Qualifier Phase 1 --- There will be two teams, Galway and Antrim. These two will play to determine pairings in Phase 11. Venue will be on a Home and Away basis.

Qualifier Phase 11 --- Both Galway and Antrim will be involved and they will be joined by the first round losers in Munster and Leinster. It will be a Knock-Out format.
The Phase 1 winner will play the loser in Leinster and the beaten team in Phase 1 will play the Munster loser.
The Phase 11 winners will progress to Phase 1V with venues on a Home and Away basis.

Qualifier Phase 111 --- There will be 4 teams – the beaten Provincial semi-finalists in Leinster and Munster will play off on a Knock-Out format ---- there will be an ‘open’ draw but the two teams from the same province cannot meet.
Venues will be on a Home and Away basis.

All-Ireland Quarter-Finals --- The runners-up in Munster and Leinster will compete on a Knock-Out format, based on a draw --- against the Winners of Phase 1V. (The beaten provincial finalists cannot be drawn against one another.)

All-Ireland Semi-Finals --- The Munster and Leinster Champions will compete on a Knock-Out basis against the beaten provincial finalists or the team that beats them in the Q/F.

Promotion/Relegation --- The teams defeated in Phase 11 of the Qualifier will play off on a Knock-Out format and the losing team will contest a Promotion/Relegation play-off with the winners of the Christy Ring Cup. (The winners of the Christy Ring Cup will have home advantage.)

In the event of a draw, extra time will be played in all games in Phase 1,11,111 and 1V.

As you can see it is highly complicated especially considering the fact that there will be just twelve teams ---- Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Galway and Antrim --- taking part in 2008.

One of the principal reasons for the change was the desire to end the Round-Robin series. This had the disadvantage of producing too many meaningless games and greatly interfered with club fixtures. It had a big bearing on the disruption of the club fixture programme in Cork last year.

Antrim are most unhappy with the format as they feel it will simply mean two certain defeats every year.
Kilkenny should be very happy as it opens the door to their winning an All-Ireland by winning just two serious competitive games.

The new format does not please everybody but it is seen as an improvement on what was in place. It recognizes the fact that there is growing unrest amongst club players who will simply will no longer tolerate what has been happening in recent years.

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