Survey analysis being carried out during Allianz Football League

By Cian O’Connell

Survey analysis is being conducted throughout the 2025 Allianz Football League.

Led by Ulster University’s Dr Michael McKay and the GAA’s Strategy, Insights, and Innovation Manager, Peter Horgan, an initial draft, highlighting the data accumulated following the opening three rounds of the Allianz Football League has been issued.

McKay explains the process involved. “At baseline, 1200 people signed up for the cohort which is a reasonably good sample across all counties - you've players, coaches, managers, referees, match officials, supporters, county and club officers,” he explains.

“You've people from outside the island of Ireland in the cohort, GAA members from abroad.”

The consistency in monitoring the same people’s views is key according to McKay. “After each round of games, we administer the same survey,” he adds. What we hoped to do was to keep that cohort through the duration of the league. In research terms, that is really cold standard stuff, it means you're following the same people.

“It isn't like a cross section or an exit poll, because after Round One compared to Round Two, it could be completely different people. These are the same people, you're following changes in their attitudes, behaviours, and thinking about Gaelic Football.”

So, practically what happens at the end of each round of Allianz Football League action? “Basically, after each round, on Sunday evening the survey goes out, it stays open for about 48 hours,” McKay replies.

“Once that closes, we bring in the data, we do a bit of tidying up, cleaning, taking out duplicates because some people might fill it in a few times. We merge the data, week on week through the master file.

“What we're able to do is track changes with time, the most important one, and the thing that Jarlath (Burns) asked the FRC to do was to make Gaelic Football the most attractive or entertaining game in the world to play and watch.

“So, the most important question for me would be how you think Gaelic Football is as a game to watch? What you see week on week is that is actually becoming better, the cohort are reporting that.

“The amount of change for the question about Gaelic Football as a game to watch is actually very strong. It has gone from an average of 3.2 out of 5 to nearly an average of 4 out of 5, that is remarkable for such a short period of time.

“The big picture result so far is that the enhancements, in the opinion of this cohort, have definitely made Gaelic Football a better game to watch.”

Opinions on the specific core enhancements are also scrutinised. “The final graphs deal with the seven rule enhancements themselves,” McKay says.

“There is widespread support for the solo & go, the three up, three back. Not so much support for the enhancements to do with the advanced mark. The main thing in the very last graph, the takeaway is the change with time.

“Kick outs are getting a higher positive percentage with time, as are limitations on the goalkeeper, three up, three back is higher, solo & go can't go much higher because it is already sitting at a 97 per cent positivity score.

“On the other hand, regarding the one v one throw-in and the advanced mark, there doesn't seem to be as much support there, people are quite ambivalent about those things.

“There is massive support for solo & go, massive support for three up, three back, and growing support for the kickouts and limitations on the 'keeper.

“The results for the scoring system are quite surprising to me because not only are they low, relative to some others, in actual fact they seem to be decreasing with time - the positivity around the scoring system would appear to be decreasing, but it is still early in the process.

“There has been a bit of controversy around the scoring system, whereas a lot of other things are increasing in terms of positivity. People aren't just as positive about the scoring as they are about other things.”

The data and information gleaned is shared with Jim Gavin, chairperson of the FRC. “In a study like this, there isn't that much value reporting week on week because there can be a one-off factor,” McKay says.

“For example, an issue with three up, three back or three 50 metre frees, whatever it happens to be. You don't want a one-off week to colour it. They got an interim briefing at baseline when we did the initial cohort. Then, they got a briefing after three games, and they will get another one after four, and after seven.

“Behind the scenes there would be some information exchanged, very high-level stuff, mostly in relation to the whole cohort, not in terms of a fracturing out age, or province, or anything like that, that is a bit more difficult to do. There is ongoing communication between the FRC, Peter Horgan's office, and me.”

After the last round of group games a report will be published. “The FRC’s hope is that after the last round robin games on March 23, they're hoping to have a full report available at the end of the week,” he says. “The finals won't be involved in the report.

“The tracking with time means you can still follow the same people. The consistency in the participants and the context of the games is key to this being a really good study.

“The continuity of the sample is important, and we would encourage people in the cohort to continue to complete the survey. It’s not like an exit poll at an election, where you stop random people who they voted for. Here, we are asking week on week, is anything changing in your opinion, any specific issues that you think are important in the development of the rules?

“The value is in following people across time. If you're doing a report like this, it is important the cohort stay involved, stay registered, and keep going.

“The FRC were really imaginative putting together that cohort, it was a good thing to do.”