National Football League 2025

manofwisdom

That time of the year again and a competition more interesting than ever with the new rules seen in competitive action for the first time.

Round 1 games

Saturday 25 January

Division 1
Galway v Armagh, Pearse Stadium, Salthill 17:15  - Live on RTE
Tyrone v Derry, Healy Park, Omagh 18:00  - Live GAAGO
Dubln v Mayo, Croke Park, 7.30pm  - Live on TG4

Division 2 
Cork v Meath,Páirc Uí Chaoimh 17:00
Cavan v Monaghan, Breffni Park, 18:00 

Division 3
Leitrim v Laois, Pairc Sean Ui Eslin 14:30
Kildare v Fermanagh, Newbridge 17:00

Division 4
Carlow v Tipperry,Cullen Park, 18:00 
Wexford v London,Wexford Park 19:00 

Sunday 26 January

Division 1
Kerry v Donegal, Fitzgerald Stadium, 13:45 - Live on TG4

Division 2
Roscommon v Down,Dr Hyde Park 14:00 
Westmeth v Louth,Cusack Park, 14:00  

Division 3
Antrim v Clare, Corrigan Park, 13:00 
Offaly v Sligo, O'Connor Park, Tullamore 14:00 

Division 4
Wicklow v Waterford, Echelon Park, 14:00  
Longford v Limerick,Pearse Park 14:00 

windy shepard henderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058389801/national-football-league-2025

new rules could drastically reshape how the league divisions will look over the next few years if left in place, the one striking part of the railway cup is the ulster players look much better playing this way

manofwisdom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123071951#Comment_123071951

Wouldn't read too much into those railway cup matches as they were non competitive contests.

MacDanger

Odds from PP:

Kerry 11/4

Donegal 9/2

Galway 5/1

Armagh 11/2

Dublin 6/1

Tyrone 13/2

Derry 9/1

Mayo 11/1

No real strong favourites at either end of the spectrum shows how open it is this year

YabaDabaDooley

Hard to pick a winner in a very competetive Div 1. I'll go for Galway they really could do with a bit of national silverware after their two All Ireland defeats and a league final defeat to Mayo, also. Some great games every round and no weak links. The new rules will throw up some talking points. Great to have it back.

FullBack Jam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123081296#Comment_123081296

Ya. In most years, there were matches where you'd be targeting to pick up a win e.g. Roscommon, Monaghan, an underperforming Armagh, Donegal before the second coming of McGuinness etc. But this year, there are no vulnerable teams on paper; but I guess a lot will depend on how much some of the teams keep their main starters in reserve to give the squad some playing time.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123081370#Comment_123081370

Roscommon and Cavan if i remember correctly used to yo yo between Div 1 and 2 for a few years. Monaghan survived un Div 1 for quite along time but had a few close shaves. Conor McManus has retired so big loss to them not sure if they'll come back up. If i had to pick a team to be relegated from Div 1 this year it would be Mayo. Dublin could struggle too with Fenton gone.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123081296#Comment_123081296

"The Allianz Football League Finals will take place on March 29/30"

Counties might or might not be trying to avoid getting a League Final. 17 of them plus New York are in Championship action the weekend after the League Finals. Everyone in Connacht except Leitrim, and Donegal v Derry in Ulster amongst others. It means having to play games 4 weekends in a row for any of those counties getting to a League Final.

I mention it because in 2023 there was a big fuss when Mayo had to play Roscommon in Connacht the weekend after they were in the Division 1 Final. People on this forum wanted to have the calendar rewritten to benefit Mayo.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123081960#Comment_123081960

Yes its not a good situation when some counties feel the need to play weaker teams and not fully go for winning our second biggest trophy due to fixtilure schedule. I thought they were getting an extra week break between league final and start of championship there was plenty of talk about it anyway. The league is such a good competition it should be a goal of every player and manager to win it imo.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123081960#Comment_123081960

I think you're doing a bit of rewriting there yourself!!

People (me included) felt that if the league final is the week before championship then it's only a matter of time before the situation arises where counties field weakened teams and the competition is devalued as a result. Will be interesting to see if that happens this year

FullBack Jam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123081472#Comment_123081472

Actually ya, I probably could name my own county Mayo as the target team this year. Several retirements in the past few years. And missing some players for a while in the coming season.

I'm hoping Armagh will struggle to maintain form and might lack some drive after winning the holy grail last year. And Galway can be hit and miss in the league. They generally rest Walsh and Comer.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123082130#Comment_123082130

Kerry obviously did not want to get to the final last year. They fielded their "weakened" team in the very first round at home to Derry. Lost by a point. For Weakened Teams, I would read using squad players in the secondary competition. Like soccer clubs do sometimes in the FA Cup. There is an easy solution to this problem (non problem). Do away with League finals.

