When and where to watch GAA's inter-provincial trial games | TV, tickets, teams and more

The GAA Interprovincial series returns this weekend with some of the biggest names in the game lining out at Croke Park as spectators get the chance to see the GAA's proposed new trial rules on show.

Top players from the four provinces will take to the field to showcase the Football Review Committee's proposed new rules in the hopes of injecting an attacking element back into the game. 

Friday night will see Connacht face Leinster followed by the meeting of Ulster and Munster. On Saturday, the opening match sees the two beaten teams from Friday night meeting at 5.30pm followed by the clash of the two Friday night winners at 7.30pm.

The backdrop to the event is the trialing of the seven core enhancements put forward by the Football Review Committee and the subject of a special congress at the end of November.

When and where are the games?

The semi-finals take place tonight, Friday, with the Shield and Cup finals down for decision on Saturday evening at Croke Park, Dublin.

What time is throw-in?

Throw in for the first semi-final between Leinster and Connacht is at 6pm with the Munster and Ulster game taking place directly afterwards at 8pm.

Saturday’s finals are at 5.30pm and 7.30pm respectively. 

Where can I watch the match?

Live coverage kicks off tonight on TG4 with Leinster v Connacht at 6pm followed by Munster v Ulster at 8pm. RTÉ takes the reigns for Saturday’s coverage with the Shield final being broadcast live on RTÉ News Now channel from 5.30pm before a shift to RTÉ 2 for the Cup final at 7.30pm.

Are tickets still available?

Tickets for the games are priced at €15 for adults and €5 for children and provide entry to all four games over the two days. Tickets must be purchased in advance from either gaa.ie or Centra and SuperValu outlets.

What are the odds?

Ulster are the overall favourites for the series at a price of 4/6, Connacht follow at 5/2, Leinster are 5/1 with Munster the underdogs at 14/1 to claim the series. 

What are the new rules being trialled?

The seven rule changes proposed by the Football Review Committee are: 

1v1 throw-ins

FRC: "To start the game and restart it after halftime, the referee will throw-in the ball between 2 players. The other 2 midfielders will take position on opposite sides of the field on the halfway line."

Kick-outs

FRC: "Kick out's must go beyond the 40m arc. Players must remain 13m from the ball but may stay inside the 20m line."

Goalkeeper backpass

FRC: "The goalkeeper may only receive a pass from a teammate if they are inside the opposition half, or if they and the player passing the ball are inside their large rectangle."

Solo-and-go

FRC: "A player fouled may immediately take a solo and go."

Scoring system

FRC: "A new 40m arc will be introduced at each end and extend back to join at the 20m line. A point scored outside the arc is worth 2 points, a point inside the arc or inside the 20m line is worth 1 point and a goal will accrue 4 points."

Three/Three players structure rule

FRC: "Each team must keep any 3 outfield players in each half of the field. Leaving 11 outfield players to defend in one's half of the field and 11 outfield players to attack (a dashed line, from side-line-to-side-line, will now mark midfield)"

Advanced mark

FRC: "The current advance mark is gone. A new mark is introduced whereby a player may claim a mark if the ball is caught inside the 20m line after it is kick passed outside the 45m line. To reward the risk, the player may continue on until the advantage is no longer accrued, whereby the referee will give a free-kick from the place of the mark."

What are the squads?

The Leinster squad is led by Dublin’s nine-time All-Ireland winning history makers James McCarthy and Stephen Cluxton with 11 counties represented for the boys in green.

Armagh’s All-Ireland winners have a strong presence in the Ulster ranks and are led by Paddy Burns, Oisín Conaty, Aidan Forker, and Rian and Oisín O’Neill.

Connacht’s squad includes players from London and New York and is led by Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea and Galway’s Cillian McDaid.

Kerry’s experienced duo Tadhg Morley and Diarmuid O’Connor headline the Munster squad.

