Here's a breakdown of the proposals to restructure the Cork county championships
Three championship proposals were circulated to Cork club delegates tonight, with a vote to be taken at a special county board meeting next Tuesday to determine which structure is adopted from 2020 onwards.
A core element running through all three proposals, put together by the Cork GAA games workgroup, is that there be four tiers of 12 teams each (Premier Senior, Senior A, Premier Intermediate and Intermediate A), group formats, straight relegation, and one team from the divisions/colleges section to enter at the preliminary quarter-final stage of the Premier Senior championship.
For a period of two years (2020-21), a fifth grade (Lower Intermediate) would be introduced in hurling to cater for a further 12 teams, while the fourth grade in football (Intermediate A) would be extended to 16 teams for the same two year period.
Option A ‘April and August’
- Four grades (two senior and two intermediate) with 12 teams in each
- Three groups in each grade, with four teams in each
- Each team guaranteed three games
- One group game in April, the remaining two group games in August
- Bottom team in each group proceeds to relegation play-off
- Top two from each group advance to quarter-finals
- Best and second best third-placed teams play off for seventh quarter-final place
- Third best third-placed team plays divisions/colleges winner for the last remaining quarter-final place
- Top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals
- Top two from each group proceed to play-offs (total 6 teams)
- Extra championship games
- Clubs active and mobilised in spring period
- Players focused and motivated for early season training
- Gap between Round 1 and Round 2
- Stop-start nature of championship
- Condensed August
Option B ‘August only’
- Four grades (two Senior and two Intermediate) with 12 teams in each
- Four groups in each grade, three teams in each
- Each team guaranteed two games
- No game in April, two group games in August
- Bottom team in each group proceeds to relegation play-off
- Top two from each group advance, along with winner of divisions/colleges section (total 9 teams)
- Fourth best second-placed team plays divisions/colleges winner for the final quarter-final berth
- Top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals
- Top two from each group advance to quarter-finals
- Condensed, compact competitions
- Clearer play-off road map
- Uninterrupted leagues
- Less games
- Overly condensed championship
- Risk of apathy amongst players
Option C ‘Summer games’
- Four grades (two Senior and two Intermediate) with 12 teams in each
- Two groups in each grade, six teams in each group
- Guarantee of five games
- Two games across May, June, and July without county players (win equals two points); One game in April and two in August with county players (win equals four points).
- Inter-county player defined as someone who was among the 26 players on the most recent senior match-day squad. Example: If club hurling championship was played on May 26 of this year, then the 26 players named on the Cork panel for the Munster SHC game against Limerick on May 19 would be excluded.
- Bottom placed team in each group proceeds to relegation play-offs
- Top four from each group advance, along with winner of divisions/colleges section (9 teams)
- Second best fourth-placed team plays winner of divisions/colleges section for the final quarter-final place
- Top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals
- Top four from each group proceed to quarter-finals
- Regular meaningful games throughout the summer
- More games for club players
- More games with county players
- Championship games without inter-county players
- ‘Grading up’ of second team players
- Risk of deadrubbers
