)

All-IRELAND FINAL

WestRules (Galway) - Posts: 269 - 04/08/2016 12:57:02    1895400

How does this system suit the Ulster teams. As pointed out already taxing enough to come through prelim in Ulster then if you get beat more games in a round robin group stage. No prizes to who this proposal would suit the best.....surprise surprise!!!!!

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2782 - 04/08/2016 12:57:14    1895401

alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 04/08/2016 12:57:17    1895402