Leinster

1 Stephen Cluxton, Dublin

2 Michael Bambrick, Carlow

3 Mark Barry, Laois

4 Sean Bugler, Dublin

5 Ciaran Byrne, Louth

6 Ray Connellan, Westmeath

7 Peter Cunningham, Offaly

8 Ciaran Downey, Louth

9 Ross Dunphy, Carlow

10 Kevin Feely, Kildare

11 Daniel Flynn, Kildare

12 Darren Gallagher, Longford

13 Dean Healy, Wicklow

14 Ryan Houlihan, Kildare

15 Brian Howard, Dublin

16 Killian Roche, Laois

17 Ronan Jones, Meath

18 Donal Keoghan, Meath

19 Ciaran Kilkenny, Dublin

20 Paul Kingston, Laois

21 Craig Lennon, Louth

22 James McCarthy, Dublin

23 Eoin Murchan, Dublin

24 Evan O'Carroll, Laois

25 Lee Pearson, Offaly

26 Eoin Porter, Wexford

27 Kevin Quinn, Wicklow

28 John Small, Dublin

29 Paddy Small, Dublin

30 Ronan Wallace, Westmeath

Connacht

1 Connor Gleeson, Galway

2 Johnny McGrath, Galway

3 Brian Stack, Roscommon

4 Sean Mulkerrin, Galway

5 Cillian McDaid, Galway

6 John Daly, Galway

7 Eoghan McLoughlin, Mayo

8 Jack Carney, Mayo

9 John Maher, Galway

10 Matthew Tierney, Galway

11 Bob Touhy, Mayo

12 Enda Smith, Roscommon

13 Diarmuid Murtagh, Roscommon

14 Aidan O’Shea, Mayo

15 Daire Cregg, Roscommon

16 Conor Carroll, Roscommon

17 Ruaidhrí Fallon, Roscommon

18 Mark Diffley, Leitrim

19 Johnny Heaney, Galway

20 Shane Brosnan, New York

21 Ultan Harney, Roscommon

22 Barry McNulty, Leitrim

23 Conor Cox, Roscommon

24 Donie Smith, Roscommon

25 Ciaran Murtagh, Roscommon

26 Diarmuid Duffy, Mayo

27 Fergal Boland, Mayo

28 Pat Spillane, Sligo

29 Aidan McLoughlin, London

30 Liam Gallagher, London

31 Paul Towey, Mayo

32 Keith Byrne, Leitrim

33 Shay Rafter, London

34 Eddie McGinness, Sligo

35 Cian Lally, Sligo

36 Joey Grace, New York

37 Daire Rooney, London

Ulster

1 Niall Morgan, Tyrone

2 Diarmuid Baker, Derry

3 Mark Bradley, Tyrone

4 Paddy Burns, Armagh

5 Aidan Clarke, Tyrone

6 Oisin Conaty, Armagh

7 Padraig Faulkner, Cavan

8 Aidan Forker, Armagh

9 Niall Grimley, Armagh

10 Daniel Guiness, Down

11 Pat Havern, Down

12 Marc Jordan, Antrim

13 Conn Kilpatrick, Tyrone

14 Barry McBennett, Monaghan

15 Ronan McCaffrey, Fermanagh

16 Sean McNally, Fermanagh

17 Darren McCurry, Tyrone

18 Eoin McElholm, Tyrone

19 Joe McElroy, Armagh

20 Eoin McEvoy, Derry

21 Kieran McGeary, Tyrone

22 Peter McGrane, Armagh

23 Ross McQuillan, Armagh

24 Odhran Murdock, Down

25 Daire O Baoill, Donegal

26 Rian O Neill, Armagh

27 Oisin O Neill, Armagh

28 Gerry Smith, Cavan

29 Ciaran Thompson, Donegal

30 Niall Toner, Derry

31 Frank Burns, Tyrone

32 Mick Byrne, Antrim

33 Joe Finnegan, Antrim

34 Jason Irwin, Monaghan

35 Jason McLoughlin, Cavan

36 Fionan O’Brien, Fermanagh

Munster

1 Josh Ryan, Limerick

2 Darragh Brennan, Tipperary

3 Damien Bourke, Kerry

4 Darragh Cashman, Cork

5 Eoin Cleary, Clare

6 Jimmy Feehan, Tipperary

7 Aran Griffin, Clare

8 Emmet McMahon, Clare

9 Brian McNamara, Clare

10 Sean Meehan, Cork

11 Tadhg Morley, Kerry

12 James Naughton, Limerick

13 Danny Neville, Limerick

14 Colm O Callaghan, Cork

15 Diarmuid O Connor, Kerry

16 Chris Kelly, Cork

17 Conor O Currin, Waterford

18 Sean O Dea, Limerick

19 Donal O Sullivan, Kerry

20 Chris Og Jones, Cork

21 Dermot Ryan, Waterford

22 Maurice Shanley, Cork

23 Killian Spillane, Kerry

24 Mark Stokes, Tipperary

25 Alan Sweeney, Clare

26 Matty Taylor, Cork

27 Caomhin Walsh, Waterford

28 Tommy Walsh, Cork

29 Sean Walsh, Waterford

30 Paul Walsh, Cork