2019 National Football League (Ireland)

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This article is about the Gaelic football tournament in Ireland. For the American football season in the United States, see 2019 NFL season.
2019 National Football League
League details
Dates26 January – 6 April 2019
Teams32
League champions
WinnersMayo (12th win)
CaptainDiarmuid O'Connor
ManagerJames Horan
League runners-up
Runners-upKerry
CaptainPaul Murphy
ManagerPeter Keane
Other division winners
Division 2Donegal
Division 3Westmeath
Division 4Derry
← 2018
2020 →

The 2019 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz National Football League, was the 88th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for Gaelic Athletic Association county teams. Thirty-one county teams from the island of Ireland, plus London, competed; Kilkenny do not participate.

The GAA announced a new broadcast agreement on 10 January 2019, expected to run from 2019 until 2022. Eir Sport and RTÉ provided live TV coverage of the league on Saturday nights. TG4 broadcast Sunday afternoon games. The highlights programmes were RTÉ2's League Sunday on Sunday evenings, TG4's GAA 2019 on Monday evenings and Eir Sport's Allianz Leagues Reloaded on Wednesday evenings.[1][2]

Mayo were the winners, defeating Kerry in the final.[3]

Experimental rules[]

On 24 November 2018, the GAA Central Council approved five experimental changes to the football playing rules which were amended slightly and trialled in the 2018–19 early season competitions organised by the four provincial councils (FBD League - Connacht, O'Byrne Cup - Leinster, McGrath Cup - Munster and McKenna Cup - Ulster).[4]

The rules trialled were[5] –

  1. The maximum number of consecutive handpasses allowed is three.
  2. A sideline free must be kicked forward except when it is inside the opposing team's 20 metre line.
  3. An advanced mark (sometimes also referred to as an attacking mark, inside mark or offensive mark) may be taken where the ball is kicked in the area outside the opposing team's 45 metre line, travels more than 20 metres, and is caught cleanly without touching the ground in the area inside the opposing team's 45 metre line by an attacker or a defender. Up to fifteen seconds are allowed for the free resulting from the mark to be taken.
  4. Ten minutes in a sin bin without replacement is imposed on a player who commits a black card offence. The offending player can re-enter the game or be substituted after the ten minutes have elapsed.
  5. Kickouts must be taken from the 20 metre line but are not required to travel beyond the 45 metre line.

The effectiveness of the new rules was reviewed by Central Council on 19 January 2019. Although one of the key aims of the experiment was to reduce the number of handpasses in Gaelic football, they voted 25-23 to not continue with the rule that restricted the number of consecutive handpasses to three (which was previously trialled in the 1989 National Football League and quickly abandoned[6]). This decision followed an almost universal campaign by GAA county team managers in the media against its permanent introduction[7] The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) were also strongly against the three handpass rule.[8]

Experimental rules 2 to 5 (see above) were trialled in the 2019 National Football League, beginning on 26 January 2019 and ending on 31 March 2019. There was little criticism of the four rules in the league games though Jim Gavin, the Dublin manager, said the decision to experiment in the league, the GAA's second tier inter-county competition, was "disrespectful".[9]

GAA rules only allow changes to the playing rules in years divisible by five which means that, at the earliest, the experimental playing rules could only be approved by Congress 2020 for implementation in the 2020 Championship.[10]

A Special Congress was held on 19 October 2019.[11] Three rules were passed and were introduced beginning in 2020 –

  • The Advanced Mark (passed by 68.9%)
  • The Sin Bin (passed by 73.8%)
  • Kick-outs from the centre of the 20m line (passed by 83.1%)

Competition format[]

League structure[]

The 2019 National Football League consists of four divisions of eight teams. Each team plays every other team in its division once, usually four home and three away or three home and four away. Two points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw.

Teams by Province and Division
Province Division 1 Division 2 Division 3 Division 4 Total
Connacht 3 0 1 1 5
Leinster 1 2 6 2 11
Munster 1 3 0 2 6
Ulster 3 3 1 2 9
Britain 0 0 0 1 1
Total 8 8 8 8 32

Tie-breaker[]

If only two teams are level on league 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 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 league points, score difference is used to rank the teams.

Finals, promotions and relegations[]

Division 1[]

The top two teams in Division 1 contest the National Football League final. The bottom two teams are relegated to Division 2.

Division 2, Division 3 & Division 4[]

The top two teams in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 are promoted and contest the finals of their respective divisions. The bottom two teams in Divisions 2 and 3 are relegated.

