Gaelic Games

Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Gaelic football and hurling are the two main games. Other games organised by the GAA include Gaelic handball and rounders.

Women's versions of hurling and football are also played: camogie, organised by the Camogie Association of Ireland, and ladies' Gaelic football, organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. While women's versions are not organised by the GAA, they are closely associated with it.

Almost a million people (977,723) attended 45 GAA senior championships games in 2017 (up 29% in hurling and 22% in football on 2016 figures) combined with attendances at other championship and league games generating gate receipts of €34,391,635

Rules that are in both Gaelic Football and Hurling

 * Neither game technically doesn't have the offside rule but they have the 'square ball'. A player cannot be in the square rectangle before the ball is played.

Playing field, teams and the ball

 * The pitch is rectangular, stretching 145m long and 85m wide. There are H-shaped goalposts at each end, formed by two posts 6.5m apart, and connected 2.5m above the ground by a crossbar. A net extending behind the goal is attached to the crossbar and lower goal posts.
 * A Technical Area is 8m long and 0.5m back from the side line with a depth of 4m should be marked at the side of the field. All substitutes and coaches (up to 9 in total) should stay within this area for the duration of the game unless authorized to leave the area by the fourth official. Substitutes can leave the area to warm up but must not interfere with the game.
 * The lines across the goals joining the goalposts are the goal-lines. The center of the field is marked with a circle of a 5m radius. The corner area is mark with a quarter circle of a 1m radius from each corner flagpost. The penalty spot is marked in front of the goal, 18m from the mid-point of the goal line. The penalty area are 2 lines are drawn at right angles to the goal-line, 16.5m from the inside of each goalpost. These lines extend into the field of play for 16.5m and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal-line. A line will be marked 30m from the goal-line.


 * Teams consist of 13 players. A goalkeeper, 2 center backs, 2 full back, 2 midfielders, 2 wing forwards, a center forward, 2 corner forwards and a full forward. Teams are allowed to make 5 substitutions, if a substitution is made the player must wait in the technical area. There is no offside rule.
 * The football is round leather made of 18 stitched leather panels with a circumference of 70cm and weighing 480g. It may be kicked or hand passed.
 * The sliotar has a diameter is between 69 and 72 mm (2.7 and 2.8 in). The mass is between 110 and 120 g (3.9 and 4.2 oz). The rib height is between 2 mm and 2.8 mm, and width between 3.6 mm and 5.4 mm. The leather cover can be between 1.8 mm and 2.7 mm and is laminated with a coating of no more than 0.15 mm

Duration

 * The game is split into 2 halves of 35 minutes (70 minutes in total), the clock stops for player injuries, short corners (or corner kick), . If the match is tied then 2 halves of 10 minutes of extra time is played, if still tied then a timeless golden point commences. U19 game is played for a two halves of 25 minutes (50 minutes in total). The half-time break lasts for 10 minutes. If a match reaches 35 or 70 minutes play continue stops unless a.

Officials

 * There are 9 officials: a referee, 2 assistant referees, a 4th official, a timekeeper and 4 umpires (2 at each goal).
 * The referee is positioned within the field of play and is responsible for controlling general play. He has the authority and right to award free kicks & penalty kicks (or free-hits and penalty hit in hurling), yellow card or red card a player, initiate stoppages in play, and executes ball-ups to begin & restart play. If a match is televised the referee is mic'd up for transparency.
 * Linesmen are responsible for indicating whether the whole ball has passed outside the field of play and which side is entitled to return the ball into the field of play as well as identifying 'square ball' or other infringements where the referee does not have an adequate view. He may replace the ref if the referee is too injured to continue.
 * The 4th official is responsible for overseeing substitutions, indicating the players substituted using an electronic board and managing the technical area. He may also replace an assistant ref if a assistant ref become the ref due to the ref suffering a injury.
 * The umpires are responsible for judging the scoring. They indicate to the referee whether a shot was: wide (spread both arms), an over (wave white flag), a goal (wave green flag) or a disallowed score (crossing the green and white flags).
 * The timekeeper is the official keeper of time as well as keeping time of a player been black-carded, he will signal the end of a half by sounding a siren.
 * A video assistant referee (VAR) can be called upon by the referee for a penalty or a foul leading up to a goal. VAR has 90 seconds to make a decision otherwise the original call stands. The captain can also challenge a referee's decision 30 seconds after the call was made for the same reason. The captain has 2 challenge throughout the game, if it's successful then the original call is overturned and the team keep their 2 challenge, if it's unsuccessful then the original call stands and a team loses their challenge. If 90 seconds elapses during the challenge then the original call stands but the team keep their challenge.