"For Kerry’s part, Jack O’Connor sprang no late surprises, with David and Paudie Clifford taking their place in the roped-off seats high in the stand, though by the end of a helter-skelter 74 minutes, how their manager might have wished a bit of Fossa magic to, at least, rescue a draw and a point for the home side."

JasonN51

Regarding the BLACK CARD,

For me it just doesn’t work in terms of punishing a team for cynical play.

I believe a team should be deducted the value of a goal (so -4 with the new rules) if any one of their players receive a black card.

For example if a team are winning by 3 or 4 points (based on new rules) and the opposing team are having what may be their one last attack and needing a goal no one will drag them down knowing the implication of -4 points. If there is no points deduction penalty then everybody will drag a player down in that type of scenario late on.

This will also mean referees will have to be more certain on the black decision but at the end of day all the players will know the implication ( points deduction) and not make a cynical foul so the referees should not have to make too many of these tough black card calls.

What are people’s opinion on this?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123085420#Comment_123085420

It's way too harsh.

There will be times when black card decisions will be 50/50.

The ref will see it in real time and make a decision that may be incorrect, but the outcome is a team loses 4 points.

I've always said a 21m free in front of the posts should be awarded with every black card.

It would stop teams that are up by a point taking a player out of it in injury time I'm the middle of the field and beyond scoring range.

dxhound2005

In the League this year, it is still 3 points for a goal.

JasonN51

Thanks dxhound2005.

I still think -3 points for a black is a good approach. It will deter players from making a cynical fouls during the game and more so in the last few mins. So these type of fouls will decrease.

If a team is up by 3 and the other team is on what looks like their last attack every player will be willing to take them down and give away a free inside or outside the arc which won't be enough to draw . We want the game to be like hurling where its possible to run in for a goal in injury time.

Also refs will have to be certain in their heads about issuing a black card so there will be less harsh black cards handed out.

dxhound2005

The usual tactic if it is the last play, is to send in a high ball close to the goals, and hope to get a goal from that. Including when it is a free. It is a higher percentage option than trying to run in on goals against a packed defence.

Referees should never be influenced by the possible outcomes of any decision. If it is a black card it is a black card, there is nothing about harsh in the rules. But I fear that making a team lose a game by deducting scores would leave them open to even more abuse than at present.

Jack Daw

the new rules still don't get rid of the hand passing around in circles nonsense.

Until that is got rid of there'll be no serious change.

Eamonn Fitzmaurice mentioned on commentary the rules committee considered a limit on consecutive hand-passes but thought the players would just then just put in a little grubber kick an then start the hand-passing again. The way round this would be 3/5 hand-passes in a row and the ball must be kicked 20 yards forward, turn the game into more of a contest or possession game than a possession game which is I think what most people want.

pgj2015

iv ben watching this game zzzz they are going to have to reduce the number of players and ban the keepers roaming out field. Also the standard of shooting is really bad, most of the players are too cowardly to have a shot, forget about 2 point shots, they wont even go for easy 1 point shots.

football is dead. You would want your head tested to go watch it, never mind pay good money to go watch it.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123099020#Comment_123099020

There is a simple reason for not trying to limit hand-passing. The players and managers would not stand for it. It was trialled in the pre-season competitions in 2019, with a view to implementing it in the League. That was a maximum of 3 hand-passes. The players and managers voted very strongly not to allow it in the League.

The committe was smart enough to know that it would never get enough support.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2024/10/11/gavin-says-changes-football-review-committee-is-proposing-have-potential-to-reinvigorate-gaelic-football/

"They looked at limiting handpasses as well but resolved it would not get the support required at congress."

Quiet Achiever

Is anyone else struggling to get the Dublin Mayo game on tg4?

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123099170#Comment_123099170

Yeah not working, switched back to the rugby

bamayang

last 5 minutes of mayo play is a great endorsement of the rules. Good bit of kicking and lots of space.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123099204#Comment_123099204

it is on now.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123099170#Comment_123099170

100% signal Strength and Quality from the Clermont Carn transmitter in Co Louth into Dundalk. TG4 and RTE 2 are on the same frequency, so anyone getting the Munster rugby should also be getting Dublin Mayo.

There are a lot of different transmitters around the country, and some of them suffered outages due to the storm. People's aerials could also have been affected by the high winds.

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123099254#Comment_123099254

Still not working for me, can't even get it to work on the dodgy box

km79

The penalty for not keeping 3 defenders back is far too much . I don’t even know what that rule is there ?

Fair enough you have to keep 3 in opposition half but why do you have to keep 3 in your own half ? Especially when one doesn’t even have to be the keeper ?

JustJoe7240

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123099279#Comment_123099279

If you have a gaa section, the gaa go stream,which is tg4 is working, although its stopping and starting at times

Redsoxfan

TG4 not working on Sky or App since around 4.30

km79

the removal of soft marks is one of the best changes

babybuilder

Simple rule change was the keeper not leaving his own half or at least the 45. Not a big fan of the extent of all the changes. It will take some getting used to.