Relegation returns as Kerry tweaks county and club championship formats for 2026

While the format of the two football championships and the senior hurling championship remains the same, the big change will see teams experiencing the dreaded drop in the Senior Club, Intermediate and Junior Premier divisions

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026 - 09:00

Mortimer Murphy

RELEGATION will return to the Kerry football's county and club championships this year following the end of a three-year moratorium that put a hold on any relegation to equalise numbers in the respective divisions.

While the format of the two football championships and the SHC remains the same, the key change will see clubs again facing the drop in Senior Club, Intermediate and Junior Premier divisions.

Amid ongoing criticism and envy of Kerry's structures, the addition of a tenth senior club to the mix will result in a tweak to the format following the adoption of a review committee’s recommendations in 2024.

Ironically, the tenth senior club will be All-Ireland Club IFC champions An Ghaeltacht whose chairman Dara Ó Cinnéide led the review committee recommendation.

Relegation returns for the first time since 2023. The lowest placed teams in a club championship group will enter the relegation process in all grades (bar Junior). In senior, however, there is the proviso that any club side which reaches a County Senior football final cannot be relegated; meaning that if a county SFC finalist is in a club championship relegation final, the other side will be automatically relegated.

In the event that both county finalists are in the relegation process, the victorious semi-finalist from the relegation process will instead be relegated.

The addition of a tenth team to the senior club championship also means the three groups of three from last year will have to change. The championship will be played on the basis of three groups, two of three and one of four. All teams will play each other once with the top two teams in each group progressing.

When the plan was approved for the SFC revamp, there were eight district sides. That number has since been reduced to seven with the merging of Feale and Shannon Rangers into a combined North Kerry outfit. That in itself has caused the CCCC some headaches.

Terence Houlihan, Chairman of the Kerry's CCCC, says the SFC will consist of ten senior clubs and either five or six district combinations. Due to an uneven number of district combinations it’s not straightforward, especially considering all district sides are guaranteed at least two championship fixtures.

Instead, six of the seven district sides will face off against one another in the opening preliminary round, with the other division getting a bye to Preliminary Round 2.

The three winners of the first preliminary round will progress to round 1 of the championship proper, with the three losing sides joining the team which received the bye in the second preliminary round.

In that round, however, the team which received the bye will progress regardless of whether or not they win the tie. In the second game the winner progresses while the loser drops out as expected.

In the event that the district afforded a bye loses their game there will be 16 teams in the first round proper, but if they win there will only be 15.

The first round proper will be an open draw of all 15 or 16 sides (with no repeat pairing from the preliminary phase). If it ends up being a 16-team opening around it’s a straight knock-out for the quarter-finals (again with no repeat pairings).

Should it end up being a 15-team first round, one of those teams will progress directly to the quarter-finals, with the proviso being that the team which received a preliminary round bye will not be entitled to another one.

All games up to and including semi-finals will be extra time and winner on the day. The final will go to a replay in the event of a draw.

The first teams drawn for Preliminary Round 1 will have home advantage, but venues for all games after that will be at neutral venues.

The starting dates for the various competitions were also announced:

Co Leagues Rd 1: March 15; Club Football Championships: Week ending August 2 and 9 ( if Kerry reach the All-Ireland final); Prelim SFC: Sept 20; Club Finals: Sept 13; SFC Final: Oct 25.

SHC Rd 1: June 21; SHC Final: Sunday, August 2