Football format remains but Congress to vote on 2026 change

The GAA are set to maintain the current All-Ireland Football Championship format for the 2025 season with a new format to be voted on at February's Congress, while pre-season tournaments have been suspended for 2025.

This year was the second of the four-team, four-group format, with three sides from each of the groups progressing to either Sam Maguire quarter-finals or preliminary quarter-finals.

Meetings of An Coiste Bainistíochta and Ard Chomhairle on Friday and Saturday led to the decision to present 'Option 1’ as the preferred choice for possible implementation for the 2026 season.

Counties were asked to assess a number of options and provide feedback to the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee, and Option 1 has won out.

It would still include a provincial championship series with the eight finalists, top seven league places after that, and the Tailteann Cup winners going into a 16-team draw.

Those eight ties would produce eight-team winners’ and losers’ paths.

Those victorious in the four winners’ games would advance straight to the quarter-finals with the losers having another chance against the four counties emerging with wins from the losers’ path games.

Pre-season competitions are also being suspended for a season while there will currently be no motion brought forward for a third-tier football championship.

Congress will also vote on the possibility of bringing in a replay after extra-time for provincial finals and in the event of a draw after normal time in an All-Ireland final at senior level.

It was also agreed that the CCCC will decide which days the Tailteann Cup final and hurling quarter-finals are held on.

This follows the controversy last season where there was a consideration to make a late switch and