At its meeting tonight Leitrim GAA Management Committee approved the Regulations governing its 2020 Competitions. In a departure from the previous running of championship competitions, it has also decided to have two home and two away games in the round-robin match series in all championships. Clubs will retain the gates at these matches and it is hoped that this will help clubs financially in a season in which they will have had no home league games and much-reduced access to fundraising activity. All knockout games will have a winner on day scenario, apart from the championship finals. The draws for 2020 SFC, IFC, and JFC A will take place on Friday night next and will be relayed on Facebook live. At tonight’s meeting, the regulations and gradings for all Underage Competitions were approved also.

2020 Connacht Gold Senior Football Championship

Two groups of 5 with each team playing each other in round-robin series. Top four teams of each group qualify for the quarter-finals with 1 v 4, 2 v 3, 3 v 2 and 4 v 1 across each respective group. Open Draw for Semi-Finals. The bottom-placed team in each group to play each other in the relegation final with the defeated team to be relegated.

Seeding 2020

Pot A   2019 Finalists (2 Teams)

Pot B    2019 Beaten Semi-Finalists (2 Teams)

Pot C    2019 Beaten Quarter Finalists (4 Teams)

Pot D   2019 Remaining Team plus Intermediate Championship Winners 2019 (2 Teams)

2020 Smith Monumentals Intermediate Football Championship

Two groups of 5 with each team playing each other in round-robin series. Top four teams of each group qualify for the quarter-finals with 1 v 4, 2 v 3, 3 v 2 and 4 v 1 across each respective group. Open Draw for Semi-Finals. Winner of Intermediate Championship promoted to SFC 2021. The bottom-placed team in each group to play each other in the relegation final with the defeated team to be relegated.

Seeding 2020

Pot A   2019 Beaten Finalist + 3 Relegated Teams from SFC 2019 (4 Teams)

Pot B    2019 Beaten Semi-Finalists (2 Teams)

Pot C    2019 Beaten Quarter Finalists (4 Teams)

2020 Vistamed Junior A Football Championship

Two groups of 5 with each team playing each other in round-robin series. Top four teams of each group qualify for the quarter-finals with 1 v 4, 2 v 3, 3 v 2 and 4 v 1 across each respective group. Open Draw for Semi-Finals. Winner of Junior A Championship promoted to IFC 2021. The bottom-placed team in each group to play each other in the relegation final with the defeated team to be relegated.

Seeding 2020

Pot A   2019 Relegated Teams from IFC 2019 (4 Teams)

Pot B    2019 JFC A Finalists (2 Teams)

Pot C    Remaining teams (4 Teams)

Vistamed Junior B Football Championship 2020

5 relegated teams from Junior A 2019 (inclusive of Allen Gaels, who didn’t participate in 2019) plus Junior B Championship Finalists and semi-finalists 2019. In the event of there being 9 teams these to be grouped in three groups of 3. Top teams in each group plus the best runner up in accordance with Rule 6.21 TO 2020 shall play semi-finals, avoiding teams from same group playing at this stage. Bottom teams of each respective group play relegation series including a semi-final and final, drawn by lot.

In the event of there being 8 teams these to be grouped in two groups of four. Top two teams in each group shall play semi-finals (1 v 2, 2 v 1). Bottom teams of each respective group play relegation final. Defeated team

There shall no seeding in this draw.

Vistamed Junior C Football Championship 2020

Four relegated teams from the 2019 Junior B Championship plus any additional team which did not participate in 2019 and has not been already catered for in any higher grade in accordance with these and the 2019 Regulations (to a maximum of 5 teams). This competition to be played in a single round-robin format with the top team qualifying for the final and 2 v 3 plays semi-final match. In the event of there being six teams participating, teams to be placed in two groups of three teams each. Top two teams in each group will play semi-finals (1 v 2 and 2 v 1).

Winner of JFC C in 2020 to be promoted to JFC B 2021.

There shall no seeding in this draw.

