A round-robin format for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship has been agreed upon and will take effect in 2023.
Next year’s All-Ireland Football Championship will see 16 counties compete in four groups of four, with the winner of each group progressing to the quarter-finals, while second and third-placed teams will contest the remaining four places.
A whopping 94.7 per cent of delegates voted in support of the motion at the GAA Congress, which will drastically change the format of the All-Ireland Football Championship.
However, the Allianz Leagues and respective provincial championships will remain as they currently are. The eight provincial finalists will qualify for the All-Ireland series, while a further eight counties will qualify based on their league ranking.
The next 16 counties, based on their league positions, will play in the Tailteann Cup, which will also be split into four groups of four.
Delegates were overwhelmingly in support of the changes.
GPA CEO Tom Parsons and former GAA President Seán Kelly both expressed their support for the changes.
“The players stand strong in support of this positive motion. Players are asking for unity, this is receiving a strong green light from players,” Parsons said.
“I have endoresed this completely. In fairness to you Uachtarán and your colleagues, you said you would reconsider after Special Congress. It will enhance the provincial championships and it will enhance the league,” Kelly argued.
“I think it is going to work out very well, every team will get a minimum of four games.”
#GAA news: New All Ireland SFC format to be adopted
— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 26, 2022
Provincial championships will have a lesser effect on the All-Ireland.
Although the provincial champions will still have some relevance to the All-Ireland series, as the respective provincial finalists will qualify, their significance in regards to the race for the Sam Maguire has been significantly lessened.
The top 16 counties in the leagues will qualify for the All-Ireland regardless of how they do in the provincial championships, while the bottom 16 counties in the leagues will need to reach a provincial final to avoid playing in the Tailteann Cup.
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