Kerry GAA proposing to restructure county senior football leagues into 10-team divisions

The realignment of the divisions to each contain 10 clubs – down from the current 12 teams in each of the top four divisions, and 16 teams in a split Division 5 and Division 6 – will mean that for the 2025 county league, four teams will be relegated from Divisions 1 to 5 inclusive, while just two teams will be promoted from Divisions 2 to 6 inclusive. That would mean a pause on the existing 'three up, three down' promotion/relegation format for one year.

Currently Divisions 1 to 4 have 12 teams each, while Divisions 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B each comprise eight teams, some of which are second teams from clubs playing in higher divisions.

It is understood that the motion proposes to create at least five 10-team divisions, with the Competition Control Committee (CCC) then deciding if subsequent divisions would also comprise 10 teams, and that would provide games for the rest of the clubs and 'B' teams.

The idea behind the motion is to reduce the number of games for each team down from 11 to nine, thereby reducing the load on clubs to fulfil a heavy schedule of fixtures. In 2024 the county league ran from the weekend of March 23 to the weekend of June 23, meaning 11 rounds of games were played over a 14-week timeframe.

A reduction to nine round of matches would, it is reasoned, ease the burden on clubs play 11 league games, with very little more for manoeuvre and also reduce the workload on the players themselves.

If passed a next week's county committee meeting, the 2026 county leagues would revert to the current promotion and relegation process whereby three teams will be promoted and relegated from each division. Promotion does not apply to division 1 and relegation will not apply to lowest division.

Elsewhere, Gneeveguilla are tabling a motion that asks that the 2025 County Football League commence three weeks earlier at the start of March and finish at the same dates as 2024 County league. This is to avoid fixture congestion and promote player welfare.

Beaufort have a motion proposing 'That Division 6 of the Senior County League be operated as a full division on its own without any crossover to a Phase 2'.

It would seem likely that if the executive's motion is passed that the Gneeveguilla and Beaufort motions might have to be withdrawn. However, there is likely to be strong resistance to the motion to re-align the divisions, especially from the clubs in the higher divisions, and there is a sense that the motion probably won't get the support needed for it to pass.

Meanwhile, the Na Gaeil club has submitted a motion proposing 'to allow dual players play football and hurling at the highest level in the county. That the CCC would consider avoiding the fixing of hurling and football championship matches on the same weekend, where there are dual players involved. In addition, the CCC should endeavour to ensure that there is a gap of at least a week between such championship fixtures'.

Na Gaeil have several footballers who also play hurling with Abbeydorney or Tralee Parnells, and there was some conflict of fixtures between the two codes, especially in light of Abbeydorney reaching the county senior hurling championship final this year.

Killarney Legion are proposing 'that the age of Minor be increased to 18 without decoupling (players U-18 and over 17 can play both minor and adult competitions). All other age grades to be changed to even ages and no adult competitions can be held up as a result of playing an U-18 player'.

Tralee Parnells have tabled five motions pertaining to hurling, one of which proposes that 'from 2026, the Kerry County Intermediate hurling championship shall be confined to first teams only, with the winners promoted to the Senior hurling championship for the following year. The resulting structure of the 2027 Senior Hurling Championship to be decided by the County CCC in consultation with the hurling clubs in Kerry. As this will increase the status of the Intermediate Championship, a new trophy should be commissioned'.

A related motion proposes: 'From 2026, that the County Intermediate Hurling Championship final be confined to top two teams of a grading competition (as per Derry model) played on a league basis (for first teams only). The top two teams will contest the final – all remaining teams will contest the Junior Hurling Championship'.

Other motions from Parnells are (motion 8): 'A new 'B team' non-championship competition be commenced starting in 2025 for clubs that have more than one Senior Hurling team, where all players outside of a named championship first 15 are allowed to play even if they have already played with their club's 1st team in championship hurling in the same year. The structure and timing of this competition to be decided in conjunction with hurling clubs'.

Motion 9: That a shield competition be introduced a the U21 hurling age grade with 13-a-side allowed.

Motion 10: That an 11-side Division 3 County Hurling League competition be introduced.

Meanwhile, Valentia are putting a motion to annual Convention – which will be held on December 3 on The Rosel Hote, Tralee – proposing 'That the team who finishes on top of each of the four groups in the All-Ireland Inter-County Senior Football Championship series be awarded with a home quarter-final venue'.

With regard to the election of officers at Convention, all out-going officers to the board will be returned unopposed, with none of them having reached the end of a five-year term.