COUNTIES have been asked to focus on either a system that mimics the Down club championship or one that sees provincial champions bypass the round robin stage amid debate over the latest proposed restructure of the All-Ireland SFC.
A draft discussion document has been circulated to counties that outlines proposals for what would be a sixth different championship format since 2017.
The qualifiers that were introduced in 2001 were last in operation in 2017, followed by two years of the Super 8s, two Covid years of straight knockout, a return to qualifiers with the Tailteann Cup introduced, and now the current system that includes a round robin series.
GAA president Jarlath Burns has stated his preference in recent weeks for the introduction of a new system, echoing concerns over a team losing three championship games and remaining in the competition as Derry did this summer.
Of the six options, CCCC are “recommending counties give particular attention to proposals 1 and 2 as we see these as both workable and addressing to a reasonable extent some of the issues…with the current SFC structure.”
Option One is effectively a return to the original qualifier system, but with a back door added for teams that lose their round one qualifier.
The back door structure would mimic that of the Down club football championship, with first round winners and losers separated and playing off against each other. Teams that win their first two games progress to the last eight, with those that lose their first two eliminated.
Option Two would retain elements of the current round robin system but with provincial winners bypassing the group stage and qualifying straight to the All-Ireland quarter-final.
The round robin section in the Sam Maguire competition would be reduced to 12 teams split into four groups of three, with only the top team in each group qualifying for the last eight.
The Tailteann Cup would be retained under the proposal but the seeded teams in it could face an even longer wait, potentially as long as nine weeks without a game.
While it’s promoted as a reward for winning your province, the document admits that the winners of the Connacht and Munster titles would go five weeks without a game and then face a knockout quarter-final, with the Ulster and Leinster champions facing a four-week break.
Despite those significant drawbacks, CCCC have recommended that counties consider the proposal as one of the two primary options.
There are four further proposals counties have been asked to consider. They are:
- Adding a third tier to the championship, while still keeping 16 teams in Sam Maguire, and splitting the other 17 into an eight and a nine.
- Back to the pre-2018 qualifier system as it was, with straight knockout after the provincial championships.
- Split the provincial championship into Sam Maguire / Tailteann Cup, although as the document concedes, it would be almost impossible and CCCC does not favour progressing with it.
- Moving the provincial championships to the start of the year, followed by the league and then round robin championship.
On the final proposal, the idea of de-linking the provincial championships from the All-Ireland is mentioned and shot down, with the idea’s perceived flaws listed.
With all six proposals, counties are given the option of having a different structure for the Tailteann Cup than for the All-Ireland SFC if that is what they wish to do.
The document recommends that counties give “particular attention to Proposals 1 and 2″ but that they are happy to “broaden the debate on any of the other [four] proposals”.
“Depending on the outcome of consultations with our counties, the CCCC may decide to bring proposals to Ard Chomairle for further consideration in the autumn,” it reads.