Gaelic football is alive and kicking with new rules – GAA scrapping current All-Ireland SFC format is a big mistake

The Irish Sun

3 days ago

YOU DON'T know what you've got until it's — almost — gone.
It took a while to feel the love for this 16-team All-Ireland SFC group-stage format, but the
2
The All-Ireland SFC group stage has been electric amid the new rules
Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
2
But the Sam Maguire format will change for 2026
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Yes, it's all crammed in. Sure,
summer
was not ideal.
But the
Championship
has been reborn and a final round of action will have spectators and
The
Football
was on life support but is alive and kicking now.
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The big bone of contention with this format has been the lack of jeopardy, with three of four teams advancing.
But last weekend's results have set up a cracking finale for the round-robin series.
Only
Not one of the eight games that will be played across the country on the weekend of June 14/15 is a dead rubber. Ignoring
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The atmosphere at grounds all over the country has been electric.
So here's a quick guide to what's at stake.
Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview -
Mayo,
The
Mayo's clash with Donegal in
Tyrone are favourites to bounce back against Ray Galligan's men in Enniskillen. The head-to-head rule applies when two teams are on the same points. No one is safe.
In Group 2,
seal
top spot with a draw against Meath in Tullamore.
Monaghan know they are already making it out of Group 3 but a win against Down in Armagh would seal a direct last-eight berth.
Louth meet Clare in Portlaoise, with both eyeing third spot.
Group 4 is every bit as fascinating.
If the Oak Leaf can down
The Orchard have safely topped the group thanks to Sunday's fine display against the
Sky
Blues at Croke Park. They are the only team already through to the last eight.
NEW FORMAT
Still with us? Because after this, another format comes into play in 2026.
The motion swept through February's Congress in Donegal with little or no debate, getting a whopping 92.8 per cent of the vote.
The round-robin groups will be replaced by a back-door system.
In 2026, in Round 1, the eight provincial finalists are drawn at home against the seven
next
highest-ranked league teams, along with this year's Tailteann Cup winners.
After those games are played, the eight winners move on to Round 2A. The losers make for Round 2B.
Four Round 2A teams play four Round 2A teams.
Four Round 2B teams play four Round 2B teams.
The four Round 2A winners advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The four Round 2A losers meet the four Round 2B winners in Round 3. And the Round 3 winners would complete the last-eight line-up.
That ensures that no team with three defeats advances but it remains to be seen whether this change will serve up high-stakes drama on a par with this season.
If not, the GAA's decision to pull the plug on what we have could be a huge own goal.