With a condensed playing timeframe afforded, the fixture format for the forthcoming Westmeath senior football championship, due to throw-in the weekend commencing July 31, has been confirmed, with the draw formalities to take place on Sunday.
As a return to all contact training for clubs commences on Monday, June 29, the revised senior football championship fixture format remains of round robin orientation with four groups each comprising three teams.
Referred to as Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4, the senior football championship semi-finalists of 2019, Garrycastle (holders ), St. Lomans, The Downs and Mullingar Shamrocks will be seeded and separated in the round robin phase of the competition.
Athlone, Rosemount, Coralstown/Kinnegad and Tyrrellspass will be drawn into separate groups (the four clubs which were Group 1 in 2019 and Group 1 in 2020 ), while the remaining four clubs, Castledaly, Caulry, Killucan and Shandonagh will be drawn into the four groups on an open-draw basis.
Order of Games
Game 1 will be drawn (e.g. Team A v Team B )
Game 2 – winner of Game 1 v Team C
Game 3 – loser of Game 1 v Team C (If Game 1 is a draw then Team A will play in Game 2 )
Concluding Stages
Teams 1 and 2 in each Group qualify for quarter finals with last eight winners to be placed in Group 1 2021. Losing quarter finalists play for remaining two Group 1 positions in 2021.
Quarter finals
A.Team 1 Group 1 v Team 2 Group 2
B.Team 1 Group 2 v Team 2 Group 1
C.Team 1 Group 3 v Team 2 Group 4
D.Team 1 Group 4 v Team 2 Group 3
Semi-finals
E. AvC
F. BvD
Play-off (Winners in Group 1 2021 )
Loser A v Loser C
Loser B v Loser D
Final
E v F
Relegation
The bottom team in each Group shall be involved in Relegation Play-Off as follows:
Relegation Semi-finals
A.Team 3 Group 1 v Team 3 Group 2
B.Team 3 Group 3 v Team 3 Group 4
Relegation Final
Loser A v Loser B
Loser of this game relegated to Intermediate for 2021.
Full Championship regulations apply. Should the quarter-final, semi-final, final, play-off game, relegation semi-final or relegation final end in a draw, extra-time and finish on the day (i.e. penalties if necessary following extra-time ) shall apply.
