The 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 132nd edition of the GAA's premier inter-county Gaelic football competition since its establishment in 1887.
Thirty-three teams entered the competition – thirty-one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland (Kilkenny, as in previous years, did not enter), London and New York.
Format Provincial Championships format
Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster each organise a provincial championship. All provincial matches are knock-out but the teams who lose a match (with the exception of New York) enter the All-Ireland qualifiers.
Qualifiers format
Twenty-eight of the twenty-nine teams who were beaten in the provincial championships enter the All-Ireland qualifiers, which have a single-game knockout format. Sixteen of the seventeen teams (New York do not enter the qualifiers) who lost in provincial first round or quarter-final games play eight matches in round 1. The winners play the eight losing provincial semi-finalists in round 2. The eight winning teams from round 2 play-off against each other in round 3, with the four winning teams facing the four losing provincial finalists in round 4 to complete the double-elimination format. Further details of the format are included with each qualifier round listed below.
All-Ireland format
Significant changes to the format of the All-Ireland championship were passed at the GAA's Annual Congress in February 2017 and implemented in the 2018 championship. The major change was the creation of the All-Ireland Quarter-Final Group Stage commonly known as the "Super 8s", which replaced the knockout quarter-finals. The eight remaining teams in the Championship are split into two groups of four teams. One group features the Connacht champions, Munster champions, Leinster runners-up (or the team that defeats them in the qualifiers) and Ulster runners-up (or the team that defeats them in the qualifiers). The reverse is employed for the other group, which features the Leinster champions, Ulster champions, Connacht runners-up (or the team that defeats them in the qualifiers) and Munster runners-up (or team that defeats them in the qualifiers).
The top two teams in each of the two Super 8 groups advance to the semi-finals, with the winners of those matches meeting in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. The All-Ireland final was initially scheduled for 26 August 2018 but was moved to 2 September 2018 to avoid clashing with Pope Francis's visit to Ireland.
A number of former players have publicly criticised the new format as they believed it would result in the same top county teams regularly playing at least three high-profile matches in July and August while the remaining teams are without competitive football until the end of December, thereby enabling the top teams to become even more elite. Prominent sportswriter and RTÉ Sport analyst Joe Brolly referred to the new system as the "Super 8/Crap 25". The changes were to be trialled for three years before being reviewed by the GAA in late 2020.
Changes from 2017 Championship
Rules From 1 January 2018 the kickout must travel beyond the 20 metre line. Previously the players had to be outside the 20 metre line before the kickout was taken but could run inside to collect possession. If the rule is broken by the team taking the kickout the referee throws the ball up on the 20 metre line between a member of each team. Replays to only be held for drawn provincial finals and All-Ireland finals. The game continues until a winner is determined in all other championship matches except the Super 8 group matches. Initially two periods of ten minutes each way are played. If the score is still level two further periods of five minutes each way are played. If the score is still level, a free-taking competition is held until a winner is determined. The A and B split system for the qualifier draws introduced in 2014 was discontinued.
Referees' interpretation Players who enter a situation involving two players and cause a melee to receive red cards. Willie Barret, Referees Development Chairman, said "We would be particularly honing in on the first and second person into the melee after the initial two players have been involved."
Provincial championships
Connacht Championship
Leinster Championship
The four winning teams in the previous year's quarter-finals were given byes to this year's quarter-finals. Six of the seven remaining teams played off in the first round with the seventh team receiving a bye to the quarter-finals.
Munster Championship
The two winning teams in the previous year's semi-finals were given byes to this year's semi-finals.
Ulster Championship
All nine teams were drawn randomly without conditions to determine the fixtures.
All-Ireland Series
Qualifiers
Format The A and B split system for the qualifier draws introduced in 2014 was discontinued after 2017. In qualifier rounds one to three, teams from divisions three and four of the 2018 National Football League had home advantage if drawn against teams from divisions one or two. All qualifier matches were knockout.
Initial schedule
Qualifiers Round 1: 9 June 2018 Qualifiers Round 2: 23 June 2018 Qualifiers Round 3: 30 June 2018 Qualifiers Round 4: 7 & 8 July 2018
Round 1 In the first round, sixteen of the seventeen teams who were beaten in the preliminary rounds or quarter-finals of the provincial championships competed. New York did not enter the qualifiers. The round 1 draw was unrestricted − if two teams had previously met in a provincial match they could be drawn to meet again. The eight winners of these matches played the eight losing provincial semi-finalists in round 2 of the qualifiers. The draw was conducted on 28 May 2018.
The following teams took part in round 1:
London Mayo
Kildare Louth Meath Offaly Westmeath Wexford Wicklow
Limerick Waterford
Antrim Armagh Cavan Derry Tyrone
Round 2 In the second round, the eight losing provincial semi-finalists played the eight winning teams from round 1 of the qualifiers. The round 2 draw was unrestricted − if two teams have previously met in a provincial match they could be drawn to meet again. The eight winners of these matches played each other in round 3. The draw was conducted on 11 June 2018.
