With 18 ideas now published for consideration by Central Council - I would like to take votes for your 1st preference here -
I'll start - I vote for Plan 5 (Tier 1 KO of 20; Tier 2 KO of 12; Tier 2 champ seeded 12 in Tier 1 following year).

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 24/10/2015 21:58:25    1801768

Your going to have to put up a link to the 28 plans to get any traction on yhis

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 25/10/2015 09:50:58    1801778

Good point - can't do link with this hand held device - could someone please -
Google search 'Central Council considers'
Open Irish Times article
Put link in here
In article, look for heading 'SFC Proposals'
Document opens under this heading - with 18 plans - you will be happy to know - none are mine :)

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 25/10/2015 15:25:37    1801808

yes proposal 5 is definitely the top in my book...way ahead of the others...there seems to be an inevitability about a two tier championship...there are some real turkeys of proposals there too...proposal 8 is awful...one this years all-ireland semi-finalists would be seeded in the third under this proposal while a div 3 team would have been seeded in the top tier...how can this even be taken seriously

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 25/10/2015 19:59:15    1801867

The best thing about the format changing will be the end of your countless threads on the issue, Omahant.

OgraAnDun (Down) - Posts: 406 - 25/10/2015 21:10:55    1801883

yes proposal 5 is definitely the top in my book...way ahead of the others...there seems to be an inevitability about a two tier championship...there are some real turkeys of proposals there too...proposal 8 is awful...one this years all-ireland semi-finalists would be seeded in the third under this proposal while a div 3 team would have been seeded in the top tier...how can this even be taken seriously

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 25/10/2015 22:00:11    1801892

The fact that the players don't want a two-tiered system should rule out most.

I disagree on suggestion 8. I would consider 1, 8, 12 and 14.

Skelling (USA) - Posts: 289 - 26/10/2015 08:27:32    1801895

All in all I'd say the proposals are pretty disappointing. A lot of Jim McGuinness/Sean Kelly ideas in there.

I'm not convinced any of them are better than the current qualifiers.

I think the process was handled badly by the GAA. They needed to give some guidance as to what they wanted from a new system.

Does the league have to stay?
Do the provincials have to stay and if so when do they have to be played?
How much room is there to move the All Ireland final weekend?
Is a two-tiered championship allowed?
What are the goals? Make the championship fairer? Make it more exciting? Look at improving the standard in weaker counties? What's the relative importance of these goals?

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 26/10/2015 10:35:28    1801913

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/central-council-considers-football-championship-reforms-1.2402531

Proposal no 1 is the only realistic runner.

B championship has no chance without a back door entry to main competition.

No 17 has a good chance of passing due promises of extra revenue and keeps provincial councils in power. Terrible format in my opinion.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 26/10/2015 11:14:05    1801927

Does the league have to stay?
Do the provincials have to stay and if so when do they have to be played?
How much room is there to move the All Ireland final weekend?
Is a two-tiered championship allowed?
What are the goals? Make the championship fairer? Make it more exciting? Look at improving the standard in weaker counties? What's the relative importance of these goals?

Those are pretty good questions and I hope they will be asked when the debate arises. They should have been asked already to be honest.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 27/10/2015 09:09:57    1802112

If the league is to be retained it could be shortened by having 2 groups of 4 teams in each division with top teams in each group playing off to decide division winners. Most teams would have only 3 games to play. There might even be room for an inter-proven tial week after the league with players chosen on league form.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 27/10/2015 14:43:28    1802298

If they go for the GPA plan, I'd rather see tighter groups - like 5 groups of 4 (top 20) and 3 pools of 4 (bottom 12).
Top 2 in the 5 groups plus best group 3rd placed (11 to AI Last 16) with top 2 in the 3 pools against 4 other group 3rd placed in 10-team playoff for remaining 5 places in AI Last 16.

Or merge NFL with AIC - have 2 groups of 10 (9 games), 2 pools (north and south regions) of 6 (double rd 10 games).
Have KO of 12 (groups 5, 4 and pool 3 v 3 playoff) with teams seeded from its league position, top 2 in each group to AI QFs.

Also, I like the Carlow one year delay in giving Prov champs Top 16 status - most likely this has no effect.
This allows the AI to start early and could run concurrently with Provs.

Daftest plan in the 18 ? - For me, it's the NFL div winners parachuted to the AI QFs - and if the div 4 winner wins its prov,
div 4 runner up gets in as well div 4 runner up gets in as well in lieu of presumed stronger prov losing finalist - wow, crazy !

