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Bill Maher in action for Tipperary against Dublin in last year's All-Ireland U21 semi-final.

Here's how the proposed new All-Ireland quarter-final format would have looked this year

The new proposals were released today.

THE GAA HAVE today revealed plans for football championship reform and there’s no doubt what the standout measure is.

Instead of knockout All-Ireland quarter-final ties, there would be two groups with round-robin games taking place instead.

But how would that format have looked like if it was in place for 2016?

The quarter-final groupings would have been:

  • Group 1 – Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Mayo
  • Group 2 – Tyrone, Dublin, Tipperary, Clare

Every team would play each other once with each team getting one game in Croke Park, one home game and one game.

That would interestingly create the prospect of major games being played in provincial venues.

Here’s what a schedule would have looked like using the dates that Director-General Pauric Duffy issued today in the document, if the structure had been in place in 2016.

We’ve put the likely home venues that counties would have used and we’re presuming that Dublin’s home game would be played in Croke Park.

The draws for the Round 2 and 3 games would be made by the CCCC during the season in question.

Fixtures

Saturday 16 July

Round 1
Kerry v Galway, Croke Park
Tyrone v Dublin, Croke Park

Paul Murphy with Shane Walsh Kerry's Paul Murphy and Galway's Shane Walsh Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Saturday 23 July

Round 1
Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park
Tipperary v Clare, Croke Park

Saturday 6 August

Round 2
Kerry v Donegal/Mayo, Killarney
Galway v Donegal/Mayo, Pearse Stadium
Tyrone v Tipperary/Clare, Omagh
Dublin v Tipperary/Clare, Croke Park

Sunday 14 August

Round 3
Donegal v Kerry/Galway, Ballybofey
Mayo v Kerry/Galway, Castlebar
Tipperary v Dublin/Tyrone, Thurles
Clare v Dublin/Tyrone, Ennis

Gary Brennan Clare footballer Gary Brennan Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

If teams finish level on points in the quarter-final round-robin stage, the following tie breakers will apply (in order of application):

  • Result of game between two tied teams (only where two tied teams are level on points)
  • Score difference
  • Highest score for
  • Goals scored
  • Play-off match

What do you think of that format? Let us know in the comments section below.

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