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New Format 2026 All Ireland

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Replying To Whammo86: "If you are rating teams on a single ladder it is better for fixtures to be more inter-mingled in the way the Champions League is implemented." For inter-mingled, my AILC could be described like this: * Old 1A/1B as one combined table; 2A/2B as another. * Instead of 7 group games, it's 12 of 15 inter-mingled. * AILC 'non-traditional mini-groups', used instead for match reduction & incorporation of 'certain' Prov KO ties. * Onwards & upwards with the short AIC KO phase. omahant (USA) - Posts: 3281 - 05/06/2025 15:23:35 2615124 Link
Replying To omahant: "Once the term "Model" is used, it's variant territory - elements of "System" are used, while others are ignored. I guess you chose to dismiss what I wrote - I defend your right to do that." The UEFA competitions are way, way, way closer to something like the cross over fixtures in the NFL in American football. Which makes sense, they are actually spanning large geographical distances. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4563 - 05/06/2025 17:09:11 2615164 Link
Replying To omahant: "Hair splitting here - the "Swiss System" is linked to its pure Chess origin; but a "Swiss Model" can be tailor made, so it's a variant with Swiss System elements (like match reduction from a round robin)." Splitting hairs alright. The new kick out rules are creating contests. There are a lot of games of no consequence in the current split season. Kerry beat Cork. Cork should be facing a qualifier against Kildare or Westmeath to qualify. Head to head knockout football for qualification. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8897 - 05/06/2025 17:35:32 2615173 Link
If the All Ireland championship was 32 teams in 8 groups of 4 - with 8 winners having home advantage in the Round of 16, a reasonable number might be in favour of it. The GAA are essentially going to treat 8 finalists as 8 group winners and treat 8 league qualifiers as 8 group runners up. The 8 finalists will have home advantage in Round 1 of the All Ireland 16. I'm not entirely enthused by it. Will it spice up Galway v Roscommon, Kerry v Cork, Meath v Dublin and Armagh v Tyrone that yhe semi final winners will be securing home advantage? Maybe it will! legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8897 - 05/06/2025 21:36:15 2615215 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "Splitting hairs alright. The new kick out rules are creating contests. There are a lot of games of no consequence in the current split season. Kerry beat Cork. Cork should be facing a qualifier against Kildare or Westmeath to qualify. Head to head knockout football for qualification." The midfield mark is causing controversy, with tackles within the 4 metres being occasionally penalised. It's a tough one to fix, I think. If we want some contact - say, the mark fielder can be tackled upon landing and before taking two steps? Maybe award a free without advancing 50 metres? What do you think of awarding 'both scoring bites of the cherry' for advanced marks - come back for the mark free even if the initial advantage results in a score? Effectively, this could be a 4 pts play (goal and point) or 2 one-pointers. omahant (USA) - Posts: 3281 - 06/06/2025 01:47:29 2615235 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "If the All Ireland championship was 32 teams in 8 groups of 4 - with 8 winners having home advantage in the Round of 16, a reasonable number might be in favour of it. The GAA are essentially going to treat 8 finalists as 8 group winners and treat 8 league qualifiers as 8 group runners up. The 8 finalists will have home advantage in Round 1 of the All Ireland 16. I'm not entirely enthused by it. Will it spice up Galway v Roscommon, Kerry v Cork, Meath v Dublin and Armagh v Tyrone that yhe semi final winners will be securing home advantage? Maybe it will!" How about drawing a Prov SF to each group of 4? Should groups otherwise by open draw and handicapped/ lopsided - say, Div 1 & 4 teams NOT in same group. Top 2 in each group to AIC KO Rd of 16. Prov Champs, likely in the 16, qualifying twice get byes. All things considered though, some form of Sam Top 16/ Bottom 16 is better after 8 'Div 2v3' playoffs decide who joins Sam & Tier 2. omahant (USA) - Posts: 3281 - 06/06/2025 02:20:50 2615236 Link
