GAA Congress: Restructured All-Ireland SFC overwhelmingly backed

The changes will take effect from next year

GAA Congress has approved an overhaul of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship format from 2023.

Motion 1, submitted by Central Council, will see the eight provincial finalists and the next eight top-ranked teams from the league compete for the Sam Maguire Cup.

The 16 counties that do not qualify for the competition will play in the second tier Tailteann Cup.

Both tournaments will be comprised of four groups of four.

Group winners will advance to the quarter-finals with the second and third placed teams playing for the remaining places.

The round robin format will ensure that every team plays a minimum of four Championship games.

The vast majority of delegates (94.7%) voted in favour of the motion, known as the 'Green Plan'.

The 16 counties to contest the All-Ireland Championship group stage will be made of:

• The four provincial champions (1st seeds)

• The four provincial runners-Up (2nd seeds)

• The next four highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the National League (3rd seeds)

• The next four highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the National League (4th seeds)

How the group stage will look:

• The All-Ireland group stage consists of four groups of four teams

• Each teams plays each other once. Two points for a win, one for a draw

• Teams who have already met in that year's provincial final cannot be drawn to the same group

• Each team shall play one home game, one away and one at a neutral venue

Changes backed four months on from Proposal B failure

The motion had been widely expected to pass having received support from many who voted against Proposal B in October, which promoted a restructured Championship format based around the league - effectively relegating provincial championships to pre-season competitions.

That motion was defeated in its bid to receive 60% of delegates' support, although many who opposed it - including Ulster GAA chief Brian McAvoy - acknowledged the need to restructure Gaelic football's flagship competition.

"I think it's a very good, happy compromise," said McAvoy of Saturday's vote.

"The fact that it had nearly 95% of the vote and significantly large support from the GPA basically shows that the players themselves feel that this is a good move."

One criticism of the Green Plan has been that it may exclude smaller counties typically found in Divisions Three and Four from regularly competing for the Sam Maguire Cup.

"The league tables don't lie [and] There are two ways to get out of the Tailteann Cup," said McAvoy.

"Firstly if you are a Division Three of Four county you can win the Tailteann Cup this year and that will guarantee you a place in the Sam Maguire Cup for next year, or you can get to the provincial final every year.

"We like to think the best teams should be playing for the best competitions. Everyone has a chance, no-one starts out the year no matter what league they're in without the chance to play in the Sam Maguire Cup.

"That opportunity is there already and it will remain there."

Among the 48 motions brought before Congress on Saturday was the Gaelic Players Association's Motion 33 - the latest effort to amalgamate the two women's Gaelic games organisations with the GAA. It was passed with a huge majority of 89.8%.

The motion, which has gathered significant momentum in the build-up to Congress, "calls on the GAA to prioritise integration with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and the Camogie Association".

Read more about the motions that will be brought before Congress on Saturday here.