Camogie Association announces trial rules and championship structures change for 2026

THE CAMOGIE ASSOCIATION has announced its master fixtures plan for 2026, along with trial rules and a change in championship structures.

The National Leagues will get underway on 14/15 February, with the All-Ireland championships commencing on 23/24 May. All-Ireland finals weekend is slated for 8/9 August.

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In championship fare, the tier formats will remain with senior split into groups of four and six and intermediate into two groups of four. The 2025 semi-finalists enter group one on seeding, with the top two sides in that group qualifying for the 2026 semi-finals. Third and fourth from group one will progress to the quarter-finals, where they will face off against the top two sides from group two.

Trial rules around helmet removal, substitutions, dissent, referee interaction and sideline pucks will be trailled in the 2026 National Leagues and All-Ireland championships (all adult grades and U23).

They are detailed in a statement from the Camogie Association as follows:

• Helmet removal: A player who during a game removes their helmet or has had it removed by a player/official from the player’s own team shall be presumed to be potentially injured and shall be instructed by the referee to leave the field of play to be assessed for injury and the helmet refitted.
• The removal of substitutions upon the completion of 30 minutes of each half, and upon the completion of 10 minutes of each half in extra-time.
• Increasing the penalties for dissent from players and team officials.
• Team captains (or a nominated player when either the captain is the team’s goalkeeper, or the captain has left the field of play) are the only players permitted to speak to the referee to seek clarification of their decisions.
• Side-line pucks may be taken from the player’s hand, if she is inside her own 45.

The rules will be trialled throughout the 2026 season, with an initial review taking place after the National Leagues and any necessary improvements considered ahead of championship.

A further review will follow thereafter, with any proposed changes to be brought to Congress in 2027.

Meanwhile, Siobhán Divilly has been named The Croke Park Hotel/LGFA Player of the Month for December 2025.

It caps a fine week for Divilly, who produced a Player of the Match performance as Kilkerrin-Clonberne won their fifth All-Ireland senior club title in a row last Saturday.