New All-Ireland senior football format agreed for 2026

However, decision to apply replays to drawn All-Ireland finals deferred

A general view of motion 19 on Sam Maguire & Tailteann Cup during day two of the GAA Congress at The Abbey Hotel in Donegal. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The round-robin structure of the All-Ireland senior football championship will be replaced by an enhanced backdoor system in 2026.

At Congress in Donegal town on Saturday afternoon, almost 93% of delegates voted in favour of the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups doing away with the group stages, which will be in operation for a final time this year.

The qualification for the Sam Maguire Cup based on provincial finals and league positions will remain in the three-year trial. However, in the first round of each (last 16) the winners and losers will be divided into two sections, Round 2A and 2B.

The eight Round 1 winners will comprise Round 2A with the victors advancing to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The losers will meet the winners of the losers’ stage in Round 2B to fill the remain four places in the last eight.

The format ensures unlike the current structure that no county can lose three times and still qualify for the knock-out stages of the championships.

A decision on replays applying to All-Ireland finals when teams are tied after normal time and in provincial deciders when they remain level after extra-time was deferred to Special Congress later this year.

Cork GAA chief executive Kevin O’Donovan explained the county would abstain from the vote as while they were in favour of All-Ireland final replays, they were not in support of them being extended to provincial finals.

Munster GAA chief executive Kieran Leddy reiterated his fears that the provincial senior hurling winners would be disadvantaged by extending their wait to an All-Ireland semi-final to five weeks.

Limerick secretary Mike O’Riordan endorsed O’Donovan and Leddy’s remarks and said a replay would devalue the Munster senior hurling championship. Donegal chairwoman Mary Coughlan highlights penalties should be no way to decide a provincial final.

Before Burns took a straw poll to withdraw the proposal, Ulster GAA chief executive Brian McAvoy suggested the idea of replays applying to provincial football championships and not to their hurling equivalents in Leinster and Munster.

Earlier, former Dublin footballer Dr Noel McCaffrey’s proposal that a player must first play four club league matches to be eligible for inter-county received prompted a strong debate.

Cork's O’Donovan acknowledged the bona fides of the motion and stated the county player lining out for his club is the essence of the organisation but insisted the motion was unworkable and unenforceable.

O’Donovan underlined the value of the current split season, which would have to be revised were McCaffrey’s motion passed.

Galway chairman Paul Bellew echoed O’Donovan’s comments and highlighted allowing inter-county players to line out in club league games should be an internal matter for counties.

At this stage, Burns called on McCaffrey to withdraw the motion. Burns hailed the rationale of the motion and wanted it to be given more consideration but feared it would be defeated.

McCaffrey and Dublin eventually agreed for the motion to be withdrawn but countered O’Donovan’s point that it was unenforceable.

"This association brought the queen of England to Croke Park. We can rise to the challenge.”

Danesfort’s motion for clubs to be allowed to make available their ancillary facilities to other community-based sports, health and well-being groups and other community-based activities failed to receive the required 60%, falling just over 7% short.

Presented by Jim Fennelly, Kilkenny argued that these organisations would have to ensure they are fully insured before using GAA property. Dublin queried what exactly ancillary facilities entailed.