National Football League (Ireland)
| National Football League | |
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Current season or competition: 2017 National Football League
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| Irish | Sraith Náisiúnta Peile |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 1925–26 |
| Region | Ireland (GAA) |
| Trophy | Irish National Insurance Cup |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Title holders | Dublin (12th title) |
| First winner | Laois |
| Most titles | Kerry (19 titles) |
| Sponsors | Allianz |
| TV partner(s) |
TG4 Setanta Sports |
| Motto | The world belongs to those who dare. |
The National Football League (NFL; Irish: Sraith Náisiúnta Peile) is an annual Gaelic football competition between the senior county teams of Ireland plus London. Sponsored by Allianz, it is officially known as the Allianz National Football League.
The Gaelic Athletic Association organises the league. The winning team receives the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company. The National Football League is the second most prestigious inter-county Gaelic Football competition after the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Unlike many league competitions in sport, each team plays the other teams in their division only once. Teams that meet in the same division over the course of a number of years often play on a home and away basis in alternative years, though this is not strictly adhered to. Once the divisional matches have been played, the latter stages of the league become a knockout competition for the top teams in each division. This is seen as good preparation for the upcoming All-Ireland Championship and there is usually more intensity to the division finals than those played earlier in the league, but still lacking the intensity of Championship matches.
Dublin, the reigning league champions, defeated Kerry in the 2016 league final.
The National Football League was first held in 1925–26, thirty-eight years after the first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Laois won the inaugural National Football League. The NFL has traditionally played second fiddle to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, with most counties using it as preparation for that event. This was not helped by the fact that the League was initially played in winter (usually November–March), while the Championship had the more attractive summer dates and knockout structure.
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