Football Qualifiers 2014

[blanketattack]

Not sure how old this news is but it's new to me...

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/refitted-back-door-opens-chances-of-repeat-clashes-in-qualifiers-30276248.html

An increase in the number of provincial rematches looks certain in this season's All-Ireland football qualifiers, arising from the installation of a new 'back door' mechanism.

Aimed at streamlining the qualifier system, the new structure will ensure that no county has to wait more than five weeks for a first round game, as opposed to six or seven under the old regime. The ultimate ambition is to reduce it to four weeks.

The new design will also give a more even spread of games and guarantee beaten provincial finalists a minimum of 13 days before their fourth round qualifier.

Consequently, the All-Ireland quarter-finals will be played over two weekends, rather one weekend as happened in the past.

The GAA's head of games Fergal McGill said the new system offered counties the opportunity to provide a more balanced club programme.

DIVIDED

Instead of 16 counties being placed in the same bowl for the first round qualifier draw, they will be divided into two groups of eight, depending on whether they were designated 'A' or 'B' side in their provincial draw.

The counties are divided as follows this year:

A: Fermanagh, Antrim, Derry, Donegal, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Galway, London, Sligo, Wicklow, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Wexford, Dublin.

B: Tyrone, Down, Armagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Waterford, Kerry, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Westmeath, Louth, Kildare, Carlow, Meath.

The eight counties from 'A' and 'B' who don't reach their provincial semi-finals will be in Round 1 of the qualifiers. Two draws will take place to provide four pairings from 'A' and 'B.' Teams in 'A' cannot be paired with teams in 'B.'

That division will continue throughout the qualifiers, so that counties know in advance which group they will join if eliminated from the provincial championships.

The division of counties into 'A' and 'B' greatly increases the likelihood of repeat pairings from the provinces, something that caused concern in the past.

There will be no restriction on provincial rematches in Rounds 1 and 2, but it will apply from there on.

"The new system makes provincial repeats more likely in the first two rounds – there's no doubt about that. But, in the overall scheme of things, there are a lot of advantages to the new system.

"It will probably take a year or two for people to get fully used to it, but once it settles in there will be clear benefits on a number of fronts," said McGill.

Does this mean group A teams can't meet group B teams until the 1/4 final?

[Rossfan]

Yes.
This is another mild "tweak" to avoid having a major review.
Pity about breaking up the Quarter Finals - it was always a great big earth shattering weekend of action.

[Archie Mitchell]

Would it not be Semi-Final as these are the teams that are in the back door?

[Rossfan]

Now that you mention it..... probably is.

[donegal lad]

So the back door is now split in 2 teams from the A side will not be able meet teams from the B side and vice versa. It already looks likely there will be some cracking games in the back door this year especially on the B side of it.

[drici]

Ah - another place to put this.

Saturday 21st June 2014
All Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1A
Losers of: Derry v Donegal Fermanagh v Antrim Londain v Galway Limerick v Tipperary Wicklow v Laois(v Dublin) Longford v Offaly(v Wexford) to be drawn into four matches to take place on that day.

Saturday 28th June 2014
All Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1B
Losers of: Armagh v Cavan Tyrone v Down(v Monaghan) Roscommon v Leitrim Clare v Waterford Westmeath v Louth(v Kildare) Carlow v Meath to be drawn into four matches to take place on that day.

[Hound]

Going to be great fun if the winners of Down/Tyrone lose to Monaghan, and then Down v Tyrone comes up in the first round of the qualifiers!

I don't understand why they allow repeat pairings in rounds 1 and 2.

[DennistheMenace]

As a Derry man I thought it was harsh that Down had to play us a second time last year after beating us in the Ulster Championship, that anomaly shouldn't exist.

[Hardy]

I've never understood why repeat pairings are seen as a problem. If anything, they add spice and interest. People are still talking about the four games between Meath and Dublin 23 years ago.

[PAULD123]

I've never understood why repeat pairings are seen as a problem. If anything, they add spice and interest. People are still talking about the four games between Meath and Dublin 23 years ago.

