Clare senior hurling kingpins Sixmilebridge have been knocked out of the County Championship at the group stages, and will now head for the senior B edition.
Crusheen advanced to the knock-out stages at Similebridge’s expense but, were it not for a new ruling from Croke Park regarding score difference, then it would have been the other way around.
So, as county championship group stages the country over reach their denouement, here’s a development worth heeding. It could come have a bearing on your club as soon as this weekend.
Here goes.
According to the competition regulations, if there are more than two teams tied on the same number of points at the end of the group stages, then score difference will be used to determine who goes through.
This is nothing new, this has always been the case.
The change from the top this year being that the score difference will only be calculated from the games involving the three teams that are tied. The regular score difference, which will involve other games with another team who are not involved in the tie will not have a bearing.
2/2 … calculated on the games between tied teams only. On that basis, Crusheen advance to Quarter Finals.
— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) August 25, 2023
The confusion in Clare arose from the fact that not everyone was aware of the new ruling. Initially, word went around that, seeing as their score difference regular was superior to Crusheen’s, that Sixmilebridge would qualify for the knock-out stages.
But Crusheen had three points to spare once the new rule was taken into account.
This new rule was brought in at congress this year and is supposed to be in operation in all county championships countrywide.
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