Football Championship 2026 (Mod Note in OP)

I've said all along Dublin would win leinster this year. Certainly cant be ruled out for an AI either

yeah they set such a high standard a few years ago that they look normal now , confidance is the biggest issue id say going on the league and the wicklow game with the younger lads , costello and con are still outragous players in fairness

Shocked that my local, a big Dublin suburban group pub, could not show the Dublin Louth match as they did not have GAAGo subscription. Is this common?

He stole a couple yards crossing the sideline too 😆

Jesus the provincial championships have been brilliant this year. Shock wins for down and monaghan in ulster, westmeath beating meath in leinster as well as leitrim and wicklow putting it up to Galway and Dublin.

Armagh won't have a better chance of winning the ulster they've been so close to

What is the rule?

I thought this years version of the hooter was making it equivalent to the old refs final whistle..…ie, game over immediately??

To be honest, I think the hooter was a solution looking for a problem. We're guaranteed to have high profile knockout games this summer decided by this farce of a new rule that nobody except the FRC asked for.

Another question about the hooter rule that no-one seems to be able to answer....does the game finish with the start of the hooter sound, or the end of the sound? There's usually a 2 or 3 second difference and that was the difference between Kerry getting their first win of the league in Killarney this year, rather than a draw that it should have been.

Leave the ref blow the final whistle and do away with all this needless controversy!

In that case, Bass post above is wrong and Kerry shouldn't have won that game as the ball crossed the bar at least 3 seconds after the hooter sounded.

And that ambiguity is even before you look at why the clock is stopped for some kickouts and not others, some frees and not others, or why the stadium clock, TV clock and refs clock can show three different times.

It's as clear as mud.

Its a whole needless can of worms ready to be opened at the first tight finish to a knockout game.

The hooter went just as O'Shea kicked his free. That fee dropped short. Wasn't a point. Hooter went before Kennedy, who scored the point, even caught the ball.

If the game ends as soon as the hooter sounds, the game was over before Kennedy caught the ball. Go back and watch/ listen to it. The fact the new hooter rule introduced this ambiguity creates totally unnecessary controversy.

I wasnt a huge fan of the 2025 hooter rule, because a game could extend for a long time with a team holding possession. But at least it was better than the current rule, as it was clear that once the ball was dead, the game was finished.

Westmeath into just their 6th ever final. Realistically they've no chance against Dublin, especially in croke park.

On a positive note, good support today especially from Westmeath fans. Can't say the same regarding yesterday's fixture in Portlaoise which is a sad reflection on the apathy currently plaguing Dublin support for the national games.

The big news from today is Westmeath have qualified for the AI series. Fair play to them.