2018 Kerry Senior Football Championship


The 2018 Kerry Senior Football Championship was the 117th edition of Kerry GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for senior teams in County Kerry, Ireland. The tournament consists of 17 teams, with the winners representing Kerry in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship if they are a club team. If the winners are a divisional team the winners of the Kerry Club Football Championship represent the county.
The championship has a back-door format for the first two rounds before proceeding to a knock-out format. Generally, any team to lose two matches will be knocked out of the championship.
This was An Ghaeltacht's return to the senior ranks, meaning they will no longer provide players to the West Kerry District panel for this season. Kilcummin will provide the East Kerry Divisional side with players for the S.F.C.
Dr. Crokes were the 2017 champions after they defeated South Kerry in the final.

Format Structure Change

8 club teams and 9 divisional teams will take part in this year's S.F.C. It was decided that only 8 divisional sides would take part in the competition proper so the 2 lowest ranked divisional sides from the previous 5 years would play off in a qualification match with the winner entering the draw for the 2017 County Championship proper.
Relegation : The club team to be relegated from the Senior County Championship will be the same team to be relegated from the Senior Club Championship.
The winner of the 2017 I.F.C. will be promoted to the 2018 Senior County and Club Championships.

Team Changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2016 championship season.

To S.F.C.

Promoted from 2017 Kerry Intermediate Football Championship
Relegated to 2018 I.F.C.
The teams taking part in the 2018 Kerry Senior Football Championship are:
TeamTeam LocationClub/DivisionalClub's Divisional Side
An GhaeltachtBallyferriter, Dunquin, Feohanagh, Gallarus & VentryClubWest Kerry
Austin StacksTraleeClubSt. Brendan's
DingleDingleClubWest Kerry
Dr. CrokesKillarneyClubEast Kerry
East KerryxDivisional x
Feale RangersxDivisional x
Kenmare DistrictxDivisional x
Kenmare ShamrocksKenmareClubKenmare District
Kerins O'RahillysTraleeClubSt. Brendan's
Killarney LegionKillarneyClubEast Kerry
Mid KerryxDivisional x
RathmoreRathmoreClubEast Kerry
Shannon RangersxDivisional x
South KerryxDivisional x
St. Brendan'sxDivisional x
St. Kieran'sxDivisional x
West KerryxDivisional x

Championship Qualifier

It was decided that only 8 of the 9 Divisional Teams would play in the Senior Championship proper. To determine which team would be excluded, all divisional teams were ranked on their performances in the County Championship over the most recent 5-year period. These rankings were based on a win counting for 2 points and a draw counting for 1 point.
The 2 lowest placed sides were St. Brendan's and West Kerry. These sides then met in a qualifier to decide who would make it into the championship proper. The loser of this qualifier will play the lowest ranked team on completion of the 2018 Championship, to decide the 8 divisional teams for the 2019 Championship, except in the event of more than one team giving a walk over in this year’s Championship. In that case the teams that conceded walk-overs play in 2019 Championship Qualifier.

Rounds 1 to 3

Round 1

The sixteen remaining teams play in eight matches in Round 1. The winners proceed to Round 2A while the losers play in Round 2B.

Round 2

Round 2A

The eight winners from Round 1 play each other in this round. The winners proceed to the knock-out quarter finals while the losers play in Round 3.

Round 2B

The eight losers from Round 1 play each other in this round. The winners proceed to Round 3 while the losers are eliminated from the championship having lost two games.

Round 3

The four Round 2A losers play the four Round 2B winners in this round. The four winners progress to the knock-out quarter finals while the losers are eliminated from the championship.

Knock-Out Stage

Quarter-Finals

The four Round 2A winners play the four Round 3 winners in the quarter-finals.

Semi-Finals

Final

Relegation

The club team to be relegated from the Senior County Championship will be the same team to be relegated from the Senior Club Championship. The 8 senior clubs play off against each other in Round 1 of the Club Championship. The 4 losers enter a relegation playoff with the losers entering a relegation final. This loser will be relegated to the I.F.C. for 2019. Should a club reach the final of the County championship they will be exempt from the Relegation process in the Club championship.
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