Division 1[]

Division 1 table[]

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Colours of Kerry.svg Kerry 7 6 0 1 113 92 +21 12 Advance to Division 1 Final
2 Colours of Mayo.svgMayo 7 5 0 2 102 92 +10 10
3 Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone 7 4 1 2 108 95 +13 9
4 Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin 7 4 0 3 122 99 +23 8
5 Colours of Galway.svg Galway 7 4 0 3 95 103 −8 8
6 Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan 7 2 0 5 103 114 −11 4
7 Colours of Roscommon.svg Roscommon 7 1 1 5 92 121 −29 3 Relegation to 2020 NFL Division 2
8 Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan 7 1 0 6 90 109 −19 2
Updated to match(es) played on 1 April 2019. Source: GAA.ie
Rules for classification: 1) League points; 2) Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the League; 3) Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the scores for; 4) Highest total score for; 5) Highest total goals for; 6) A play-off.


Division 1 Rounds 1 to 7[]

Division 1 Round 1[]

Division 1 Round 2[]

Division 1 Round 3[]

Division 1 Round 4[]

Division 1 Round 5[]

Division 1 Round 6[]

Division 1 Round 7[]

Division 1 Final[]

31 March 2019 (2019-03-31)
16:00 IST (UTC+1)
Final
Kerry 2-10 (16) – (20) 3-11 Mayo
Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)

Division 2[]

Division 2 table[]

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Colours of Meath.svg Meath 7 6 0 1 111 84 +27 12 Advance to Division 2 Final
2 Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal 7 5 0 2 112 94 +18 10
3 Colours of Fermanagh.svg Fermanagh 7 3 2 2 69 74 −5 8
4 Colours of Kildare.svg Kildare 7 3 1 3 87 93 −6 7
5 Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh 7 2 2 3 101 97 +4 6
6 Colours of Clare.svg Clare 7 2 1 4 107 113 −6 5
7 Colours of Cork.svg Cork 7 2 1 4 91 112 −21 5 Relegation to Division 3
8 Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary 7 1 1 5 99 110 −11 3
Updated to match(es) played on 1 April 2019. Source: GAA.ie
Rules for classification: 1) League points; 2) Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the League; 3) Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the scores for; 4) Highest total score for; 5) Highest total goals for; 6) A play-off.


Division 2 Rounds 1 to 7[]

Division 2 Round 1[]

Division 2 Round 2[]

Division 2 Round 3[]

Division 2 Round 4[]

Division 2 Round 5[]

Division 2 Round 6[]

Division 2 Round 7[]

Division 2 Final[]

30 March 2019 (2019-03-30)
17:00 IST (UTC+1)
Final
Meath 1-15 (18) – (20) 1-17 Donegal
Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: Derek O'Mahoney (Tipperary)

Division 3[]

Division 3 table[]

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 7 4 2 1 99 84 +15 10 Advance to Division 3 Final
2 Colours of Laois.svg Laois 7 5 0 2 117 103 +14 10
3 Colours of Down.svg Down 7 5 0 2 98 85 +13 10
4 Colours of Louth.svg Louth 7 4 1 2 108 88 +20 9
5 Colours of Longford.svg Longford 7 3 1 3 88 88 0 7
6 Colours of Offaly.svg Offaly 7 2 1 4 89 99 −10 5
7 Colours of Carlow.svg Carlow 7 2 1 4 90 94 −4 5 Relegation to Division 4
8 Colours of Sligo.svg Sligo 7 0 0 7 92 140 −48 0
Updated to match(es) played on 1 April 2019. Source: GAA.ie
Rules for classification: 1) League points; 2) Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the League; 3) Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the scores for; 4) Highest total score for; 5) Highest total goals for; 6) A play-off.
  • Westmeath, Laois and Down are ranked by score difference.


Division 3 Rounds 1 to 7[]

Division 3 Round 1[]

Division 3 Round 2[]

Division 3 Round 3[]

Division 3 Round 4[]

Division 3 Round 5[]

Division 3 Round 6[]

Division 3 Round 7[]

Division 3 Final[]

6 April 2019 (2019-04-06)
4:45 pm
Final
Westmeath 1-13 (16) – (13) 0-13 Laois
Croke Park, Dublin

Division 4[]

Division 4 table[]

Possible problem: 775 total for != 760 total against

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Colours of Derry.svg Derry 7 7 0 0 129 95 +34 14 Advance to Division 4 Final
2 Colours of Leitrim.svg Leitrim 7 6 0 1 119 94 +25 12
3 Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 7 3 0 4 100 90 +10 6
4 Colours of Waterford.svg Waterford 7 3 0 4 91 97 −6 6
5 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford 7 3 0 4 105 114 −9 6
6 Colours of Wicklow.svg Wicklow 7 3 0 4 78 90 −12 6
7 Colours of Limerick.svg Limerick 7 2 0 5 82 91 −9 4
8 Colours of London.svg London 7 1 0 6 71 89 −18 2
Updated to match(es) played on 1 April 2019. Source: GAA.ie
Rules for classification: 1) League points; 2) Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the League; 3) Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the scores for; 4) Highest total score for; 5) Highest total goals for; 6) A play-off.


