Armagh goalkeeper Blaine Hughes in the parade before the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Armagh and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
GAA Ard Stiurthóir, Tom Ryan, hopes a proposal to reduce the number of games in the Sam Maguire All-Ireland SFC from 2026 will be supported at Annual Congress later this month.
The key change being proposed would be the removal of one round of games and the addition of ‘win or bust’ jeopardy for teams that lose their opening match.
All games will be knock-out, albeit with a back door, but with no round robin element and a similar structure is proposed for the Tailteann Cup.
Congress will also be asked to consider dispensing with extra-time after a drawn All-Ireland Final and instead proceed directly to a replay.
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.
“The shape of 2026 is ours to determine now,” wrote Ryan in his Annual Report which was published today.
“The proposed new structure may not tick every single box perfectly, but it does go a long way to striking a better balance among what are often contradictory aspirations.
“I hope the proposed solution is thoroughly debated and proves worthy of support. I hope too that the day is not too far away when we can reach a long-term solution and consensus and enjoy a period of relative stability.”
Under the proposed new structure the Sam Maguire All-Ireland SFC would play out as follows:
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 2025 GAA Annual Report can be viewed HERE and also viewed and downloaded below.
