National Forum

Football Format Changes Discussion

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Provincial Round 1: Munster and Connacht quarter finals. Ulster and Leinster preliminary round.
Round 2: Munster and Connacht semi finals. Ulster and Leinster quarter finals.
Round 3: Ulster and Leinster semi finals.
Provincial finals.

The part where Ulster and Leinster have an extra round to make the finals is where there should be some advantage accrued by making their semi finals. Up to Ulster and Leinster to bring a proposal to Congress."
To neutralise that extra Prov round, one of my structure ideas (based on old Qualifiers):

1) Prov Prelim & QF Rds (no change)
2) Prov SF 16 & Rd 1 Qual 16 (latter 3 chances, former 2)
3) Prov Finals 8 & Rd 2 Qual 16 (Rd 1 Qual & Prov SF losers)
4) Prov Champs 4 Playoffs & Rd 3 Qual 20 (Rd 1 & 2 winners & Prov Final losers)
5) Rd 4 Qual 12 (Rd 3 winners & Prov Champs losers)
6) AI QFs (Prov Champs unbeaten 2 & Rd 4 winners)
7) AI SFs
8) AI Final

I think this addresses the Prov imbalance too.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3435 - 01/06/2026 23:10:13    2677151

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Its not a fair system.Take Galway and Roscommon.
Roscommon have to beat both Mayo and Galway and then draw Tyrone and now Monaghan.

Galway get to final beating Leitrim,lose to Roscommon and then get home draws v Kildare and Westmeath.

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 656 - 02/06/2026 12:44:10    2677289

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Replying To brayballer:  "Its not a fair system.Take Galway and Roscommon.
Roscommon have to beat both Mayo and Galway and then draw Tyrone and now Monaghan.

Galway get to final beating Leitrim,lose to Roscommon and then get home draws v Kildare and Westmeath."
It's an open draw for All Ireland groups. Wouldn't say Westmeath is an easy fixture either.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8600 - 02/06/2026 13:03:01    2677297

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Replying To brayballer:  "Its not a fair system.Take Galway and Roscommon.
Roscommon have to beat both Mayo and Galway and then draw Tyrone and now Monaghan.

Galway get to final beating Leitrim,lose to Roscommon and then get home draws v Kildare and Westmeath."
Aye, luck of the draw isn't fair. Baby.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2718 - 02/06/2026 13:14:19    2677301

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Best format for a while now, closest we'll ever come to an open draw involving all good county teams.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2718 - 02/06/2026 13:18:00    2677303

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Replying To brayballer:  "Its not a fair system.Take Galway and Roscommon.
Roscommon have to beat both Mayo and Galway and then draw Tyrone and now Monaghan.

Galway get to final beating Leitrim,lose to Roscommon and then get home draws v Kildare and Westmeath."
We weren't getting much sympathy when after winning Connacht in recent seasons, we were landed in groups with Armagh, Derry, Dublin etc., while other groups consisted of Monaghan, Louth, Down and Clare.
For 3 years running, Galway as top seed (based on winning their provincial title) arguably got the best 2nd seed, best 3rd seed and best 4th seed in their round robin group.
That's the luck of the draw. The provincial finalists are all on one side and can play any of the other teams.
We've definitely had luck with the draw this year, but that was in very short supply in previous years.
We also had 3 years in a row in Connacht playing both Roscommon and Mayo, whereas they both only had one match against one of the big 3. That's how draws go, when not every team in a competition is of equal standard.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2848 - 02/06/2026 13:27:43    2677308

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Replying To brayballer:  "Its not a fair system.Take Galway and Roscommon.
Roscommon have to beat both Mayo and Galway and then draw Tyrone and now Monaghan.

Galway get to final beating Leitrim,lose to Roscommon and then get home draws v Kildare and Westmeath."
How is it unfair on Roscommon? They would have been playing Tyrone even had they lost the Connacht final.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1740 - 02/06/2026 13:30:20    2677310

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "We weren't getting much sympathy when after winning Connacht in recent seasons, we were landed in groups with Armagh, Derry, Dublin etc., while other groups consisted of Monaghan, Louth, Down and Clare.
For 3 years running, Galway as top seed (based on winning their provincial title) arguably got the best 2nd seed, best 3rd seed and best 4th seed in their round robin group.
That's the luck of the draw. The provincial finalists are all on one side and can play any of the other teams.
We've definitely had luck with the draw this year, but that was in very short supply in previous years.
We also had 3 years in a row in Connacht playing both Roscommon and Mayo, whereas they both only had one match against one of the big 3. That's how draws go, when not every team in a competition is of equal standard."
I agree Galway deserve a break but the system is flawed when a provincial loser gets a better draw tthan a winner.