Scoring system and scoreboard

 * If the ball goes over the crossbar it is called a over and is worth 1 point. If the ball goes below the crossbar it is called a goal, worth 5 points and a green flag is raised by an umpire. The goal is guarded by a goalkeeper. A stadium or TV scoreboard is formatted like this: x-xx (xx). The number before the dash is the number of goals a team has scored, the number after the dash is the number of overs scored by a team and the number in a bracket is the team's total points combined the number of goals scored with number of overs scored (e.g. Limerick 3-16 (25). This means Limerick scored 3 goals and 16 overs and their total points is 25 (3x3 = 9 + 16 = 25)

Penalty cards
Red and yellow cards were introduced to Gaelic Football and Hurling following an incident during the 1995 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final when the referee sent Charlie Redmond from the field of play but he refused to leave
 * A yellow card (Irish: cárta buí) is a warning or caution to the player. A player who receives 2 yellow cards in a single game is sent off and receives a red card.
 * A red card (Irish: cárta dearg) is given to players for serious fouls, violent conduct or depriving a team of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. A player who receives 2 yellow cards is sent off and receives a red card. A red card player must leave the field of play immediately and cannot return the field

Fouls
Non-carded fouls: Yellow card fouls: Yellow card fouls and free kick on the center of the 30m line: Red card fouls:
 * Gaelic Football: Going 6 seconds without bouncing the ball or hopping it off the ball
 * Gaelic Football:Bouncing the ball twice in a row
 * Throwing the ball/Sliotar
 * Hand passing or striking the ball with the hand into the goal.
 * Charge the goalkeeper during a goal kick
 * Hurling: Strike an opponent’s hurley unless both players are in the act of playing the ball
 * Hurling: Hold an opponent’s hurley or pull it from his hands
 * Hurling: Use the hurley to obstruct an opponent
 * Block or attempt to block with the boot when an opponent is kicking the ball from the hand(s)
 * Prevent or attempt to prevent an opponent from lifting or kicking the ball off the ground by striking an opponent’s hand, arm, foot or leg with the boot
 * Unintentionally pulling an opponent's jersey
 * Unintentionally pushing an opponent
 * Unintentionally tripping an opponent with hands, arm or foot
 * Jump at an opponent
 * Use abusive or provocative language or gestures to an opponent or team-mate.
 * Block or attempt to block an opponent with the boot when an opponent is kicking the ball from the hands
 * Engage in any form of rough play
 * Prevent or attempt to prevent an opponent from lifting or kicking the ball off the ground by striking an opponent’s hand, arm, foot or leg with the boot.
 * Hurling: Use the hurley in a careless manner
 * Hurling: Throw the hurley in a manner which constitutes a danger to another player(s)
 * Deliberately pull down an opponent.
 * Deliberately trip an opponent with hand, arm or foot.
 * Deliberate body collide with an opponent after he has played the ball away or for the purpose of taking him out of the movement of play.
 * Uses abusive or provocative language or gestures towards players.
 * A player barrack or angrily confronts the referee but no bad language was used or many players surround the player. All players involved in the surrounding will be yellow-carded
 * Attempt to achieve an advantage by feigning a foul or injury
 * Dangerous tackle (spear tackle, chickenwing tackle, dump tackle, coathanger, slam tackle, slinging, grappling tackle and horse-collar tackle)
 * High tackle – any tackle which infringes on the opponent's neck or head
 * Depriving a team of a clear goal-scoring opportunity beyond the 13m line (or 20m line in hurling)
 * Striking or attempting to strike an opponent with the head, arm, elbow, hand or knee (or hurley in hurling).
 * Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent.
 * Stamping on an opponent.
 * Using abusive or threatening language or conduct to a match official
 * Pushing, pulling, jostling the match official
 * Assaulting a match official (e.g. striking or attempting to strike a match official)
 * Spit at an opponent
 * Contribute to a melee
 * Inflict an injury recklessly

