Hurling

Hurling is an exciting outdoor team game that comes from ancient Ireland. It is one of Ireland's native Gaelic games, just like Gaelic football. When women play it, it is called camogie. Hurling is known as the fastest field sport in the world.

Players use a stick made from ash wood, called a hurl or hurley, to hit a small ball called a sliotar. The goal is to send the ball between the opponent's goalposts. Players can score one point by sending the ball over the crossbar, or three points by sending it under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper.

Hurling has been played since at least the Middle Ages, with the first written rules appearing in 1883. Today, it is managed by the Gaelic Athletic Association and is very popular in Ireland. Many people think it is one of the best sports to watch, and it is even listed as important cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Statistics

A hurling team has 15 players, called "hurlers". They use a special stick called a hurley, which is about 24 to 36 inches long. The ball, called a sliotar, has a cork center and leather cover and is small, about the size of a big marble.

The goalkeeper’s hurley is bigger to help stop the fast ball. A strong hit can send the ball over 150 km/h and more than 100 meters. If the ball goes over the bar, it scores one point. If it goes under the bar into the net, it counts as a goal worth three points. Since 2010, all players must wear a helmet for safety.

Rules

Playing field

A hurling pitch looks a bit like a rugby field but is larger. It is a grassy rectangle, about 130 to 145 metres long and 80 to 90 metres wide. Each end has H-shaped goalposts, with two posts about 6 to 7 metres high, placed 6.5 metres apart, and connected by a crossbar 2.5 metres above the ground. A net hangs behind the goal. The same field is used for Gaelic football; the GAA, which organises both sports, chose this to make it easier to use the fields for both games. Lines mark places 13, 20, and 59 metres from each end. Smaller goals and shorter pitches are used for younger teams.

Teams

Teams have fifteen players: a goalkeeper, three full backs, three half backs, two midfielders, three half forwards, and three full forwards. There are usually 24 to 30 players on the team list, and five players can be swapped during a game. Sometimes, if a player gets hurt and needs a break, another player can temporarily replace them while the hurt player gets treated.

Helmets

Since January 1, 2010, all players must wear special helmets for hurling and camogie. These helmets have a hard plastic shell and foam padding to protect the head. They also have a face guard made of wire to protect the face. All players, even young ones, must wear these helmets during games and practice. Referees can stop the game if a player does not have the right safety gear.

Duration, extra time, replays

Senior matches between counties last 70 minutes (35 minutes each half). Other matches last 60 minutes (30 minutes each half). For younger teams under 13, games can be shorter, maybe 50 minutes. The referee decides how much extra time to add at the end of each half. In 2020, players got water breaks after 15 minutes of each half.

If a knockout game ends in a tie, there are ways to decide a winner, like playing extra time (20 minutes), more extra time (10 minutes), or a shoot-out. The rules try to avoid having games replayed to make scheduling easier.

Technical fouls

These are mistakes players make with the ball:

• Picking the ball up directly from the ground (you must flick it up with the hurley stick)
• Throwing the ball (you must hit it with your open hand)
• Taking more than four steps with the ball in your hand (you can carry it forever on the hurley stick)
• Catching the ball three times in a row without it touching the ground (touching the hurley stick doesn’t count)
• Passing the ball from one hand to the other
• Hand-passing a goal
• Hitting another player’s hurley stick downward
• Dropping or throwing away your hurley stick
• A ‘square ball’, when the ball enters the opponent’s small rectangle before going under the crossbar
• Lying on the ball to cover or shield it
• Throwing the ball up and catching it again (the ball must touch a hurley stick or another body part first)
• Carrying the ball over the opponent’s goal line

Aggressive fouls

These can be on purpose or by accident and may lead to a card being shown:

• Pulling down an opponent
• Using the hurley stick in a wild or unsafe way
• Tripping an opponent
• Using bad or rude words to an opponent, teammate, or official
• Throwing the hurley stick in a dangerous way
• Trying to hit any player or official with a hurley stick, elbow, fist, head, or kick
• Spitting at an opponent

Scoring

Main article: Scoring in Gaelic games

Players score by sending the ball between the opponent’s goalposts. The posts are like H-shaped posts in rugby football but with a net under the crossbar like in soccer. The posts are 6.4 metres apart and the crossbar is 2.44 metres high.