The following teams took part in round 2 –
Carlow Clare Down Leitrim Longford Monaghan Sligo Tipperary
Armagh Cavan Kildare Louth Mayo Offaly Tyrone Waterford
Round 3 In the third round, the eight winning teams from round 2 played off in four matches. Round 3 draw rules did not allow two teams that had played each other in a provincial match to meet again if such a pairing could be avoided. The four winners of these matches played the four losing provincial finalists in round 4. The draw was conducted on 25 June 2018.
The following teams took part in round 3 –
Armagh Cavan Kildare Leitrim Mayo Monaghan Tyrone Clare
Initially the Central Competitions Control Committee scheduled the Cavan vs. Tyrone and Kildare vs. Mayo matches in Croke Park. The venues were changed after Kildare refused to play anywhere other than their home ground, St Conleth's Park, in Newbridge.
Round 4 In the fourth round, the four losing provincial finalists played the four winning teams from round 3 of the qualifiers. Round 4 draw rules did not allow teams that have met in a provincial match to meet again if such a pairing could be avoided, which meant Fermanagh were kept apart from Armagh and Monaghan, who they had met in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Ulster Championship respectively. The matches are normally held in neutral venues. The four winners of these matches qualified for the All-Ireland Quarter-Final Group Stage. The draw was conducted on 2 July 2018.
The following teams took part in round 4 –
Cork Fermanagh Laois Roscommon
Armagh Kildare Monaghan Tyrone
Group stage
Super 8s Format
The four provincial champions and the four winning teams from round four of the All-Ireland qualifiers play three games each in two groups of four teams during the months of July and August. Each group consists of two provincial champions and the two losing finalists of the other two provinces or the team that beats them in round four of the qualifiers.
In the first round (officially phase one) the two provincial champions play each other and the two round four qualifiers play each other in Croke Park. In rounds two and three (phases two and three) the provincial champions play the two qualifiers. In phase two the qualifiers have home advantage and the provincial winners are at home in phase three. Dublin, if they qualify, to also play their home game at Croke Park.
Two points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw. The top two teams in each group advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Tie-breaker
If only two teams are level on group points – The team that won the head-to-head match is ranked first If this game was a draw, score difference (total scored minus total conceded in all group games) is used to rank the teams If score difference is identical, total scored is used to rank the teams If still identical, a play-off is required If three or more teams are level on group points, score difference is used to rank the teams.
Group 1
Group 2
Knockout stage
Bracket
Semi-finals The winner of Group 1 played the runner-up of Group 2, while the winner of Group 2 played the runner-up of Group 1.
Final
The final was initially planned for 26 August 2018. It was rescheduled to 2 September to avoid a clash with the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families 2018.
Stadia and locations Each team has a nominal home stadium, though not all teams are guaranteed a home game over the course of the Championship. In addition, games may be played at neutral or alternate venues. For example, Dublin have not played a Championship game in Parnell Park, their nominal home, since the 2004 Championship.
Team Location Stadium Stadium capacity Antrim Belfast Casement Park Armagh Armagh Athletic Grounds Carlow Carlow Dr Cullen Park Cavan Cavan Breffni Park Clare Ennis Cusack Park Cork Cork Páirc Uí Chaoimh Derry Derry Celtic Park Donegal Ballybofey MacCumhaill Park Down Newry Páirc Esler Dublin Dublin Parnell Park Fermanagh Enniskillen Brewster Park Galway Galway Pearse Stadium Kerry Killarney Fitzgerald Stadium Kildare Newbridge St Conleth's Park Laois Portlaoise O'Moore Park Leitrim Carrick-on-Shannon Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada Limerick Limerick Gaelic Grounds
Team Location Stadium Stadium capacity London Ruislip McGovern Park Longford Longford Pearse Park Louth Drogheda Drogheda Park Mayo Castlebar MacHale Park Meath Navan Páirc Tailteann Monaghan Clones St Tiernach's Park New York Kingsbridge Gaelic Park Offaly Tullamore O'Connor Park Roscommon Roscommon Dr Hyde Park Sligo Sligo Markievicz Park Tipperary Thurles Semple Stadium Tyrone Omagh Healy Park Waterford Waterford Walsh Park Westmeath Mullingar Cusack Park Wexford Wexford Wexford Park Wicklow AughrimAughrim County Ground
Referees Panel As announced in April 2018: Marty Duffy (Sligo) retired at the end of 2017 and Rory Hickey (Clare) was ruled out for 2018 due to injury. This was a first year as a referee in the SFC for Martin McNally (Monaghan).
It would be the end for Pádraig Hughes (Armagh) as London v Louth in the Round 1 Qualifier was the last we saw of him in SFC action as referee. It would also be the end for Cormac Reilly (Meath) as Dublin v Roscommon in Phase 3 of Group 2 was the last we saw of him in SFC action as referee.