Thirty-three teams took part – thirty-one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland (Kilkenny, as in previous years, do not enter), London and New York.

All teams who lose a match in their provincial championship (with the exception of New York) enter the All-Ireland qualifiers.

It is defined as - When a player catches the ball cleanly from a kick-out without it touching the ground, on or past the 45 metre line nearest the kick out point, he shall be awarded a ‘mark’ by the referee.

The A and B system attempted to ensure that teams beaten in the provincial championships had a least two weeks before playing their subsequent qualifier match, though this was not always possible.

Laois (A) Longford (A) Louth (A) Wicklow (A) Carlow (B) Offaly (B) Wexford (B) Waterford (A) Limerick (B)

Round 3 draw rules did not allow two teams that had played each other in a provincial match to meet again if such a pairing could be avoided.

Round 4 draw rules did not allow two teams that had played each other in a provincial match to meet again if such a pairing could be avoided.

Cormac Reilly (Meath) returned after missing 2016, while Eddie Kinsella (Laois) retired at the end of 2016.

Matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland on RTÉ and Sky Sports under a new five-year contract that was agreed in December 2016.

[12] In the United Kingdom, matches were shown on Sky Sports and worldwide coverage was provided on GAAGO.

[14] RTÉ, the national broadcaster in Ireland, provide the majority of the live television coverage of the football championship in the first year of a five-year deal running from 2017 until 2021.

Sky Sports also broadcast a number of matches and have exclusive rights to some games including two All-Ireland football quarter-finals.

Stephen Cluxton (Dublin), David Clarke (Mayo), Niall Morgan (Tyrone)

Jack McCaffrey, Cian O’Sullivan, Michael Fitzsimons, Philip McMahon, John Small, Jonny Cooper (Dublin), Keith Higgins, Lee Keegan, Chris Barrett, Colm Boyle, Brendan Harrison (Mayo), Pádraig Hampsey, Tiernan McCann (Tyrone), Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley (Kerry), Conor Devanney (Roscommon), Caolan Mooney (Down), Fintan Kelly (Monaghan).

James McCarthy, Brian Fenton (Dublin), Tom Parsons (Mayo), Colm Cavanagh (Tyrone), Enda Smith (Roscommon), Kevin Feely (Kildare).

Andy Moran, Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea, Jason Doherty, Cillian O’Connor (Mayo), Ciarán Kilkenny, Con O’Callaghan, Paul Mannion, Dean Rock (Dublin), Paul Geaney, Kieran Donaghy, James O’Donoghue (Kerry), Peter Harte, Niall Sludden (Tyrone), Connaire Harrison (Down), Patrick McBrearty (Donegal), Jamie Clarke (Armagh), Daniel Fly Each team has a nominal home stadium, though not all teams are guaranteed a home game over the course of the Championship.