If the ball goes over the crossbar, a point is scored and a white flag is raised. If the ball goes under the crossbar, a goal, worth three points, is scored, and a green flag is raised. A goal must be scored by hitting the ball or running with it into the net. The goalkeeper guards the goal. Scores are written as {goal total} – {point total}. For example, the 1996 All-Ireland final ended: Wexford 1–13 Limerick 0–14. So Wexford won by two points (1–13 equals sixteen points).

When talking about the score, if there is at least one goal and one point, we just say the numbers together, like "one thirteen" for 1–13. We never say "sixteen" for 1–13. We say "two goals" for 2–0, not "two zero". We say "ten points" for 0–10, not "zero ten". And we say "no score" for 0–0. So the Wexford/Limerick score would be said as "Wexford one thirteen, Limerick fourteen points".

Tackling

Players can tackle others but cannot hit them with a one-handed swing of the stick. Jersey-pulling, wrestling, pushing, and tripping are not allowed. Some acceptable ways to tackle include:

• The "block", where one player tries to stop another’s hit by trapping the ball between his hurley stick and the other’s swinging stick
• The "hook", where a player comes from behind and tries to catch the other’s hurley stick at the top of the swing
• The "side pull", where two players running together for the ball bump shoulders and swing together to win the tackle and “pull” with force
• The "shoulder barge", where one player pushes another’s shoulder with their own shoulder

Restarting play

• The game starts with the referee throwing the ball between the four midfield players at the halfway line
• After an attacker scores or misses the goal, the goalkeeper may throw the ball from the edge of the small square. All players must be beyond the 20 m line.
• After a defender misses the goal, an attacker may take a "65" from the 65 m line where the ball went wide. It must be hit while lifting the ball, not held in the hand.
• After a player puts the ball over the sideline, the other team may take a 'sideline cut' where the ball left the field. It must be taken from the ground.
• After a foul, the other team may take a 'free' where the foul happened. It must be taken by lifting and hitting the ball.
• After a defender fouls inside the square, the other team may take a "penalty" from behind the 20 m line. Only the goalkeeper can guard the goal. It must be taken by lifting and hitting the ball, and the ball must be hit from on or behind the 20 m line. This rule was changed in 2015 for safety. Before that, the ball only needed to start at the 20 m line but could be hit beyond it. To balance this, the two extra defenders allowed on the line were removed.
• If many players are fighting for the ball and no one can gain control, the referee may throw the ball between two opposing players. This is also called a "throw in".

Officials

A hurling match has eight officials:

• The referee (on field)
• Two linesmen (sideline)
• Sideline official/standby linesman (for inter-county games only)
• Four umpires (two at each end)
• Hawkeye Video technology for some scoring situations in Croke Park, Dublin and in Semple Stadium in Thurles, Co. Tipperary (for inter-county games only)

The referee starts and stops play, records the score, gives frees, notes rule breaks, and gives yellow (caution) and red (sending off) penalty cards to players. Two yellow cards in the same game lead to a red card, meaning the player must leave the game.

Players get a yellow card as a warning and a red card to leave the game.

Linesmen tell the referee which way line balls go and discuss with the referee. The fourth official manages substitutions and shows how much stoppage time there is and which players are substituted using an electronic board. Umpires decide scoring. They tell the referee if a shot was: wide (they spread both arms), a 65 m puck (raise one arm), a point (wave white flag), or a goal (wave green flag).

