2016 Ladies' National Football League
# 2016 Ladies' National Football League

The 2016 Ladies' National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Lidl Ladies' National Football League, was a ladies' Gaelic football competition that ended on 7 May 2016. Cork were the Division 1 champions for the fourth year in a row.

## Format

### League structure

The 2016 Ladies' National Football League consists of four divisions - three of eight teams and one of seven. Kilkenny do not compete. Each team plays every other team in its division once. 3 points are awarded for a win and 1 for a draw. 2 points are deducted for conceding a walkover.

If two teams are level on league points, the tie-break is -

* Winners of the head-to-head game are ranked ahead
* If the head-to-head match was a draw, ranking is determined by score difference (i.e. total scored minus total conceded in all games)
* If the teams are still level, ranking is determined by the total scored

If three or more teams are level on league points, rankings are determined solely by score difference.

### Finals, promotions and relegations

The top four teams in Division 1 contest the Ladies' National Football League semi-finals (first plays fourth and second plays third).

The top four teams in divisions 2, 3 and 4 contest the semi-finals of their respective divisions. The division champions are promoted.

The bottom teams in divisions 1, 2 and 3 are relegated.

## Division 1

### Table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mayo | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 78 | +41 | 21 | Advance to Division 1 semi-finals |
| Cork (C) | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 147 | 89 | +58 | 12 | Advance to Division 1 semi-finals |
| Dublin | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 144 | 87 | +57 | 12 | Advance to Division 1 semi-finals |
| Kerry | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 125 | 95 | +30 | 12 | Advance to Division 1 semi-finals |
| Armagh | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 139 | 118 | +21 | 12 |
| Galway | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 135 | 121 | +14 | 12 |
| Monaghan | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 78 | 145 | –67 | 3 |
| Tyrone | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 32 | 186 | –154 | 0 | Relegated to Division 2 for 2017 |

Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Armagh and Galway are ranked by score difference.

### Controversy

After the final round of the Division 1 league the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association mistakenly announced that Armagh were one of the teams qualified for the semi-finals. They subsequently corrected their error and apologised. Armagh issued a statement accusing the LGFA of "total incompetence" and revealed that they had considered legal action.

### Semi-finals & Final

| 23 April 2016 Semi-Final | Mayo | 1-16 – 2-12 | Kerry | St Brendan's Park, Birr |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 23 April 2016 Semi-Final | Cork | 1-15 – 0-11 | Dublin | St Brendan's Park, Birr |
| 7 May 2016 7:15 p.m. Final | Cork | 1-10 – 0-10 | Mayo | Parnell Park, Donnycarney Referee: Brendan Rice |
| 7 May 2016 7:15 p.m. Final | O Finn (0-6) R Ní Bhuachalla (1-1) R Buckley (0-1) O Farmer (0-1) A Walsh (0-1) | Report | C Staunton (0-6) S Mulvihill (0-1) S Rowe (0-1) N Kelly (0-1) G Kelly (0-1) | Parnell Park, Donnycarney Referee: Brendan Rice |

## Division 2

### Table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Donegal (P) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 65 | +92 | 21 | Advance to Division 2 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Westmeath | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 127 | 82 | +45 | 15 | Advance to Division 2 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Clare | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 118 | 80 | +38 | 15 | Advance to Division 2 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Cavan | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 115 | 81 | +34 | 15 | Advance to Division 2 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Kildare | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 90 | 150 | –60 | 6 |
| Laois | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 77 | 118 | –41 | 6 |
| Sligo | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 82 | 137 | –55 | 3 |
| Meath | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 96 | 149 | –53 | 3 | Relegated to Division 3 for 2017 |

* Sligo defeated Meath in a playoff game.

### Semi-finals & Final

| 23 April 2016 Semi-Final | Donegal | 0-13 – 0-6 | Cavan | Beragh |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 23 April 2016 Semi-Final | Westmeath | 4-12 – 1-11 | Clare | Banagher |
| 7 May 2016 5:30 p.m. Final | Donegal | 3-17 – 0-13 | Westmeath | Parnell Park, Donnycarney Referee: Keith Delahunty |

## Division 3

### Table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Waterford (P) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 77 | +68 | 21 | Advance to Division 3 semi-finals Champios promoted |
| Tipperary | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 163 | 74 | +89 | 18 | Advance to Division 3 semi-finals Champios promoted |
| Wexford | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 111 | 86 | +25 | 12 | Advance to Division 3 semi-finals Champios promoted |
| Leitrim | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 135 | 111 | +24 | 12 | Advance to Division 3 semi-finals Champios promoted |
| Roscommon | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 110 | 100 | +10 | 12 |
| Offaly | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 91 | 136 | –45 | 6 |
| Down | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 96 | 141 | –45 | 3 |
| Fermanagh | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 36 | 162 | –126 | 0 | Relegated to Division 4 for 2017 |

* Wexford, Leitrim and Roscommon are ranked by score difference.

### Semi-finals & Final

| 17 April 2016 Semi-Final | Tipperary | 5-11 – 4-7 | Wexford | Piltown Referee: Colm McManus |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 17 April 2016 Semi-Final | Waterford | 7-15 – 0-6 | Leitrim | Portarlington Referee: Jonathan Murphy |
| 30 April 2016 3:45 p.m. Final | Waterford | 2-13 – 3-10 | Tipperary | Conneff Park, Clane Referee: Gavin Corrigan |
| 8 May 2016 1:15 p.m. Final Replay | Waterford | 1-13 – 1-12 | Tipperary | Semple Stadium, Thurles Referee: Jonathan Murphy |

## Division 4

### Table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Longford | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 150 | 73 | +77 | 15 | Advance to Division 4 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Wicklow | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 168 | 44 | +124 | 15 | Advance to Division 4 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Limerick (P) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 167 | 44 | +123 | 12 | Advance to Division 4 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Antrim | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 66 | 66 | 0 | 9 | Advance to Division 4 semi-finals Champions promoted |
| Louth | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 121 | 91 | +30 | 9 |
| Derry | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 61 | 189 | –128 | 3 |
| Carlow | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 254 | –226 | 0 |

* Antrim are ranked ahead of Louth as they won the head-to-head game between the teams

### Semi-finals & Final

| 17 April 2016 Semi-Final | Wicklow | 2-6 – 0-14 | Limerick | Stradbally |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 17 April 2016 Semi-Final | Longford | 0-13 – 2-11 | Antrim | O'Raghallaigh Park, Kingscourt |
| 30 April 2016 2 p.m. Final | Antrim | 1-10 – 4-8 | Limerick | Conneff Park, Clane Referee: Des McEnery |
| 30 April 2016 2 p.m. Final | E Gallagher 1-3, C Timoney (1f) and A McParland 0-2 each, C Carey, Á Tubridy & M Cooper 0-1 each. | Report | D O’Brien 2-5 (0-3f), N Holland 2-0, N Richardson 0-2, S Carroll 0-1 | Conneff Park, Clane Referee: Des McEnery |
