The GAA has revealed the proposed new hurling championship structure for 2018.
The proposal, which is below in full, was published this afternoon:
Proposals for the GAA Hurling Championship 20187-2020
Following the debate at Congress 2017 on the reform of the All-Ireland senior football championship, the Uachtaran and Ard Stiurth6ir asked the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) to examine the current structures for the senior, U-21 and minor hurling championships. In doing so, they identified three questions that needed to be addressed:
- might the eight additional matches provided for in the new football championship structure (namely, the round-robin group stage that replaces the existing quarter-final format) draw attention away from and diminish the All-Ireland senior hurling championship?
- do the arrangements for Galway's participation in the Leinster senior, All-Ireland minor and U-21hurling championships best serve the needs of that county, and of hurling in general?
- do the existing structures best serve the needs of Antrim (or any other Ulster county that might qualify for the All-Ireland series) in the minor and U-21hurling championships?
The Uachtaran and Ard Stiurth6ir held informal discussions with various individuals and units of the Association and reflected on various proposals submitted from committees and individuals over the years. This information was collated and passed to the CCCC to provide a basis for discussion on revised structures for the hurling championships.
The views of the National Hurling Development Committee and An Coiste Bainistfochta were also sought before completion of the proposals that are outlined below.
Based on the feedback received, the CCCC established three obligations that must be met in formulating its proposals:
This latter constraint precluded the adoption of various suggested structures that worked well in principle but that did not take cognisance of the length of time required to run off such new competition structures. The proposals, therefore, were formulated -for alllevels of senior hurling - to ensure:
- that significant club-only periods would be maintained between the end of the Allianz hurling leagues and the beginning of the senior championships;
- that August (except for the All-Ireland semi-finals and final) and subsequent months would be left free for club competitions.
The recommendations that follows regarding the Liam Maccarthy Cup have their roots in a proposal first mooted by the HDC in 2012.
This document proposes that the rules governing the All-Ireland senior, U-21and minor championships be temporarily set aside in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to allow the following formats to be the subject of experimentation in the championships of 2018, 2019 and 2020.
To consist of two provincial championships and a provincial qualifier group (linked to the Leinster and Munster championships).
Leinster Munster
Dublin Clare
Galway Cork
Kilkenny Limerick
Offaly Tipperary
Wexford Waterford
Note: The teams identified, above, as participating in the Leinster and Munster championship round robin groups are based on current (i.e. 2017) qualified teams.
Laois
Westmeath
Kerry
Antrim
Carlow
The eligible teams have been determined by their final positions in the 2017 championships. Laois, Westmeath and Kerry, having finished, respectively, in first, second and third places in the 2017 qualifier, will take three of the provincial qualifier group places in 2018. Meath, having finished bottom of the 2017 qualifier, will be relegated to the 2018 Christy Ring Cup and will be replaced in the 2018 provincial qualifier group by the 2017 Christy Ring Cup winners and runners-up (Antrim and Carlow).
The winning team of the provincial qualifier group will qualify for a play-off match, on an alternate-year basis, against the third-placed team in the Munster or Leinster championship round-robin group. The play-off winner will progress to the All-Ireland quarter-finals (see table below).
The winning team of the provincial qualifier group will also be promoted to the Leinster championship round-robin group for the following year and will be replaced in the provincial qualifier group by the bottom-placed team in the Leinster championship round-robin group. However, where Kerry (or another Munster team) wins the provincial qualifier, they will play off against the bottom team in the Munster championship round robin. The winner of that play-off game will play in the Munster championship round robin in the following year and the loser will play in the provincial qualifier.
The bottom-placed team in the provincial qualifier group will be relegated to the Christy Ring Cup and replaced by the winners of that competition.
The provincial qualifier group will be played on a round-robin basis, and matches will be played during the same period as those of the Munster and Leinster championship round-robin groups.