That was replays not re-pairing. If you play a team and you can only draw then you of course should play again till you get a winner

IF you play a team and beat them, you shouldn't have to play them again until the final (or at least semi-final). Back door is one thing but giving a team a second go at you early on is unfair.

In the Down case we were asked to beat Derry twice and both away from home. Now that is a bit unfair, even most Derry fans admitted that if life was fair at the very least we should have been allowed to play the game in Newry. The draw system was a bad one but that is the luck of the draw and just tough luck.

[Hardy]

I only mentioned Dublin-Meath to point out that there's a case to be made that repeat pairings generate excitement.

I still don't see the problem with playing a team you've already played. You have to play somebody. If you're going to get beaten, why does it matter which team the draw throws up to beat you?

If anything, shouldn't it be the team that lost the first match that's aggrieved, given that the other team has proven stronger? The team that won the first match should go into the rematch with more confidence against a team they've already beaten than against an unknown quantity.

[Rossfan]

IF you play a team and beat them, you shouldn't have to play them again until the final (or at least semi-final). Back door is one thing but giving a team a second go at you early on is unfair.

Why is it unfair? and why is it ok to play them in a Semi final?
You're making no sense here at all buicín.
People are always looking for "open draws" so if it's open then any pairing can come up.

[muppet]

The counties are divided as follows this year:

A: Fermanagh, Antrim, Derry, Donegal, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Galway, London, Sligo, Wicklow, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Wexford, Dublin.

B: Tyrone, Down, Armagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Waterford, Kerry, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Westmeath, Louth, Kildare, Carlow, Meath.

The eight counties from 'A' and 'B' who don't reach their provincial semi-finals will be in Round 1 of the qualifiers. Two draws will take place to provide four pairings from 'A' and 'B.' Teams in 'A' cannot be paired with teams in 'B.'

Am I reading this correctly?

This means that the qualifiers cannot have the following fixtures:

Dublin v Meath;
Dublin v Kildare;
Cork v Kerry;
Mayo v Galway;

That division will continue throughout the qualifiers

These fixtures are probably the most lucrative in the 3 less competitive provinces. Why would they want to prohibit the above fixtures occurring in the qualifiers?

[Rossfan]

The counties are divided as follows this year:

A: Fermanagh, Antrim, Derry, Donegal, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Galway, London, Sligo, Wicklow, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Wexford, Dublin.

B: Tyrone, Down, Armagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Waterford, Kerry, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Westmeath, Louth, Kildare, Carlow, Meath.

The eight counties from 'A' and 'B' who don't reach their provincial semi-finals will be in Round 1 of the qualifiers. Two draws will take place to provide four pairings from 'A' and 'B.' Teams in 'A' cannot be paired with teams in 'B.'

Am I reading this correctly?

This means that the qualifiers cannot have the following fixtures:

Dublin v Meath;
Dublin v Kildare;
Cork v Kerry;
Mayo v Galway;

That division will continue throughout the qualifiers

These fixtures are probably the most lucrative in the 3 less competitive provinces. Why would they want to prohibit the above fixtures occurring in the qualifiers?

Wasn't this A and B thingy a proposal from the Management Committee to Congress and voted through?
It's said to be a way of making more time for Club Fixtures.
As usual wrong solution to the wrong problem ( a bit like "streamlining" the Championships by adding 4 games with Antrim Carlow and the like getting to be bet in 2 different Provinces).
Meanwhile the Connacht Championship - all 6 games takes from 4th May till 20th July and Ulster meanders along too with a game a week.....

[drici]

Saturday 21st June 2014
All Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1A
Losers of: Derry v Donegal  Fermanagh v Antrim  Londain v Galway  Limerick v Tipperary  Wicklow v Laois(v Dublin)  Longford v Offaly(v Wexford)

Saturday 28th June 2014
All Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1B
Losers of: Armagh v Cavan  Tyrone v Down(v Monaghan)  Roscommon v Leitrim  Clare v Waterford  Westmeath v Louth(v Kildare)  Carlow v Meath