All 32 counties of Ireland compete: 12 in Division 1 and 20 in Division 2.
Division 1 is composed of two groups of 6 teams (North and South). Each team plays the other teams in its group once, earning 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw.
The first-placed team in each group advances to the NFL semi-finals.
The second-placed team in each group advances to the NFL quarter-finals.
The last-placed team is relegated.
Division 2 is composed of two groups of 10 teams (North and South). Each of these is further divided into two groups of 5. The top two in each group play semi-finals and finals, with the North champions and the South champions advancing to the NFL quarter-finals and being promoted.
^"Final Teams". gaa.ie. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021.
^"Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: :: 1977 League :: Final :: Kerry Vs Dublin". www.terracetalk.com.
^"'Hanno's Heroes', All-Ireland Semi-Final, 1977". dublincitypubliclibraries.com. 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
^"GAA Results and Tables", Irish Independent, 6 December 1976, p. 11
^"Leitrim crash in extra time", Irish Independent, 31 January 1977, p. 11
^"Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1977 League". www.terracetalk.com.
^ a b"For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN9781903464151