YEAR l |
YEAR 2 |
Play-off match 3R0 -pl aced team in Munster championship group V Winner of provincial qualifier group (home- venue advantage)
Quarter-final 1 Winner of above play-off match V Defeated Leinster provincial finalist
Quarter-final 2 3rd-placedteam in Leinster championship group V Defeated Munster provincial finalist* |
Play-off match 3rd-placed team in Leinster championship group V Winner of provincial qualifier group (home- venue advantage)
Quarter-final 1 Winner of above play-off match V Defeated Munster provincial finalist
Quarter-final 2 3rd-placed team in Munster championship group V Defeated Leinster provincial finalist* |
*To preserve and enhance the importance of the provincial championships, home-venue advantage in the quarter-finals should be granted to the beaten provincial finalists.
While, in some respects, it was considered preferable that the provincial qualifier group-winner be allowed to enter the Leinster or Munster championship group in the same year, the CCCC considered that the scheduling impact of such a provision on the playing of club games would be contrary to the core principles of recent Congress Rule and Central Council scheduling changes (i.e. to create significant time periods for club-only activity) and would all but eliminate the possibility of having a club interlude period for the counties in the provincial qualifier group at the end of the Allianz leagues.
For this reason, the winner of the provincial qualifier group enters a play-off against either the third placed team in the Munster or Leinster championship round robin group, which provides the right to play in the All Ireland quarter-finals. Also, the winner of the provincial qualifi er group earns the opportunity to parti cipate in the Munster or Leinster championship in the following year.
Armagh, Derry, Down, Kildare, London, Mayo, Meath, Wicklow .
Nicky Rackard Cup (eight teams):
Donegal, Leitrim or War wickshire,Longford, Louth, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Tyrone.
Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups to be played as follows:
Ill. Lory Meagher Cup
Four teams participate: Cavan, Fermanagh, Lancashire and either Leitrim or Warwickshire.
The idea of an open draw for the competition was discussed. However, it was considered that an open draw format would undermine many of the benefits of the existing U-21 championship. It was also noted that the possibility of scheduling Wednesday-evening games would likely be lost in an open draw format (due to potential travel distances), which could have a significant knock-on effect on counties'_ability to plan club fixtures.
It was considered, too, that an open-draw format would probably require a seeding system if the competition were to remain competitive; it was also pointed out that none of the other main championships are organised on an open-draw basis.
Notwithstanding the above, the current structure - whereby Galway enters the All-Ireland semi-final without having played a game, and in which the Ulster champions have participated in only one All Ireland final since the competition was inaugurated in 1964, despite having a guaranteed semi-final spot for much of its history - is not sustainable.
The proposal is for Galway and any Ulster teams of sufficient strength to be accommodated in the Leinster championship. In such a scenario, the Leinster and Munster champions would qualify directly for the All-Ireland final; there would, therefore, be no All-Ireland semi-finals at this level. This format would be a significant help in creating additional time in the calendar to achieve proper scheduling of the U-21 hurling championship in the summer months (running alongside the senior provincial championships). It would also have minimum impact on club activity.
It is recommended that changes be made to the existing structure of the All-Ireland minor hurling championships to better serve the needs of Galway, Antrim and Ulster.
The three participating teams will be Galway and the defeated Leinster and Munster finalists. In the event of teams finishing on equal points at the end of this round-robin series, their placings will be determined by the following tie-break devices, in following order of application:
(i) score difference, i.e. subtracting the total scores-against from the scores-for;
(ii) highest total scores achieved; (iii) highest total goals scored.
Note: Where all three teams finish level on points and cannot be separated by the tie-break devices outlined in (i), (ii) and (iii) above, one team will go forward through the drawing of lots, and a play off will be held between the two remaining teams.
Consideration should also be given to the participation of Antrim, and possibly of one other Ulster county, in the Leinster minor championship. If the proposals outlined in this document are accepted in principle, further discussion should take place with the HDC and the Leinster and Ulster Councils on how best to accommodate this.
This discussion should also encompass a review of the Celtic Challenge in the context of the above proposals to ensure that it continues to provide an appropriate pathway for developing counties. The discussion with the HDC should specifically consider the issue of whether counties that participate in the restructured minor hurling championship outlined above should also participate in the Celtic Challenge, and, if so, for which counties it would be most appropriate to do so.