2021 National Football League (Ireland)

League details
Dates	15 May – 19 June 2021
Teams	31
League champions
Winners	Kerry/Dublin (22nd and 14th win)
Other division winners
Division 2	Kildare and Mayo
Division 3	Derry
← 2020 2022 →

The 2021 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz National Football League, was the 90th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for Gaelic Athletic Association county teams. Thirty-one county teams from the island of Ireland compete; Kilkenny do not participate. London did not participate, due to restrictions around travel in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In December 2020, it was announced that each division would be divided into North and South sections in order to reduce fixtures and minimise cross-border matches. This plan had been hinted at as early as September 2020. Teams would play three league games, plus possibly two knockout matches, allowing the tournament to be finished in just five rounds of games. In February 2021, it was announced that the league would be delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games and that cancelling it would be a last resort. It began on 15 May 2021.

Due to COVID-19, finals were not played if a team had a championship game scheduled for the following week. This resulted in three divisions having their finals cancelled and being awarded jointly. Kerry and Dublin shared the Division 1 title; Kildare and Mayo Division 2; and Antrim and Louth Division 4. Offaly and Derry would have shared the Division 3 title, but chose to play the final instead. It was a pilot COVID test event with 2,400 spectators permitted, and Derry won.

Format

League structure

Teams by Province and Division
Province	Division 1	Division 2	Division 3	Division 4	Total
Connacht	2	1	0	2	5
Leinster	1	4	3	3	11
Munster	1	2	2	1	6
Ulster	4	1	3	1	9
Britain	0	0	0	0	0
Total	8	8	8	7	31

The 2021 National Football League consists of three divisions of eight teams and one of seven. Each division is divided into a North and South section; each team plays every other team in its section once. Two points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw.

In the top division, Division 1, teams compete to become the National Football League (NFL) champions. The top two in each section qualify for the NFL semi-finals.

Teams compete for promotion and relegation to a higher or lower league. In Divisions 2, 3 and 4, the top two teams in each group play in the divisional semi-finals, with each team that reaches the divisional final being promoted.

Division finals are not played if a team is scheduled to play a championship match on 26/27 June 2021; the division title will be shared.

The bottom two teams in each section in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 enter relegation playoffs, with the losers relegated.

The third-placed teams in each section in Division 4 enter the Division 4 Shield Final.

Tiebreakers for league ranking

As per the Official GAA Guide - Part 1 - Section 6.21 -

If two teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the group phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:

1. Where two teams only are involved - the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the group game;

If three or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the group phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:

1. Scoring Difference (subtracting the total scores against from total scores for);
2. Highest Total Score For;
3. A Play-Off.

In the event that two teams or more finish with equal points, but have been affected by a disqualification, loss of game on a proven objection, retirement or walkover, the tie shall be decided by the following means:

1. Score Difference from the games in which only the teams involved, (teams tied on points), have played each other. (subtracting the total Scores Against from total Scores For)
2. Highest Total Score For, in which only the teams involved, have played each other, and have finished equal under rule 1 above
3. A Play-Off

Division 1

Kerry

Dublin

Galway

Tyrone

Donegal

Monaghan

Armagh

Roscommon

Locations of the 2021 NFL Division 1 teams.
Red: North section; Green: South section.

Division 1 North

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	20px Donegal	3	1	2	0	38	36	+2	4	Advance to NFL semi-finals
2	Tyrone	3	1	1	1	37	34	+3	3
3	20px Armagh	3	1	1	1	35	36	−1	3	Advance to a relegation playoff; losers are relegated to Division 2
4	Monaghan	3	0	2	1	35	39	−4	2

Division 1 South

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	20px Kerry (C)	3	2	1	0	75	47	+28	5	Advance to NFL semi-finals
2	20px Dublin (C)	3	2	1	0	68	55	+13	5
3	Galway (R)	3	1	0	2	51	71	−20	2	Advance to Division 1 relegation playoffs; two losers are relegated to Division 2
4	Roscommon (R)	3	0	0	3	47	68	−21	0

Division 1 Finals

Dublin and Kerry shared the 2021 NFL title, as Kerry had a championship game on 26 June 2021.

Division 2

Meath

Westmeath

Down

Mayo

Kildare

Laois

Cork

Clare

Locations of the 2021 NFL Division 2 teams.
Red: North section; Green: South section.

