The 1990–91 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Liver Assurance National Football League, was the 60th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.
Dublin defeated Kildare in the final.GAA Archive 1991Photos of final
Format
1990-91 was the final season of this league structure. The league was re-formatted for 1991-92."New League system to get the boot", Irish Independent, 23 January 1992, p. 16
Divisions Division One: 8 teams Division Two: 8 teams Division Three: 16 teams. Split into two regional groups of 8 (North and South)
Round-robin format Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.
Points awarded 2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.
Titles Teams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.
Knockout stage qualifiers Division One: first 4 teams Division Two: first 2 teams Division Three (North): first team Division Three (South): first team
Knockout phase structure In the quarter-finals, the match-ups were as follows Quarter-final 1: First-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (South) Quarter-final 2: Second-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (North) Quarter-final 3: Third-placed team in Division One v Second-placed team in Division Two Quarter-final 4: Fourth-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Two
The semi-final match-ups are Semi-final 1: Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 4 Semi-final 2: Winner Quarter-final 2 v Winner Quarter-final 3
The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.
Promotion and relegation
Owing to the re-structure of the league, promotion and relegation did not take place in the same manner as it did under the same structure in other years.
Division One: No relegation. All 8 teams placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Division Two: top 7 teams placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Bottom team placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL. Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Group runners up play-off for the third promotion slot from Division Three to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Remaining teams in the group placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL. Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Group runners up play-off for the third promotion slot from Division Three to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Remaining teams in the group placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL.
Separation of teams on equal points
In the event that teams finish on equal points, then a play-off will be used to determine group placings if necessary, i.e. where to decide relegation places or quarter-finalists.
League Phase Tables and Results
Division One TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 5 1 1 11 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 4 1 2 10 7 4 03 8 7 4 0 3 8 7 3 1 3 7 Placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 2 2 3 6 7 12 4 4 7 1 1 5 3 "Tables", Irish Press, 11/03/1991, p. 62
Division Two
Division Two play-offs
Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 5 1 1 11 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 5 0 2 10 7 5 0 2 10 Placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 4 1 2 9 7 3 2 2 8 7 1 1 5 3 7 1 1 5 3 7 1 0 6 2 Placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL
Division Three
Division Three promotion play-off
Division Three (North) table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 7 0 0 14 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 5 1 1 11Placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 4 03 8 Placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL 7 3 0 4 6 7 3 0 4 6 7 3 0 4 6 7 11 5 3 7 1 0 6 2
Division Three (South) table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 6 1 0 13 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL 7 5 0 2 10Placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL 7 4 03 8 7 4 0 3 8 7 3 0 4 6 7 3 0 4 6 7 21 4 5 7 0 0 7 0
Knockout stages
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
References