Fewer games, more jeopardy proposed for Sam Maguire

By Cian Murphy

A new proposal to reduce the number of games in the Sam Maguire senior football championship and to eliminate teams who lose two matches post the provincial championships will now be on the agenda for Congress 2025.

If it is successfully voted through next February, it would be in place for the Championship of 2026.

The key change to the current structure would be the removal of one round of games and the addition of ‘win or bust’ for teams that lose their opening match.

After the provincial championships, the four provincial champions and the four provincial runners up would be drawn to play at Home against the next eight best seeded teams decided by their place at the end of the Allianz League – similar to the present system.

The eight winners from Round 1 would go into Round 2A. The eight losers would go to Round 2B.

The eight teams in Round 2A would play each other with the four winners going to the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals. The four losers would go to Round 3.

The four winners in Round 2B would also progress to Round 3 to play against the Round 2A losers for a place in the All Ireland Quarter finals. The four losers in Round 2B would exit the Championship.

The proposal was one of several that were drafted following an extensive tour of the country by CCCC seeking feedback from counties with options presented to Ard Chomhairle.

A motion for the Tailteann Cup to be played along similar lines will also be considered by Annual Congress in February. That structure would incorporate New York in a Preliminary Quarter-Final, where the Exiles would be drawn against a winning team from Round 3 with a place in the Tailteann Cup Quarter-Finals up for grabs.

In addition to this it has been proposed that Provincial finals would go to a replay if level after extra-time on their first staging, with penalties only being required if teams finish level after extra-time in any replay.