We have a new format for 2026 which is the title of the thread. Discuss that please and leave all the other fantasy systems to another thread. Maybe call it "Alternative All Ireland SFC proposals". As for the 2026 approved system it's logical as in you win 2 games you're on the Quarter Finals, lose 2 you're eliminated. .I'm not in favour of Provincial runners up getting into it. I would favour Last year's Sam and Tailteann winners Provincial Champions Go down the League till you get 16. Present system gives every team a home game, you might never get one in the new system. Also Stadiums losing out on lucrative neutral games. Oriel says there are moves afoot to seek to maintain the current system . Haven't noticed that myself. Oisin MMcConville seems to think the 2026 system is only a proposal!! Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2383 - 06/06/2025 10:06:20 2615258 Link
Replying To omahant: "How about drawing a Prov SF to each group of 4? Should groups otherwise by open draw and handicapped/ lopsided - say, Div 1 & 4 teams NOT in same group. Top 2 in each group to AIC KO Rd of 16. Prov Champs, likely in the 16, qualifying twice get byes. All things considered though, some form of Sam Top 16/ Bottom 16 is better after 8 'Div 2v3' playoffs decide who joins Sam & Tier 2." From what I can see - two rounds of qualifiers for 23 to 7 can easily be accommodated. Q1 on the Leinster and Ulster finals weekend. Q2 the weekend after. All Ireland Round 1 then being a football only weekend on the following weekend - the weekend that is between hurling Round 5 and the hurling finals. The timescale is there to do it. 16 knockout games to add a bit of excitement are added to the calendar. Noone is excluded! Everyone wins!! ALL IRELAND QUALIFIER ROUND 1 Dublin bye Monaghan bye Roscommon bye Tyrone bye Derry bye Cavan v Wexford Cork v Antrim Offaly v Leitrim Kildare v Wicklow Westmeath v Carlow Fermanagh v Tipperary Sligo v Longford Laois v London Limerick v Waterford ALL IRELAND QUALIFIER ROUND 2 Dublin v Offaly Monaghan v Kildare Roscommon v Westmeath Tyrone v Fermanagh Derry v Sligo Cavan v Limerick Cork v Laois legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8897 - 06/06/2025 10:22:47 2615266 Link
Replying To omahant: "The midfield mark is causing controversy, with tackles within the 4 metres being occasionally penalised. It's a tough one to fix, I think. If we want some contact - say, the mark fielder can be tackled upon landing and before taking two steps? Maybe award a free without advancing 50 metres? What do you think of awarding 'both scoring bites of the cherry' for advanced marks - come back for the mark free even if the initial advantage results in a score? Effectively, this could be a 4 pts play (goal and point) or 2 one-pointers." The midfield mark is a bit messy. Players have to be able to challenge for a ball. In real time you aren't always going to know is a free for you or the other team and then you are being penalised 50m which is more 75m at the distances referees are traveling! legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8897 - 06/06/2025 10:26:23 2615268 Link
Replying To Seanfanbocht: "We have a new format for 2026 which is the title of the thread. Discuss that please and leave all the other fantasy systems to another thread. Maybe call it "Alternative All Ireland SFC proposals". As for the 2026 approved system it's logical as in you win 2 games you're on the Quarter Finals, lose 2 you're eliminated. .I'm not in favour of Provincial runners up getting into it. I would favour Last year's Sam and Tailteann winners Provincial Champions Go down the League till you get 16. Present system gives every team a home game, you might never get one in the new system. Also Stadiums losing out on lucrative neutral games. Oriel says there are moves afoot to seek to maintain the current system . Haven't noticed that myself. Oisin MMcConville seems to think the 2026 system is only a proposal!!" Unfortunately the new system is approved. There are moves to get it rescinded, but that may not happen. The system we have is a breath of fresh air. So many pluses to it, like each team being assured of a home game, the lucrative neutral game, and preliminary quarter finals. Add to that all counties assured of 3 round robin games. Would the best team in Ireland have won the All Ireland last year under the old systems? I doubt it. Despite the nonsense being spouted on here, every game has consequences. You get rewarded for topping the groups. A little less reward for finishing second. Third puts you away for your preliminary quarter final. Starting the league a week earlier and pusing the All Ireland Final back one week would solve the problem of a rest week for all after the league and allow 2 weeks between the round robin games. The other tweak which would be a harder sell is to allow only Provincial Champions and Tailteann winner in and then to League placings. In the 3 years since it started there have only been 2 dead rubbers. One in '23, one in '24 and none this year. When some county goes a couple of years with no home games, the Co Boards will see the folly of their decision. Whether by accident or design we have the almost perfect system and changing is madness. ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 583 - 06/06/2025 11:25:44 2615287 Link