Division 2 North

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Mayo (P)	3	3	0	0	74	50	+24	6	Advance to Division 2 semi-finals; both finalists are promoted to Division 1
2	20px Meath	3	2	0	1	55	55	0	4
3	20px Down	3	1	0	2	41	60	−19	2	Advance to a relegation playoff; losers are relegated to Division 3
4	20px Westmeath (R)	3	0	0	3	45	50	−5	0

Division 2 South

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Kildare (P)	3	2	0	1	55	41	+14	4	Advance to Division 2 semi-finals; both finalists are promoted to Division 1
2	20px Clare	3	2	0	1	56	47	+9	4
3	Cork	3	2	0	1	54	49	+5	4	Advance to a relegation playoff; losers are relegated to Division 3
4	Laois (R)	3	0	0	3	33	61	−28	0

Division 2 Finals

Template:GAAmatchbox Template:GAAmatchbox Kildare and Mayo shared the Division 2 title, as Mayo had a championship game on 26 June 2021.

Division 3

Cavan

Longford

Limerick

Wicklow

Offaly

Tipperary

Derry

Fermanagh

Locations of the 2021 NFL Division 3 teams.
Red: North section; Green: South section.

Division 3 North

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	20px Derry (P)	3	3	0	0	49	14	+35	6	Advance to Division 3 semi-finals; both finalists are promoted to Division 2
2	20px Fermanagh	3	1	1	1	24	42	−18	3
3	20px Cavan (R)	3	1	0	2	36	31	+5	2	Advance to a relegation playoff; losers are relegated to Division 4
4	20px Longford	3	0	1	2	21	43	−22	1

Division 3 South

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Offaly (P)	3	3	0	0	33	27	+6	6	Advance to Division 3 semi-finals; both finalists are promoted to Division 2
2	20px Limerick	3	2	0	1	30	30	0	4
3	20px Tipperary (R)	3	1	0	2	32	31	+1	2	Advance to a relegation playoff; losers are relegated to Division 4
4	20px Wicklow	3	0	0	3	28	35	−7	0

Division 4

Division 4 North

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	20px Antrim (P)	3	3	0	0	63	60	+3	6	Advance to Division 4 semi-finals; both finalists are promoted to Division 3
2	20px Louth (P)	3	2	0	1	63	45	+18	4
3	Sligo	3	1	0	2	63	67	−4	2	Advance to Division 4 Shield Final
4	Leitrim	3	0	0	3	50	67	−17	0

Division 4 South

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	20px Carlow	2	2	0	0	43	27	+16	4	Advance to Division 4 semi-finals; both finalists are promoted to Division 3
2	20px Waterford	2	1	0	1	29	43	−14	2
3	Wexford	2	0	0	2	35	37	−2	0	Advance to Division 4 Shield Final

• London, affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games, did not compete due to travel restrictions.

Division 4 Finals

Louth v Carlow

12 June 2021 16:00 IST (UTC+1) Semi-Final

Louth	1-23 – 1-15	Carlow
Mulroy 0-7 (5f, 1'45), Grimes 1-2, Keenan 0-3, Downey 0-3, C. Byrne 0-3, Jackson 0-2, Callaghan 0-1, Duffy 0-1, D. Byrne 0-1

Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin)

GK 1 Craig Lynch (Naomh Máirtin) RCB 2 Dan Corcoran (Geraldines) FB 3 Dermot Campbell (Dreadnots) LCB 4 Donal McKenny (St Mary's) RHB 5 Emmet Carolan (Newtown Blues) CHB 6 Niall Sharkey (Glyde Rangers) LHB 7 Eoghan Callaghan (Naomh Máirtin) MF 8 Bevan Duffy (St Fechin's) MF 9 Ciarán Byrne (St Mochta's) RHF 10 Liam Jackson (St Mary's) CHF 11 Sam Mulroy (Naomh Máirtin) (c) LHF 12 Ciarán Downey (Newtown Blues) RCF 13 Ciarán Keenan (St Mary's) FF 14 Conor Grimes (Glen Emmets) LCF 15 Ryan Burns (Hunterstown Rovers) Substitutes: 16 Leonard Grey (St Patrick's) for Corcoran 17 Declan Byrne (St Mochta's) for Burns 18 Dáire Nally (Newtown Blues) for Campbell 19 Conal McKeever (Clan Na Gael) for Duffy 20 John Clutterbuck (Naomh Máirtin) for Carolan Template:GAAmatchbox Antrim and Louth shared the Division 4 title, as Louth had a championship game on 27 June 2021. League statistics Scoring events David Tubridy (Clare) became top scorer in National Football League history against Cork in May 2021, his total score in the competition after this game (22–412, i.e. 478 points) causing him to overtake Mickey Kearins (Sligo, 1961–1978). References