Format for club football and hurling championships revealed
Meath GAA Co Board has finalised the format for the club football and hurling championships with the Keegan Cup decider set for Sunday 4th October followed by the Jubilee Cup final on Sunday 11th October.
The draws for the various groups will be finalised this week.
The new format and dates are as follows
SENIOR FOOTBALL
Senior – 3 Round Robin Games + Semi-Final + Final = 5 rounds – min 3 games per team
16 teams drawn randomly into 4 groups each containing 4 teams
Top team in each group into semi-finals – A1 v C1 and B1 v D1
Bottom team into relegation semi-finals – A4 v C4 and B4 v D4 – final loser is relegated
INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL
Intermediate – 3RR + QF + SF + F = 6 rounds – min 3 games per team
20 teams drawn randomly into 5 groups each containing 4 teams
Semi-finals as follows - A1 v C1 - and B1 v winner of D1/E1 qtr-final
Relegation semi-finals - A4 v C4 - and B4 v loser D4/E4 relegation qtr-final – final loser relegated
JUNIOR FOOTBALL
Junior – 3RR + SF + F = 5 rounds – min 2 games per team
15 teams drawn randomly into 3 groups of 4 and one group of 3
Top team in each group into semi-finals – A1 v C1 and B1 v D1
No relegation.
PREMIER FOOTBALL
Premier (second and third teams)
64 teams affiliated and graded in 8 divisions – 3RR + F = 4 rounds – min 3 games per team
8 teams drawn randomly into 2 group of 4 in each division.
Top team in each group into final – winner promoted except top division
Bottom team in each group into relegation final – loser relegated except bottom division.
DATES
1st / 2nd/ 3rd August
15th / 16th August
29th / 30th August
12th September - IFC quarter and Premier finals
19th / 20th September - SFC and also Premier finals
3rd October - IFC and JFC finals
4th October - SFC and MFC finals.
HURLING
SENIOR
Revised Hurling Championship Format
Senior – 3 Round Robin Games + Quarter-Final + Semi-Final + Final = 6 rounds – min 2 games per team
6 senior A teams drawn randomly into 2 groups of 3 known as groups A1 and A2 – similar draw for
the 6 senior B teams into groups B1 and B2.
Predetermined knockout draws as follows
1st in B1 v 2nd in A2 in quarter-final – winner plays 1st in A1 in semi-final
1st in B2 v 2nd in A1 in quarter-final – winner plays 1st in A2 in semi-final
1 senior B team is promoted to senior A for following year based on knockout progress – however if
both teams exit at same stage then a playoff is required.
Bottom teams in A1 and A2 playoff with loser relegated to Senior B for following year. Bottom
teams in B1 and B2 playoff with loser relegated to IHC for the following year.
INTERMEDIATE (same as senior)
Intermediate - 3 Round Robin Games + Quarter-Final + Semi-Final + Final = 6 rounds – min 2 games per team
6 senior A teams drawn randomly into 2 groups of 3 known as groups A1 and A2 – similar draw for
the 6 senior B teams into groups B1 and B2.
Predetermined knockout draws as follows
1st in B1 v 2nd in A2 in quarter-final – winner plays 1st in A1 in semi-final
1st in B2 v 2nd in A1 in quarter-final – winner plays 1st in A2 in semi-final
1 senior B team is promoted to senior A for following year based on knockout progress – however if
both teams exit at same stage then a playoff is required.
Bottom teams in A1 and A2 playoff with loser relegated to Senior B for following year. Bottom
teams in B1 and B2 playoff with loser relegated to IHC for the following year.
JUNIOR
Junior – 3RR + F = 4 rounds – min 2 games per team
6 teams drawn randomly into 2 groups of 3
Top team in each group into final
Junior 2 – 3RR + SF + F = 5 rounds – min 2 games per team
10 teams drawn randomly into 1 group of 4 (group A) and 2 groups of 3 (B and C)
Predetermined semifinal draws as follows A1 v C1 and B1 v A2
DATES
8th / 9th August
22nd / 23rd August
5th / 6th September
13th September - quarter finals
26th / 27th September - semi-finals.
10th / 11th October - finals