The Sam Maguire Cup.
With the provincial football championships beginning this weekend, it’s worth outlining once again how they will feed into the newly structured Sam Maguire Cup as well the Tailteann Cup.
Firstly, it’s worth knowing how all the counties now rank after the recently completed Allianz Football League, because that has a big impact on seeding in both competitions.
County Football Team rankings:
1: Mayo
2: Galway
3: Roscommon
4: Tyrone
5: Kerry
6: Monaghan
7: Dublin
8: Derry
9: Armagh
10: Donegal
11: Louth
12: Cork
13: Kildare
14: Meath
15: Cavan
16: Fermanagh
17: Clare
18: Limerick
19: Down
20: Westmeath
21: Offaly
22: Antrim
23: Sligo
24: Wicklow
25: Longford
26: Tipperary
27: Laois
28: Wexford
29: Leitrim
30: Carlow
31: Waterford
32: London
2023 SAM MAGUIRE CUP
Ultimately the 16 counties that will compete in Round One the All-Ireland series are to be seeded in the following way:
First seeds: The four provincial champions
Second seeds: The four provincial runners-up
Third seeds: The next four highest ranked teams at the conclusion of the league
Fourth seeds: The next four highest ranked teams at the conclusion of the league
There is one exception - the previous year's Tailteann Cup winner (Westmeath, 2022) if not already qualified as one of the teams will be eligible instead of the lowest ranked fourth seeded team following the conclusion of the Allianz Football League.
It must be noted that a league final winner will be considered a higher seed than the team they defeated in the final.
The remaining 16 teams, who don't advance to the All-Ireland SFC, will compete in the Tailteann Cup. New York will enter the Tailteann Cup at the preliminary quarter-final stage.
Kerry celebrate their 2022 All-Ireland SFC Final victory over Galway.
All-Ireland SFC Group phase
The Group phase of the All-Ireland SFC shall be on a League basis of four Groups of four teams with each team in a Group playing the other teams in their Group once. Teams will be awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw.
Each group will consist of one team from each of the seeded classifications with each group decided by a draw.
During the Round One group phase the schedule of matches is pre-determined with each team playing one home and one away game in the opening two rounds. Round Three fixtures will be played at neutral venues.
Game 1: Seed 1 v Seed 3, Seed 2 v Seed 4
Game 2: Seed 3 v Seed 2, Seed 4 v Seed 1
Game 3: Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4
Where two teams are involved in a tie breaker, the outcome of the meeting of those counties will be used.
In the event of teams finishing on equal points in the groups, the tie shall be decided by
the following means and in the order specified below:
- Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting
of the two teams in the group
- Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the total scores for
- highest total score for
- highest total goals for
- A play-off
Twelve counties will advance to the All-Ireland SFC knockout stages.
Schedule of games
May 20/21 or May 27/28: Round 1 (Home & Away)
Seed 1 v Seed 3
Seed 2 v Seed 4
June 3/4: Round 2 (Home & Away)
Seed 3 v Seed 2
Seed 4 v Seed1
June 17/18: Round 3 (Neutral)
Seed 1 v Seed 2
Seed 3 v Seed 4
All-Ireland SFC knock-out stage
The four preliminary quarter-finals will consist of the second placed teams being at home to third place teams, subject to avoiding of repeat provincial final pairings and where possible repeat pairings from Round One.
At the quarter-final stage the four group winners will meet the preliminary quarter-final victors, subject to the avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings and where possible repeat pairings from Round One.
The quarter-finals, and semi-finals will be winner on the day with venues for those rounds to be determined by the CCCC.
Schedule of Games
June 24/25: All-Ireland Preliminary quarter-finals
July 1/2: All-Ireland quarter-finals
July 15/16: All-Ireland semi-finals
July 30: All-Ireland Final
The Tailteann Cup.
2023 TAILTEANN CUP
The 2inner of the 2023 Tailteann Cup shall be eligible for the 2024 GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship regardless of League position.
The 16 teams who compete in Round 1 of the 2023 Tailteann Cup are:
First seeds: The 4 highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the National League who have not qualified for the Tier 1 Championship.
Second seeds: The next 4 highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the National League who have not qualified for the Tier 1 Championship.
Third seeds: The next 4 highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the National League who have not qualified for the Tier 1 Championship.
Fourth seeds: The next 4 highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the National League who have not qualified for the Tier 1 Championship.
Tailteann Cup Group phase
The Tailteann Cup Group Stage shall be on a League basis of four Groups of four teams with each team in a Group playing the other teams in their Group once. Teams will be awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw.
The composition of each group shall be decided by means of a draw.
Each Group shall consist of one team from each of the seeded classifications in (a) to (d) above.
During the Round One group phase the schedule of matches is pre-determined with each team playing one home and one away game in the opening two rounds. Round Three fixtures will be played at neutral venues.
Game 1: Seed 1 v Seed 3, Seed 2 v Seed 4
Game 2: Seed 3 v Seed 2, Seed 4 v Seed 1
Game 3: Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4
Where two teams are involved in a tie breaker, the outcome of the meeting of those counties will be used.
In the event of teams finishing on equal points in the groups, the tie shall be decided by
the following means and in the order specified below:
- Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting
of the two teams in the group
- Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the total scores for
- highest total score for
- highest total goals for
- A play-off
Schedule of games
May 13/14: Round 1 (Home & Away)
Seed 1 v Seed 3
Seed 2 v Seed 4
May 20/21: Round 2 (Home & Away)
Seed 3 v Seed 2
Seed 4 v Seed1
June 3/4: Round 3 (Neutral)
Seed 1 v Seed 2
Seed 3 v Seed 4
Westmeath players celebrate their 2022 Tailteann Cup Final victory over Cavan.
Tailteann Cup knock-out stage
The four preliminary quarter-finals will consist of the second placed teams being at home against New York and the three “best placed” third place teams in each group subject to avoiding of repeat provincial final pairings and where possible repeat pairings from Round One.
The three “best placed” third-placed teams across the four groups shall be determined using the following criteria.
(i) Total Number of Points
(ii) Score difference – subtracting the total Scores against from the Scores for
(iii) Highest Total Score For
(iv) Highest Total Goals For
(v) Lowest Total Goals Against
(vi) A Play-Off Exception: In relation to means (ii) to (v) above, if the accumulated scores of a team, so involved, are affected by a disqualification, loss of game on a proven objection, retirement or walkover, the tie shall be decided by a Play-Off.
If more than two teams are involved in a Play-Off, based on a draw conducted by the CCCC, two teams shall play-off for a Preliminary Quarter-Final place, with the remaining team(s) progressing to the Preliminary Quarter-Final.
At the quarter-final stage the four group winners will meet the preliminary quarter-final victors, subject to the avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings and where possible repeat pairings from Round One.
The quarter-finals, and semi-finals will be winner on the day with venues for those rounds to be determined by the CCCC.
Schedule of games
June 10/11: Preliminary Quarter-Finals
June 17/18: Quarter-Finals
June 24/25: Semi-Finals
July 15/16: Final
Provision of New York reaching the Connacht final
If New York reach the Connacht Final they proceed to the group stages of Sam Maguire. The Tailteann Cup would become 17 teams, with three groups of four teams and one group of five teams. CCCC would confirm the ordering and scheduling of games in the group of five teams, with each team having two home & two away games.
The 3rd place team in each of the four groups would go to the Preliminary Quarter Finals, and play the four 2nd placed teams and the dates of the Preliminary Quarter Finals, Quarter Finals and Semi-Finals would all be put back one week with no change to the final date.
