Galway GAA release proposals for 2020 hurling championships

June 17, 2020

St Thomas' Eanna Burke celebrates a goal

Galway GAA have informed clubs of proposals for the 2020 hurling championships.

The county hurling committee’s plans to restructure the club competitions sees a format of three groups of four teams in the senior A and B grades. They will take seven rounds to complete starting from the August bank holiday weekend and through to the finals. There will restrictions on last year's semi-finalists and finalists being placed together in the same group when the draws take place in two weeks' time.

The revised formats aim to ensure that every adult club hurler gets a "minimum of three championship matches in 2020," as outlined in a document released on the Galway GAA website today.

2020 Galway hurling championship restructures:

Senior A - 12 teams

Three groups of 4 teams
Not more than two of the 2019 semi-finalists can be drawn together in one group and 2019 county finalists are kept apart
Top teams in each group plus one drawn 2nd placed team goes straight through to Quarter finals
Remaining two 2nd placed teams go to the Preliminary Quarter finals
Bottom team in each group is relegated to Senior B for 2021

Senior B - 12 teams

Three groups of 4 teams
2019 Senior A teams kept apart
Top two teams in each group enter the Preliminary Quarter finals
Group winners promoted to Senior A for 2021
Bottom placed teams in each group enter relegation playoffs to Intermediate Championship for 2021

Rounds 1-3: Group stages
Round 4: Preliminary Quarter finals between two of the 2nd placed teams in Senior A and the six Senior B clubs that finished 1st and 2nd in their groups
Round 5: Quarter finals (Four Senior A teams straight through to the Quarter finals are seeded against the 4 teams that come through the Preliminary Quarter finals)
Round 6: Semi-finals Open Draw
Round 7: Final

Intermediate - 15 teams

Four Groups: Three groups of four teams and one group of 3 teams
Last years beaten Intermediate finalists, two beaten semi-finalists and the team relegated from Senior in 2019 are seeded in each of the groups
Top 2 teams in each group qualify for the Quarter finals
Bottom placed teams in each group playoff with one team relegated to Junior A Championship for 2021
Winner promoted to Senior B for 2021

Rounds 1-3: Group stages
Round 4: Quarter finals (1st placed teams play 2nd placed teams in cross play)
Round 5: Semi-finals Open Draw
Round 6: Final

Junior A - 17 teams

Four Groups: Three groups with 4 teams and one group with 5 teams
Maximum of two Junior only clubs in groups of 4
Teams in the group of 5 drawn from exclusive hurling clubs
Top 2 teams in each group qualify for the Quarter finals
Winner is promoted to Intermediate in 2021

Rounds 1-4: Group stages
Round 5: Quarter finals (1st placed teams play 2nd placed teams in cross play)
Round 6: Semi-finals Open Draw
Round 7: Final

Junior B - 20 teams*

Five groups of 4 teams
Top 2 teams in each group qualify for the knockout stages
Top team in each group plus one of the five 2nd placed teams drawn to go straight to Quarter finals
The remaining four 2nd placed teams play Preliminary Quarter finals
The two winners of the Preliminary Quarter finals join the group winners and the one drawn 2nd placed team in the Quarter finals
Winner promoted to Junior A in 2021

Rounds 1-3: Group stages
Round 4: Preliminary Quarter finals
Round 5: Quarter finals Open Draw (Repeat of group games avoided where possible)
Round 6: Semi-finals Open Draw
Round 7: Final