GAA: New football rules likely to dominate 2025 season

There will be little time to catch breath in the football league with Armagh facing Tyrone in round two on Saturday 1 February at the Athletic Grounds on the same evening that Murphy and his team-mates will be in action against the Dubs in Ballybofey.

Teams will be in action on seven out of nine weekends from late January until the final round of games on the the weekend of 22-23 March with the league finals then taking place a week later.

Will Donegal and particularly Derry, after how 2024 transpired, want to be involved in the Division One Final only a week ahead of their Ulster Championship opener in Ballybofey?

All-Ireland champions Armagh have been drawn to face Antrim away in their provincial opener a week later, with Cavan hosting Tyrone and Down versus Fermanagh on the same weekend.

The winners of the Donegal v Derry clash with face Monaghan on 19-20 April with the victors from the concluding quarter-finals having only a week to prepare for their provincial semi-final with either the Mourne or Erne County.

The other Ulster semi-final between either Antrim or Armagh and Cavan or Tyrone will also take place on the weekend of 26-27 April with the provincial decider scheduled for 11 May.

The group stage of the All-Ireland championship will begin a week later with the format unchanged from the past couple of seasons despite some grumblings.

Knockout football be kicked off by the preliminary quarter-finals on 21-22 June with Sam Maguire action concluding on 27 July – albeit with the possibility of a replay two weeks later if a motion calling for their return is passed at next February’s GAA Congress.