HURLING
Hurling is a game similar to field hockey, in that it is played with a
small ball and a curved wooden stick. It is Europe's oldest field
game. When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding,
they brought with them a unique culture, their own language, music,
script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now
called hurling. It features in Irish folklore to illustrate the deeds
of heroic mystical figures and it is chronicled as a distinct Irish
pastime for at least 2,000 years.
The stick, or "hurley" (called camán in Irish) is curved outwards at
the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or "sliothar" is
similar in size to a hockey ball but has raised ridges.
Hurling is played on a pitch approximately 137m long and 82m wide. The
goalposts are the same shape as on a rugby pitch, with the crossbar
lower than a rugby one and slightly higher than a soccer one.
You may strike the ball on the ground, or in the air. Unlike hockey,
you may pick up the ball with your hurley and carry it for not more
than four steps in the hand. After those steps you may bounce the ball
on the hurley and back to the hand, but you are forbidden to catch the
ball more than twice. To get around this, one of the skills is running
with the ball balanced on the hurley To score, you put the ball over
the crossbar with the hurley or under the crossbar and into the net by
the hurley for a goal, the latter being the equivalent of three
points.
Each team consists of fifteen players, lining out as follows: 1
goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, three
half-forwards and three full-forwards.
A game is played over two halves of 30 minutes (at club level) or 35
minutes (at inter-county level).
Goalkeepers may not be physically challenged whilst inside their own
small parallelogram, but players may harass them into playing a bad
pass, or block an attempted pass.
Teams are allowed a maximum of three substitutes in a game. Players
may switch positions on the field of play as much as they wish but
this is usually on the instructions of team officials.
Officials for a game comprise of a referee, two linesmen (to indicate
when the ball leaves the field of play at the side and to mark '65''
free kicks and 4 umpires (to signal scores, assist the referee in
controlling the games, and to assist linesmen in positioning ''65'
frees).
A goal is signalled by raising a green flag, placed to the left of the
goal. A point is signalled by raising a white flag, placed to the
right of goal. A '45'/'65' is signalled by the umpire raising his/her
outside arm. A 'square ball', when a player scores having arrived in
the 'square' prior to receiving the ball, is signalled by pointing at
the small parallelogram.
small ball and a curved wooden stick. It is Europe's oldest field
game. When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding,
they brought with them a unique culture, their own language, music,
script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now
called hurling. It features in Irish folklore to illustrate the deeds
of heroic mystical figures and it is chronicled as a distinct Irish
pastime for at least 2,000 years.
The stick, or "hurley" (called camán in Irish) is curved outwards at
the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or "sliothar" is
similar in size to a hockey ball but has raised ridges.
Hurling is played on a pitch approximately 137m long and 82m wide. The
goalposts are the same shape as on a rugby pitch, with the crossbar
lower than a rugby one and slightly higher than a soccer one.
You may strike the ball on the ground, or in the air. Unlike hockey,
you may pick up the ball with your hurley and carry it for not more
than four steps in the hand. After those steps you may bounce the ball
on the hurley and back to the hand, but you are forbidden to catch the
ball more than twice. To get around this, one of the skills is running
with the ball balanced on the hurley To score, you put the ball over
the crossbar with the hurley or under the crossbar and into the net by
the hurley for a goal, the latter being the equivalent of three
points.
Each team consists of fifteen players, lining out as follows: 1
goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, three
half-forwards and three full-forwards.
A game is played over two halves of 30 minutes (at club level) or 35
minutes (at inter-county level).
Goalkeepers may not be physically challenged whilst inside their own
small parallelogram, but players may harass them into playing a bad
pass, or block an attempted pass.
Teams are allowed a maximum of three substitutes in a game. Players
may switch positions on the field of play as much as they wish but
this is usually on the instructions of team officials.
Officials for a game comprise of a referee, two linesmen (to indicate
when the ball leaves the field of play at the side and to mark '65''
free kicks and 4 umpires (to signal scores, assist the referee in
controlling the games, and to assist linesmen in positioning ''65'
frees).
A goal is signalled by raising a green flag, placed to the left of the
goal. A point is signalled by raising a white flag, placed to the
right of goal. A '45'/'65' is signalled by the umpire raising his/her
outside arm. A 'square ball', when a player scores having arrived in
the 'square' prior to receiving the ball, is signalled by pointing at
the small parallelogram.