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 31/10/2015 20:36:20    1803395

@ Omahant

I've mentioned before the modified group plan. I think 5x4 and 3x4 would be a way to go for this. I think for group stages to be exciting there needs to be a lot on the line for them. The proposal I had before was for the 5 tier a group winners to reach the quarters, plus the 3 winners from a playoff round of the group runners up and tier 2 champions. In that system the tier 2 teams play for a trophy but also remain in with a shot of the All Ireland.

Something that concerns me with the proposals to tier the championship using the league is that it absolutely kills division 4 teams. It's impossible for them to play for Sam unless they win their province. At the start of the season how many of their players are going to commit to a season where you're likely to play only one big match.

I have warmed a little to the GPA plan. It keeps weaker counties involved in the All Ireland series, if weaker counties are to get better they do need exposure to playing better teams. Unfortunately it's not an especially interesting format for the spectator.

@Omahant I am unsure of how qualification works in your combined NL/AIC works. How many of the 12 come from the top tier. This could be a cool format though. I like the regionalised nature of it with Northern and Southern sections.

I don't really like the Carlow proposal, why would you seed teams based on last years championship rather than this years. Plus it's still unfair how many Ulster and Leinster teams have to play in the first round.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 01/11/2015 11:40:07    1803432

To Whammo86 -
In the groups 20+12, I have KO of 15+6 (no wild card), you have 10+4 (with tier 2 wild card) - both equally weight top tier - I like that you have Tier 2 champ on the way.
My NFL/ Championship hybrid, I have 9 (5+4, incl one wild card) from top 20 to AI Last 12 (4 byes to QFs) with 5 others playing 3 winners from 6-team lower tier.
Re Carlow plan - To get AI started earlier, I think the one delay for Prov champs is worth it - since it probably doesn't disenfranchise a Top 16 team, unlike the TMC winner. Even with the latter, TMC teams can get into Sam 16 in current year via Div 3 promotion. To avoid Div 4 teams exclusion outside of provs as you mentioned - merging Divs 3 & 4 to 3 North/ 3 South does the trick/ gives all a chance. Re: The excess Ulster/Lein 1st Qual Rd representation in the Carlow plan - I tried to address this in my Double 16 plan by giving 12 teams a 3rd chance.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 01/11/2015 16:52:26    1803496

I think the bottom 2 divisions merging and being regionalised is a good idea even if we don't change the championship.

Gives exposure to a better standard of football for the weakest teams and cuts down time commitments and travel expenses for those counties also.

I'd probably work the playoffs with 3 teams progressing from each. Top from each section into semis. 2nd play 3rd place teams. Finalists get promoted.

Guarantee the div 3 champions a tier 1 place.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 01/11/2015 19:00:21    1803550

Merging 2 of the 18 proposals (12 and 5) goes a long way in checking off the boxes for achieving multiple desired objectives -

Proposal 12) Calls for stronger and weaker groups linked on the Road to Sam.
Proposal 5) Allows 20 teams (rather than 16) to sit at the top table.

How would I merge these two ideas along with the provs ?
1) Play provs without change to the Prov SFs (top 8 seeds).
2) After Prov SFs, 5 strong groups of 4, and 3 less strong pools of 4, are drawn.
3) Each Prov Final is assigned to respective groups L, U, M, C and played as the 2nd of 3 games.
4) Complete L,U,M,C by adding one team from seeds 17-20 and one from 9-16.
5) The 'rest' of the teams are assigned to R, E, S, T.
6) Group R will contain 4 teams from seeds 9-16, a 'group of death'.
7) Pool winners from E, S, T and the best runner up contest Tier 2 All Ireland.
8) Tier 2 champ join top 3 from 5 groups in AI Last 16.
9) Group winners reseeded 1-5, group 3rds 12-16, and group 2nds with Tier 2 champ 6-11 (T2 champ 11).
10) Promotion to Top 20 for T2 champ and via top half of Div 3.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 07/11/2015 21:11:57    1805242

11) After reseeding - 1 hosts 16, 2 hosts 15 etc. In the AI QFs a semi open draw, with one of top 4 seeds drawing one of the lower 4.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 07/11/2015 21:41:08    1805249

........and 1) again......to the Prov SFs (8 winners are initial top 8 seeds).

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2593 - 07/11/2015 21:47:54    1805251

You really need to bring a motion to congress to "scratch the itch".

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 08/11/2015 08:43:33    1805261

anyone know the one county to vote against it?

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 10/11/2015 19:41:20    1806143