GAA president hints at format change in All-Ireland football championship

GAA president Jarlath Burns says change to the format of the All-Ireland senior football championship is likely for 2025 because of the lack of jeopardy in the current round-robin All-Ireland series.

‘The championship should have jeopardy, it should be more of a blunt instrument,’ he admitted.

‘The clue is in the title of the competition – the championship is there to get champions.’

This comes after three of the four teams who finished third in their respective groups of four progressed to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, despite winning just one of their last four games across the group and the knock-out provincial championships.

The decision to allow three teams from a group of four is at the crux of the lack of jeopardy since it was introduced in 2022.

A format more akin to the second-chance backdoor system is being looked at for the All-Ireland series where teams will be knocked out if they lose consecutive games.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland after the draw was completed for the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, Burns explained: ‘We’re doing consultations at the moment with the provinces. Last week we were in Leinster and Munster; this week we’re in Ulster and Connacht. We will then discuss it at our next Ard Chomhairle [Central Council] meeting.

‘One of the themes coming through really is the lack of jeopardy. I share this view – I would imagine next year there is going to be change.’

Burns also said that the idea of pushing the dates of the All-Ireland finals back from their current July finish was complicated because of the round-robin format that is so popular at club and county level.

‘One of the difficulties is that we’ve become almost obsessed, at both club and county, on the round-robin.

‘We’re doing it now at county level and we’re doing it now more in our club championships as well.

‘If you look, Cork require I think it is 14 weeks to run off their club championship, and I think Limerick, Wexford require 16 weeks.

‘There is an argument that says that any club championship that has six teams in it – that’s not a championship, that’s a league.