Gaelic Football - Rules & Regulations discussion/clarification

[Milltown Row2]

It was a few reasons, the game reached peaks where the county teams became a huge money spinner and extras gates provided more money that could be pumped back into the game, improving grounds, facilities and generating growth and so on

Counties wanted to be in longer, the provincial championships meant do or die and the effort put in meant losing a game and the season was over, a 70 minute game hinged on the season prep of pure grit determination, training, conditioning could be over in a close game till next year!

As you say the back door probably suited to a point, but the extra income and what it provides took over..

As a hurling man we were blessed to have those days out in Croker, the semi finals were close at times but were Antrim the fourth best team left at that stage?

In football

Munster was a game between Cork and Kerry (still is)

Connaught didn't throw up too many surprises

Which left Leinster and Ulster for the competitive championships, until Dublin ruined it lol

Unfortunately we'll never go back to that

[Rossfan]

Does Eoin still use quills?

[marty34]

Agree with the 3 tier.
Would the divisions be set in stone like the hurling where you have to win your way out?
Or would they be decided annually on NFL/Provincial campaigns as at present?

I'm sure there's smarter people than me than can work out a fair and just system. Promotion up/down I think adds to it alright.

Only thing I'd stipulate is a certain timeframe. Say when working off senior, intermediate and junior starting in 2031 for example, then a cut off point of league finish at the end of say, 2030 will state what level of championship each county is in. That way, each team will have 3 years to prepare and get themselves sorted.

It's funny in a way when you look at other sports, the league winners are the best and most consistent team during the season. The GAA is completely different in this respect but the championship is not what we know it was compared to years ago.More games and money have taken over.

Everything evoles in life and sports are no different. That's life. 

[EoinW]

Does Eoin still use quills?

LOL good question.

I got the best of both worlds.  Milltown with a respectful and intelligent response.  Rossfan with a funny.

Thank you for your attention.  I apologize for being old...maybe long winded too.

My main point remains: every major change simply creates new problems and more changes.

[trileacman]

Does Eoin still use quills?

He has a point. I don't know how anyone could argue that the tiers have been a good thing for hurling all they've achieved is to banish the 3rd level counties to pub team status. So much so that the GAA is always looking to cut off funding for them so it can spend more on the tier 1 nations. Likewise the consolidation of power by the top counties is condemning a whole swath of hurling counties to ignomy. Antrim, Wexford, Offaly and Waterford are now established 2nd rate counties, no better off than Westmeath, Laois or Kerry and the structure as it is means they are destined to remain there.

Football was always a much more equal playing field and hence support for county teams predominately outstripped that of their hurling counterparts around the country. However a heavy focus on tiers risks condemning swathes of the country to isolation and abandonment of Gaelic games. Hurling in Tyrone, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Cavan, Roscommon, Louth exists only by the efforts of absolute zealots for the game.

You may be championing a tiered structure now but if Roscommon become an established tier 2 county with Joe McDonagh Cup as their ceiling will you be happy then?

[thewobbler]

Agree with the 3 tier.
Would the divisions be set in stone like the hurling where you have to win your way out?
Or would they be decided annually on NFL/Provincial campaigns as at present?

I'm sure there's smarter people than me than can work out a fair and just system. Promotion up/down I think adds to it alright.

Only thing I'd stipulate is a certain timeframe. Say when working off senior, intermediate and junior starting in 2031 for example, then a cut off point of league finish at the end of say, 2030 will state what level of championship each county is in. That way, each team will have 3 years to prepare and get themselves sorted.

It's funny in a way when you look at other sports, the league winners are the best and most consistent team during the season. The GAA is completely different in this respect but the championship is not what we know it was compared to years ago.More games and money have taken over.

Everything evoles in life and sports are no different. That's life. 

I don't think there's any sport apart from national club soccer that emphasises the importance of "league" format over "knockout" format.

There probably is. I just can't think of what else. The world championships / most prestigious prize in pretty much every individual or team competition of note ends up with a QF / SF / F format.

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FWIW I would fundamentally tie the national League competition with the Championship. Qualification for the latter is based on performance in the former. Then the big stuff starts. We are already half way there, so to cut off the remaining ribbons wouldn't take much effort.

[Rossfan]

Lowest hurling County teams have always been "pub team status"
They're picking from 2 clubs in cases and maybe 70 adult players in others.
They get to play and beat other teams of the same status.
Do people really want Longford v Kilkenny in hurling?

[Milltown Row2]

There's a hint of football snobbery coming through his post, not well thought out and saying football has an equal playing level is pure bull shit, we only have to go a few pages and gurnning over how Dublin should be split in two and they have too much funding, without actually realising they had a great team tgst eventually hit its ceiling and is back in the pack..

The Waterfords Londons New York Antrim Leitrim Wicklows and whoever in the bottom two leagues are not equal

Nor do the county committees in Tyrone and Armagh give equal funding to improve and promote hurling as they can't be bothered to promote it, in case it takes away funding from the footballers, Kilkenny in the same boat different code.

Antrim didn't fall away from top tier hurling because of the change, other countries developed better, we stayed and while there's not a lot between clubs at the top tier the schools and juveniles within county teams of the big counties have bigger numbers better promotion and more funding to make that split wider..

Waterford will get back up again I feel as it comes in cycles