Replying To brianb:  "It would but pretty a bit less than now. The way it works in NFL is that you play everyone in your conference. Then you play similar strength teams across other conferences and one other conference.

You'd have some mis matches but a lot of even games as well. All would be important.

It does mean that the best teams have a tougher route to the playoffs - you'll always have the best teams there with say 8 of the best 10. It all evens out over the years.

But say teams played 10 games in that structure they'd play their own level about half the time with 2 games being top v bottom."

Replying To TheFlaker:  "I really cannot wait for the provincial championships to end at least for a while. Sick of the debate around it. Absolute nonsense. And it will happen in the next couple of years I think. Long overdue."

Replying To KillingFields:  "the oracle has spoken.

Let no more discussion on this matter take place.


The provincial championships shouldnt end but change how theyre played and their role in the all ireland

Dont play league to a conclusion before starting the championship

Be more like soccer with league going all through year with fa cup/champions league played in between the league"

Replying To Whammo86:  "I'm familiar with the NFL system and I'm not sure that's how it'd play out.

When it was 16 games in a regular season each team played 4 fixtures against teams in that were 1st in their division, 4 against teams that were 2nd etc.

An Antrim season could look something like home and away v Derry, Down, Armagh in North East division. Dublin, Louth, Meath, Cavan against an Eastern division Fermanagh, Leitrim for the other 4 placed teams in the Northern conference, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford for the South West division.

There's a lot of pointless games in there."

Replying To brianb:  "That's right with a complete copy of the NFL model. I don't think the first poster meant that - I didn't anyway. There's no draft in GAA so it could never be the same.

We wouldn't have time to play the home and away group and it works be better to play all teams in another division and all on your line rather than 2 other divisions.

My main point is that for a fair competition everyone doesn't need to play everyone. We could reduce the 16 teams down to say 6 either using something like an NFL format or a Swiss style system where the top 2 get byes to the semi and home advantage for the higher seed. Going from 16 to 12 means a lot of games to knock out a 2nd / 4th seed."