GAA announce big change to 2025 inter-county schedule with debate to come on All-Ireland format
The Championship format could change for 2026, with a new format to be voted on at February's Congress early next year
The current All-Ireland Football Championship format will remain as it is for 2025, but pre-season inter-county tournaments have been suspended for next year.
The Championship format could change for 2026, with a new format to be voted on at February's Congress early next year.
Meetings of the GAA's An Coiste Bainistíochta and Ard Chomhairle took place on Friday and Saturday, with a number of decisions made.
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This year was the second of the four-team, four-group Championship format, which sees three sides from each group advance to either the Sam Maguire quarter-finals or preliminary quarter-finals.
The meetings led to the decision to present 'Option 1’ as the preferred choice for possible implementation for the 2026 season.
'Option 1' would still include provincial championships and would see the eight finalists, top seven league places after that, and the Tailteann Cup winners going into a 16-team draw.
Those eight ties would then produce eight-team winners’ and losers’ paths.
The sides that emerge victorious from the four winners’ games would advance straight to the quarter-finals, while the losers would have another chance against the four counties emerging with victories from the losers’ path games.
They also decided that pre-season competitions be suspended for one year – and that a return to training date to be decided at the next meeting.
It was also agreed that CCCC will decide which of the Tailteann Cup or Hurling Quarter finals should be on a Sunday and Hurling league final (Saturday or Sunday at CCCCs discretion).
A motion to introduce Replays after Extra Time in Provincial finals will be brought by AC to Congress 2025 and implemented once/if the new football championship structure is adopted.
A motion to introduce a Replay in the All-Ireland Senior Finals if they finish level will also be brought forward at Congress 2025.
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