Unlike some people think, officials do not have to tell the referee about “any misdemeanours” but can only inform the referee about violent actions they saw that the referee did not see. A linesman or umpire cannot tell the referee about technical fouls like a “third time in the hand”, where a player catches the ball three times in a row after running with it or picking it up illegally. These decisions can only be made by the referee.

Injury risk

Hurling is a very fast sport from Ireland, and players wear only a facemask and helmet for protection. Because of this, injuries can happen. The most common injuries in hurling happen to the fingers and the back of the legs. While serious injuries are rare, players do need to be careful during the game.

History

Further information: History of hurling

Stick-and-ball games have been played in Ireland since very old times. People wrote about these games in old Irish laws, stories, and poems. The word "hurling" was first seen in a rule book from 1366. This rule book stopped Irish people from playing their own games in some places.

The 1700s were a special time for hurling. Rich people in Ireland had teams play just for fun.

In 1884, a group called the Gaelic Athletic Association started making rules for hurling. This helped bring the game back. The first big championship happened in 1888, when a team from Tipperary won. Many counties, like Cork, Kilkenny, and Tipperary, became very good at hurling in the 1900s. Other places like Wexford, Waterford, Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Antrim, Dublin, and Galway also played well.

International

Hurling is mostly played in Ireland, where there is a national team made up of players from less competitive counties. Ireland’s team and the team from Scotland, called shinty, have played matches for many years using special rules, similar to International Rules Football. This is the only international competition for hurling. Club-level hurling has been played around the world since the late 1800s because of people moving from Ireland. The popularity of the game has changed with immigration trends. Today, hurling is growing in parts of Europe, Australia, and North America.

Argentina

Irish people began arriving in Argentina in the 1800s. The earliest mention of hurling in Argentina was in the late 1880s in a place called Mercedes, near Buenos Aires. The game really started in 1900 when a writer and newspaper man named William Bulfin helped form the Hurling Club. Teams were created in different areas of Buenos Aires and nearby farming towns.

People played hurling every weekend until 1914, and it was often written about in Spanish newspapers like La Nación. After World War I started, it became hard to get special sticks called hurleys from Ireland. People tried using a local type of wood, but it was too heavy. Though the game started again after the war, its best days were over. World War II finally ended hurling in Argentina.

After World War II, fewer Irish people moved to Argentina, and those who were born there started to fit in more with local life. The last time hurling was played in Argentina was in 1980 when a team from Ireland visited. Since 2009, hurling has started up again with summer camps and visits from important players. The Hurling Club has trained many boys and young men, and they even joined a big festival in city of Galway in 2013.

Australia

Further information: Australasia GAA

One of the first mentions of hurling in Australia comes from a book called “Sketches of Garryowen.” In 1844, a game was played in Melbourne to go along with a march by a group called the Orange Order. About five hundred Irish people watched.

In the 1870s, several clubs existed in Victoria, including ones in Melbourne, Collingwood, Upper Yarra, Richmond, and Geelong.

In 1885, a big game happened in Sydney before a crowd of over ten thousand people. Even though a newspaper called the game “Two Degrees Safer Than War,” everyone seemed to enjoy it.

During the 1920s, Irish people used a field called Arden Street Oval in North Melbourne for their games. Today, the game in Australia is managed by Australasia GAA.

Great Britain

Hurling came to Great Britain in the 1800s. The game is managed by British GAA. Teams from Warwickshire and Lancashire play against other Irish counties in the Lory Meagher Cup. London is the only team outside Ireland to have won the big All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, and after winning the 2012 Christy Ring Cup in 2012, they got to compete in 2013.

The first hurling game in the Scottish Highlands happened in Easter 2012 between two teams as part of a festival.

Wales has its own club, St. Colmcilles, located in Cardiff.

South Africa

Soldiers from the Irish Brigade during the Anglo-Boer War are thought to have played hurling in South Africa. Immigrants from County Wicklow who worked in a factory in Umbogintwini, KwaZulu-Natal, formed a team around 1915–16. More Irish people arrived in the 1920s, leading to the creation of the Transvaal Hurling Association in Johannesburg in 1928. Games were played every Easter Sunday after Mass on a field near the current Johannesburg Central Railway Station.