Division 4 Rounds 1 to 7[]

Division 4 Round 1[]

Division 4 Round 2[]

Division 4 Round 3[]

Division 4 Round 4[]

Division 4 Round 5[]

Division 4 Round 6[]

Division 4 Round 7[]

Division 4 Final[]

30 March 2019 (2019-03-30)
3:00 pm
Final
Derry 0-20 (20) – (16) 0-16 Leitrim
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 30,465

League statistics[]

  • All scores correct as of 16 April 2019[12]

Top scorer: Overall[]

Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average
1 Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 3-50 59 8 7.4
2 Colours of Kerry.svg Kerry 1-55 58 8 7.2
3 Colours of Laois.svg Laois 1-41 44 8 5.5
4 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford 0-42 42 7 6
5 Conor McManus Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan 0-41 41 7 5.9
6 Colours of Leitrim.svg Leitrim 4-28 40 7 5.7
7 Dean Rock Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin 2-32 38 7 5.4
8 Colours of Meath.svg Meath 1-33 36 8 4.5
Conor Sweeney Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary 2-30 36 7 5.1
10 David Tubridy Colours of Clare.svg Clare 3-26 35 7 5
11 Colours of Down.svg Down 4-22 34 7 4.9
12 Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone 3-24 33 7 4.7
13 Colours of Offaly.svg Offaly 0-31 31 7 4.4
14 Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 3-21 30 6 5

Top scorer: Single game[]

Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition
1 Colours of Leitrim.svg Leitrim 2-07 13 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford
2 Colours of Kerry.svg Kerry 0-12 12 Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan
Conor Sweeney Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary 1-09 12 Colours of Clare.svg Clare
4 Colours of Derry.svg Derry 2-05 11 Colours of Leitrim.svg Leitrim
Colours of Down.svg Down 3-02 11 Colours of Longford.svg Longford
6 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford 0-10 10 Colours of Derry.svg Derry
David Tubridy Colours of Clare.svg Clare 1-07 10 Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh
David Tubridy Colours of Clare.svg Clare 1-07 10 Colours of Cork.svg Cork
Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 1-07 10 Colours of Laois.svg Laois
10 Colours of Derry.svg Derry 0-09 9 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford
Dean Rock Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin 0-09 9 Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan
Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 0-09 9 Colours of Carlow.svg Carlow
Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 0-09 9 Colours of Laois.svg Laois
Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 0-09 9 Colours of Longford.svg Longford
Ross Munnelly Colours of Laois.svg Laois 1-06 9 Colours of Louth.svg Louth
Colours of Offaly.svg Offaly 1-06 9 Colours of Sligo.svg Sligo
Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone 1-06 9 Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan
Colours of Louth.svg Louth 2-03 9 Colours of Laois.svg Laois

Scoring events[]

  • Widest winning margin: 15
  • Most goals in a match: 7
    • Derry 3-21 – 4-16 Wexford (Division 4)
  • Most points in a match: 37
    • Derry 3-21 – 4-16 Wexford (Division 4)
  • Most goals by one team in a match: 5
  • Most goals without winning: 4
    • Derry 3-21 – 4-16 Wexford (Division 4)
  • Highest aggregate score: 58 points
    • Derry 3-21 – 4-16 Wexford (Division 4)
  • Lowest aggregate score: 14 points
    • Fermanagh 0-08 – 0-06 Kildare (Division 2)
    • Wicklow 0-08 – 0-06 London (Division 4)

References[]

  1. ^ "GAA, RTE and eir sport announce new broadcast agreement". www.hoganstand.com. Hogan Stand. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  2. ^ "How the 2019 National Football League divisions will look".
  3. ^ Ryan, Eoin (31 March 2019). "Second-half goal blitz secures League title for Mayo".
  4. ^ "GAA agrees to trial a number of proposed rule changes in 2019 Football League". BBC Sport. 24 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Experimental Rules" (PDF). antrim.gaa.ie. Antrim GAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Joe Brolly: 'Treat the disease, not the symptoms'". Independent.ie. Irish Independent. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  7. ^ ""The managers have the GAA by the throat"". www.hoganstand.com. Hogan Stand. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  8. ^ "GPA members oppose three of the five proposed football rule changes". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  9. ^ "Gavin unhappy with league being used to experiment". www.hoganstand.com. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Experimental rule changes proposed for Gaelic Football". www.gaa.ie. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  11. ^ "New rules passed at Special Congress". www.hoganstand.com. Hogan Stand. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Results". Hogan Stand. 16 April 2019. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

External links[]

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