The proposal will go before the Annual Congress next February but can’t be introduced until 2026, following a request by the fixtures body, the CCCC, who said more immediate change would impact counties that already have plans for next year.
There has been widespread support for a new direction after the All-Ireland group stage format in place for the last two years received much criticism with counties in some cases losing three matches and still not being eliminated.
Derry and Roscommon qualified for the last 12 of the championship this summer despite losing three matches.
The new system proposes a final 16 of contenders divided into winners and losers’ groups. On the winners’ side of the draw (Round 2A), the four victors would enter the All-Ireland quarter-finals with the four beaten Round 2A counties meeting the winners of the last 16 losers’ round (Round 2B) in preliminary quarter-finals.
Central Council decided to leave a decision on whether to play next year’s Tailteann Cup semi-finals on a Saturday or Sunday to the discretion of the CCCC.
The stipulation that the semi-finals are played on Sunday meant that this year’s All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals were held on Saturday, deferring to football’s second tier, which led to criticism. A late-ditch proposal to have that flipped this year failed on a vote at Central Council.
GAA delegates have decided to scrap all pre-season competitions like the O’Byrne Cup, Walsh Cup and McKenna Cup on a one-season trial basis in 2025 after which they will carry out a review to see if their absence from the fixtures calendar should be made permanent.
The date for the return to inter-county training will be agreed at the next meeting.
A decision to introduce a third tier in the All-Ireland football championship, below the Tailteann Cup, was put on hold and will be discussed again at a future meeting.
It was agreed to submit a motion to Congress 2025 to reintroduce replays for All-Ireland finals if they end in stalemate after normal time. This year’s All-Ireland hurling final between Clare and Cork went to extra time when the sides were level, rather than to a replay, creating some negative reaction as a result.
A motion was agreed to be put forward to Congress 2025 to introduce replays after extra time in provincial finals, which would be implemented once or if the new football championship structure is adopted. The last two Ulster football finals were decided by penalty shoot-outs.
A presentation was made by Jim Gavin’s committee looking into the reform of Gaelic football aimed at making it a more appealing spectacle. Inter-provincial trial matches are to he held at Croke Park in mid-October over a Friday and Saturday, where new changes will be tested.
Some of the changes being mooted include four points for a goal and two points for a white flag from outside a 40m arc and keeping at least three players including the goalkeeper inside your own 65 at all times.
A separate presentation on Casement Park heard that a decision is expected in the coming week concerning UK state funding.