New structures: An additional five or six weeks for the playing of club fixtures will be available if the GAA's new competition structures are approved at this Saturday's Special Congress in Croke Park, reports Ian O'Riordan

That was one element of the new structures highlighted by GAA president Nickey Brennan yesterday when he outlined the full list of motions to be presented on Saturday.

The potential changes to the two main competitions - the league and championship - were aired last month, and have been with the counties for the last number of weeks for consideration.

The championships will essentially continue as they are, with some modifications to the qualifiers, although both leagues are set for a major shake-up - effectively returning to the more traditional, four-division formats.

As the new football championship restructurings involve a rule change they will require a two-thirds majority of Congress to gain approval.

The new hurling championship structures are an extension of an experimental period and therefore require only a simple majority, while the new league structures will be decided by Central Council, who will meet on Saturday afternoon immediately after the Congress, again requiring only a simple majority.

"Between the hurling and the football championships, there is nothing radical here," admitted Brennan. "The documents have been with the counties for the last few weeks, and we've had relatively little feedback. In fact very few people submitted a constructive response, and there was a fair amount of general agreement overall."

Brennan repeatedly emphasised the larger window for the playing of club fixtures with the new structures, brought about by a more condensed league, a clear four-week break between its conclusion and the start of the championship, increased allowance for the use of extra-time, and the All-Ireland finals being permanently set for the first and third Sundays in September.

"The leagues will double up most weekends," he added. "The football league semi-finals are done away with, and will help create that four-week break. And I would expect further proposals coming before Congress next year to address the whole area of the scheduling of club games, because I feel we still have some further way to go."

The championship changes are minimal. However, in football, the eight lowest-ranked teams in the league will become ineligible for the football qualifiers and go straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup (unless they make their provincial finals). In hurling, the two qualifying groups are to be entirely separate, based on when teams are eliminated from provincial championships.

Also, the now three-round football qualifier is to be run off on an open draw.

"The whole concept of trying to arrange the other draw (with teams kept apart) was extremely difficult," explained Brennan, "and fraught with danger - moving teams from one line to another - and quite frankly, at times it did look like a fix.

"In terms of venues, the designated county scenario is done away with. First teams drawn in round one and two continue to get home venue, but round three can be decided by the Competitions Control Committee. But the Tommy Murphy Cup had relatively little enthusiasm in the current shape, because once beaten twice not a lot of teams had an interest in it.

"In the new context it's more realistic, in that if you're beaten early on you're straight into a more meaningful competition. And the feedback we've been getting is that this is far more practical. And we've assured them that they won't miss out financially by not being in the qualifiers."

The hurling championship sticks largely to the current format - 12 teams contesting the Liam MacCarthy Cup, 10 the Christy Ring Cup and 12 the Nicky Rackard Cup. There won't, however, be relegation or promotion in the first year - the aim is to allow some consolidation.

The hurling league was always earmarked for a major shake-up, and will next year be played with either a nine-team Division One - and so on down (nine in Division Two; eight in Division Three; seven in Division Four). That allows four home and four away games each, the top four reaching the play-offs - or an eight-team Division One (with a two eights, and nine in Division Four).

Possibly the main debate on the day will be the new football league (a straight four-division format, with two teams relegated and promoted) which can be introduced next year or in 2008.

If it is introduced in 2007 the top flight will contain the four best teams from 1A and 1B of 2006 (Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone, Dublin, Laois, Galway, Derry and Down), and so on down.

Brennan was hesitant to predict the outcome here: "I know some counties, such as Louth, feel they have earned their right to play in Division One, and feel they should be allowed to go through the current system for one year. And I wouldn't disagree with that. It would make for a very competitive league in 2007." Central Council will meet immediately after Congress to deal with the relevant revisions.