As regards a schedule of when these competitions will commence you are advised of the following:

Connacht Gold Senior Football Championship and Smith Monumentals Intermediate Football Championship

Round 1 WE July 18/19

Round 2 WE July 25/26

Round 3 WE Aug 01/02

Round 4 WE Aug 08/09

Round 5 WE Aug 15/16

Quarter-Finals/Relegation Final WE Aug 29/30

Semi-Finals WE Sept 12/13

Finals WE Sept 26/27

Vistamed Junior A Football Championship

Round 1 WE July 25/26

Round 2 TBC

Round 3 TBC

Round 4 TBC

Round 5 TBC

Quarter-Finals/Relegation Final TBC

Semi-Finals TBC

Final TBC

As you may appreciate, TBC dates above will be confirmed by CCC at a later date once the final makeup of the JFC B and C is confirmed.

Leitrim Senior Hurling Championship Final WE 03/04 October.

The following changes to the return to activity guidelines are being made after recommendations from this morning’s Covid-19 Advisory Committee. These changes were subsequently endorsed by the GAA, the Camogie Association and the LGFA.

This week

• Open pitches for Adult training next Wednesday, June 24^th. 
• Open for Minor and below from Saturday, June 27^th.
• Both of the above on a non-contact basis and on the understanding that players and all participants have completed the eLearning module and are following the control measures in place (health questionnaire etc).
• On the basis of a maximum of 15 players in a designated area of the field (26 Counties) and 10 players in a designated area of the field (6 Counties).
• Coaching numbers for underage teams to be consistent with Code of Behaviour.

From June 29^th

• Allow contact training and challenge games for all from Monday, June 29^th (26 Counties).
• We await guidance from the NI Executive in relation to 6 Counties – non-contact training in the numbers outlined above in the interim.
• We also await clarification on what will constitute a close contact versus a casual contact.
• Restriction on participants-only attending training sessions to be relaxed from June 29^th – subject to government-specified maximum of 200 people in the ground. 
• Allow Club Fixtures from Friday July 17^th.
• No change to inter-county dates (Sept 14th for training; competitions to start on Oct 17th as planned).
• All control measures for players, coaches and other team personnel (completion of health questionnaire, eLearning education etc) is to remain in place until advised otherwise; dressing rooms to remain closed until July 20^th
• The Advisory Committee is considering the position in relation to other GAA buildings (such as Club bars that are serving food, Gyms, Handball alleys etc). Guidance will be provided in this context before June 29^th.

Leitrim GAA Management Committee has decided and informed its clubs that its Coaching and Games Department will not proceed with the organisation and running of the 2020 Kellogg’s Cúl Camps. The reason for this decision is exclusively around concerns for the safeguarding of health for all that exists in the current COVID era.

While this is disappointing news for the clubs of the county who would have been the hosting venues for camps and ultimately for those who would have wished to participate, the decision is made in greater health interests of all concerned. Anybody who had previously booked on a Cúl Camp will be contacted directly via email from the GAA around the various options that are available to them at this stage regarding refunds. Any parent who wishes to purchase the 2020 Kellogg’s Cúl Camp gear may do so via Kellogg’s Cúl Camp website from next week forward.

If an individual club wishes to take on the responsibility to proceed with a Cúl Camp, later this summer, it may make a decision to do so, once it is compliant with National Cúl Camp Policy, has ensured that all of the issues that need to be addressed in the current health and safety protocol have been complied with and that it is signed off on by the Club and the County Committee and ensures that it run in accordance with the current guidelines. The County Coaching and Games Department will be available to give any advice or training of coaches that may be required by the club to set up such a Cúl camp, but will not run or supervise any such camp as would have been the case in our county in previous years.

In the meantime, we are confident that a programme of underage activity will be organised through CCC in accordance with the Return to Play Protocols, that will get us through the summer, and the Coaching and Games Department Personnel will be available to assist in the advice and delivery of any coaching programme that clubs may require advice on as they plan for return to play.