New format proposals for football championships issued to counties by CCCC

The Central Competitions Control Committee have gathered proposals on changes to inter-county football championship structures and issued them to counties, with all requested to report back with feedback.

Proposals include the potential for a third tier in the All-Ireland championships, as well as the run-off of the provincial championships at the beginning of the season – as opposed to after the National Football League, as is currently the case.

Having remained in consultation with counties in recent months, concern has continuously been voiced regarding the current football championship structure and its impact on the overall calendar.

The discussion paper has been brought about in order to assess if certain suggested tweaks to the current format would help or hinder the process of solving some highlighted issues.

RTE report there have been some calls for a week-long gap between the league finals and the first round of the provincial championships, with Connacht sides generally affected by the quick turnaround owing to the earlier start to their provincial championship.

A greater reward for provincial champions has been mooted so as to maximise the value of each championship and heighten the incentive for the participating teams.

A shorter break in the calendar between teams exiting the provincial championships and their first game in Tailteann Cup and Sam Maguire action is also desired.

The demand the condensed championship places on teams at certain stages has been highlighted, with a request lodged for an attempt to limit teams playing three weeks in a row where possible. Elsewhere, the need for a sufficient number of fixtures for weaker counties has been emphasised in feedback received.

The CCCC are teasing out the introduction of alternative structures which could remedy some of the issues presented.

A return to knock-out qualifiers in the football championship has been considered, as has the placing of provincial champions directly into the All-Ireland series while playing out a round-robin among the remaining teams.

A third tier All-Ireland championship has been discussed, while a return to knockout football in both Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup beyond the provincial championships. The prospect of playing the provincial championships on a Sam Maguire/Tailteann Cup basis is also up for consideration.

The CCCC has furnished all counties with a detailed breakdown on what each system would feature and has given them templates to examine in the coming months.