In 1932, a South African team traveled to Ireland to compete in the Tailteann Games, carrying a banner given to them by Irish nuns in Cape Town. They met with the leader of Ireland, the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, when they arrived.

Hurling in South Africa continued until the start of the Second World War, which stopped new players from coming in and made it impossible to get equipment. Some schools still held games into the 1950s, but hurling almost stopped being played.

North America

Further information: Canadian GAA, New York GAA, and North American GAA

People have talked about hurling in North America since the 1780s, especially among immigrants from County Waterford and County Kilkenny in Canada and New York City. After the American Revolution, mentions of hurling disappeared from American newspapers until after the Great Famine, when many Irish people moved to America. Newspapers from the 1850s mentioned games in San Francisco, Hoboken, and New York City. The first game played under official rules outside Ireland was on Boston Common in June 1886.

In 1888, fifty Irish athletes toured America, known as the 'American Invasion.' This sparked interest among Irish Americans, leading to the creation of the North American GAA by the end of 1889. Soon, almost twelve clubs existed in America, many around New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Later, clubs formed in Boston, Cleveland, and other places with Irish communities. Concord, New Hampshire has New Hampshire Wolves, sponsored by Litherman's Limited Craft Brewery.

In 1910, twenty-two players from Chicago and New York toured Ireland and played against county teams from Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick, Dublin, and Wexford. For a long time, hurling was mostly for Irish immigrants, and their children often didn’t play. Many teams brought in players from Ireland. But recently, this has changed with the Internet and more travel. The Barley House Wolves team from New Hampshire started when U.S. soldiers saw a hurling game on TV while stopping at Shannon Airport. Today, clubs are forming in new places with many American-born players who are working to make hurling popular. The Milwaukee Hurling Club has 300 members, most of whom are Americans, not Irish immigrants. The St. Louis Gaelic Athletic Club started in 2002 and now has eight teams for hurling and six for Gaelic football. They also have a camogie league with thirty members. Saint Louis has won two National Championships in Jr C Hurling (2004 and 2011) and two in Jr D Gaelic Football (2005 and 2013). The Indianapolis Hurling Club began in 2002 and reformed in 2005. In 2008, they won the Junior C National Championship. By 2011, they had seven teams and sent Junior B, Junior C, and Camogie teams to nationals.

The GAA has started working with American college students, and teams have formed at University of Connecticut, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Purdue University, Indiana University, University of Montana, and other schools. On January 31, 2009, the first U.S. collegiate hurling match was between UC Berkeley and Stanford University, organized by the California Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association. UC Berkeley won the first match, but Stanford won the next two to take the first collegiate cup in the U.S. In 2011, the first National Collegiate GAA championship happened over Memorial Day Weekend. The Indiana University Hurling Club won all their matches and the championship final, becoming the first U.S. National Collegiate Champions.

Olympic Games

Hurling was shown as a demonstration sport at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. One match was played between two American clubs, Innisfails from St. Louis and Fenians from Chicago. Innisfails won 2-2 to 0-2.

Major hurling competitions

Further information: List of Gaelic games competitions

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
  • Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
  • Munster Senior Hurling Championship
• National Hurling League
• Joe McDonagh Cup
• Christy Ring Cup
• Nicky Rackard Cup
• Lory Meagher Cup
• All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
  • Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
  • Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
• All-Ireland Under-20 Hurling Championship
  • Leinster Under-20 Hurling Championship
  • Munster U-20 Hurling Championship
• All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
• Poc Fada
• Féile na nGael
• Shinty-Hurling International Series

Popular culture

Hurling has appeared in books, movies, and other forms of entertainment, showing its importance in Irish culture. People often see characters playing the game or talking about it, which helps keep the tradition alive and exciting for fans.