Replying To ORIELMAN85: "Unfortunately the new system is approved. There are moves to get it rescinded, but that may not happen. The system we have is a breath of fresh air. So many pluses to it, like each team being assured of a home game, the lucrative neutral game, and preliminary quarter finals. Add to that all counties assured of 3 round robin games. Would the best team in Ireland have won the All Ireland last year under the old systems? I doubt it. Despite the nonsense being spouted on here, every game has consequences. You get rewarded for topping the groups. A little less reward for finishing second. Third puts you away for your preliminary quarter final. Starting the league a week earlier and pusing the All Ireland Final back one week would solve the problem of a rest week for all after the league and allow 2 weeks between the round robin games. The other tweak which would be a harder sell is to allow only Provincial Champions and Tailteann winner in and then to League placings. In the 3 years since it started there have only been 2 dead rubbers. One in '23, one in '24 and none this year. When some county goes a couple of years with no home games, the Co Boards will see the folly of their decision. Whether by accident or design we have the almost perfect system and changing is madness." What's the fascination with neutral games? The current group stage if it was to remain needs the following: 1. 2 home games for the 8 finalists. 2. Round 1 winners playing each other in Round 3. A week off after league finals can be fixed by having the All Ireland club hurling and football finals on the same first weekend of January. The inter county season then can extend by one week. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8897 - 06/06/2025 12:17:19 2615306 Link
Whatever about the Sam Maguire teams having a reduced no of games next year - they generally progress further in the provincials. Cutting the no of games in the tailteann cup is just daft - the new format cuts the no of guaranteed games to 3 and the weakest 8 teams all wrapped up by end of May There will also be 8 of the best teams in the Sam Maguire cup gone by mid June and not a game after the leaving cert is over. How do you attract kids to the GAA when they no heroes to should for all summer. Next years format will be scrapped by end of 2027 if not earlier. We want more football now that it has become good to watch. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1433 - 06/06/2025 12:25:08 2615309 Link
Replying To ORIELMAN85: "Unfortunately the new system is approved. There are moves to get it rescinded, but that may not happen. The system we have is a breath of fresh air. So many pluses to it, like each team being assured of a home game, the lucrative neutral game, and preliminary quarter finals. Add to that all counties assured of 3 round robin games. Would the best team in Ireland have won the All Ireland last year under the old systems? I doubt it. Despite the nonsense being spouted on here, every game has consequences. You get rewarded for topping the groups. A little less reward for finishing second. Third puts you away for your preliminary quarter final. Starting the league a week earlier and pusing the All Ireland Final back one week would solve the problem of a rest week for all after the league and allow 2 weeks between the round robin games. The other tweak which would be a harder sell is to allow only Provincial Champions and Tailteann winner in and then to League placings. In the 3 years since it started there have only been 2 dead rubbers. One in '23, one in '24 and none this year. When some county goes a couple of years with no home games, the Co Boards will see the folly of their decision. Whether by accident or design we have the almost perfect system and changing is madness." I suppose games can be as exciting next year - and nothing wrong with playing 2 rds before the KO 12 in a crowded calander, as opposed to the current 3 rds. To guarantee all a home game under next year's format, how about this tweak: Rd 1: 8 host 8, open draw Rd 2: 'Rd 1 Away 8' host 'Rd 1 Home 8' Win both rds, go to QFs; lose both, go out; others Prel QFs Rds played to a winner, no tied games Draw both rds before Rd 1 omahant (USA) - Posts: 3281 - 06/06/2025 16:18:48 2615376 Link