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 656 - 02/06/2026 13:56:50    2677320

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "How is it unfair on Roscommon? They would have been playing Tyrone even had they lost the Connacht final."
I think that's his point. The provincial winners should have been seeded as should lovers. The rest seeded in pods of 4 depending on league performance/position. Then provincial champs against lowest league seeds and lasers against highest. Ive expanded on it a bit there but I think he's thinking along similar lines.
The draw could still have happened when it did and proceed as it is now but different criteria for ranking teams to begin with.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 525 - 02/06/2026 13:57:25    2677321

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "I think that's his point. The provincial winners should have been seeded as should lovers. The rest seeded in pods of 4 depending on league performance/position. Then provincial champs against lowest league seeds and lasers against highest. Ive expanded on it a bit there but I think he's thinking along similar lines.
The draw could still have happened when it did and proceed as it is now but different criteria for ranking teams to begin with."
You'd hope the wife comes out top when seeding lovers.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2718 - 02/06/2026 14:30:21    2677342

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "I think that's his point. The provincial winners should have been seeded as should lovers. The rest seeded in pods of 4 depending on league performance/position. Then provincial champs against lowest league seeds and lasers against highest. Ive expanded on it a bit there but I think he's thinking along similar lines.
The draw could still have happened when it did and proceed as it is now but different criteria for ranking teams to begin with."
If provincial winners were drawn against the TC winners and the 3 lowest league teams, then the 4 teams Roscommon could have drawn were Derry, Tyrone, Cavan and Kildare, instead of all 8 non-provincial finalists.

So your solution to Roscommon drawing Tyrone is to double the chances of Roscommon drawing Tyrone?

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1740 - 02/06/2026 15:35:54    2677368

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Replying To brayballer:  "I agree Galway deserve a break but the system is flawed when a provincial loser gets a better draw tthan a winner."
It's only a better draw because of hindsight.
No one expected Westmeath to make a Leinster let alone win it.
You can't keep everyone happy. This is the best format in my life time.
Kerry and Dublin walking their provinces for 15 years sure. Hardly fair that they always ended up easily in the quarters.

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 383 - 02/06/2026 17:24:37    2677398

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "I think that's his point. The provincial winners should have been seeded as should lovers. The rest seeded in pods of 4 depending on league performance/position. Then provincial champs against lowest league seeds and lasers against highest. Ive expanded on it a bit there but I think he's thinking along similar lines.
The draw could still have happened when it did and proceed as it is now but different criteria for ranking teams to begin with."
How do you equate provincial winners getting that advantage, when cork and Kerry are seeded in Munster, a hurling province? Thinkthe rest are gone from tailteann cup, now nearly. But you still want to give them an advantage?
For doing what exactly, winning one game!

Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 134 - 02/06/2026 18:11:46    2677420

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "If provincial winners were drawn against the TC winners and the 3 lowest league teams, then the 4 teams Roscommon could have drawn were Derry, Tyrone, Cavan and Kildare, instead of all 8 non-provincial finalists.

So your solution to Roscommon drawing Tyrone is to double the chances of Roscommon drawing Tyrone?"
Its not my solution per se. Many people believe that the provincial winners should be seeded 1 in the draw. Im one of them. The natural progression from there would be seeding runners up 2, top 4 from league 3 and bottom 4/TC winners 4. Alternatively you seed 2, 3 and 4 from league. I dint look at who would be seeded 4 but if Tyrone qualify for 4th seed in that system then so be it. Galway wouldnt be playing Kildare though and that is sort or the point even if we were ranking Tyrone higher than we should have. Its just an opinion.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 525 - 02/06/2026 18:18:37    2677423

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "It's only a better draw because of hindsight.
No one expected Westmeath to make a Leinster let alone win it.
You can't keep everyone happy. This is the best format in my life time.
Kerry and Dublin walking their provinces for 15 years sure. Hardly fair that they always ended up easily in the quarters."
100%. We've drawn the Leinster champions. Most years in the past 15, that would have been Dublin and a very likely defeat. There will always be some softer draws, regardless of how it's done, unless all teams are of a very similar standard.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2848 - 02/06/2026 22:10:01    2677455

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