‘Super 8s’ explained

THERE are 16 teams left in the hunt for the Sam Maguire Cup but only the provincial winners – Dublin, Kerry, Galway and Donegal – are guaranteed a place in the ‘Super 8s’.

Dublin make their ‘Super 8s’ bow with a Croke Park date in mid-July against Donegal.

On a bumper weekend for football at headquarters on the weekend of July 14-15, Kerry will face Galway, and there will also be two other games in the stadium.

The eight teams who have come through the back door – Armagh, Cavan, Clare, Kildare, Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan and Tyrone – go into this morning’s Round 3 qualifier draw.

The four winners in Round 3 will then play the four beaten provincial finalists – Laois, Cork, Roscommon and Fermanagh – in Round 4 of the qualifiers for a place in the ‘Super 8s’.

The eight counties who qualify for the ‘Super 8s’ will be split into two groups of four as follows: Group 1: Kerry, Galway, Fermanagh (or the team that beat them in Round 4), Laois (or the team that beat them in R4)

Group 2: Dublin, Donegal, Cork, (or the team that beats them in R4), Roscommon (or the team that beats them in R4)

Each county is guaranteed three games: one at home, one in Croke Park and one away. Dublin will play two games at Croke Park.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the All-Ireland semi-finals.