Starting and re-starting play

 * Players kit's must be distinctive from the other team. If both teams wear colors that may clash the away team must wear there 2nd kit. Unlike in association football goalkeepers wear the same colors as outfield players. This is because no special rules apply to the goalkeeper and so there is no need for officials to differentiate between goalkeeper and outfielders.
 * Before the game, the referee will flip a coin and the winner determines which directions the teams will play. It then begins when the umpire throws the ball in the air and the forwards contest for the ball at the center circle. A ball up may also occur if many players are struggling for the ball
 * If the ball leaves the sidelines a sideline kick is given to the team that didn't touch it last, it can be taken from the hands or off the ground. The player who is taking the sideline kick must not pass the boundary line while taking.  If a foul is committed a free-kick is given at the spot of the foul, it must be kicked from the group and you can directly score from a free-kick. Players are allowed to take quick free-kicks and pass the ball to themselves. If a foul is committed but the attacking side still has the ball for 6 seconds, play continues (called an advantage)
 * If a foul occur in the penalty area a penalty kick is awarded. The produce is exactly the same as in association football with 1 exception, the goal is guarded by 3 players, a goalkeeper and 2 defenders, all 3 must be on or behind the goal-line
 * If an attacker has put the ball wide of the goals, scored a point or a goal, the goalkeeper takes a kick out (either from hands or on the ground) anywhere in his penalty area. All players must be beyond the 20m line and it must be kicked beyond the 45m line, failure to do so will result in a free kick to the opposition from the 45m line. If a defender has put the ball wide of the goals, a corner kick is awarded (similar to football).

General gameplay

 * The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot or clenched fist (a handpass) but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances. A player cannot pass to the goalkeeper, if he does then the opposition is awarded a free kick outside the penalty area. The player can kick the ball out of his hands and kicking it along the ground. A player may run with the ball, but it must be bounced or hoped of the foot at least once every 15 meters and a player cannot bounce the ball twice in succession. If they run too far without bouncing or soloing the ball or they bounced the ball twice in succession, it's a free kick for running too far to the opposition  A hand pass is not a punch but rather a strike of the ball with the side of the closed fist, using the knuckle of the thumb.
 * Defending players are allowed to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact, strip the ball from the attacker, slap the ball from the opponent's hands and intercept any pass (ground or in the air). They are allowed to also block shots with their hands and feet (must not be too high) and slide tackle if the ball is on the ground.
 * Any cynical play that occurs anywhere behind the 30m line will receive a yellow card and a free-kick center of the 30m line.They however can only handle the ball in the penalty area

Playing equipment

 * A sliotar is a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, consisting of a cork core covered by two pieces of leather stitched together with a diameter of 69mm and a mass of 110g.
 * The stick is known as a camán. It’s between 45 and 96cm long with a flattened, curved base at the end, which provides the striking surface.
 * The wearing of helmets with faceguards became compulsory for hurlers at all levels in the hope of significantly reduce the number of injuries. The referee will be obliged to stop play if any player at any level appears on the field of play without the necessary standard of equipment.

Starting and re-starting play

 * Before the game, a coin toss occurs which is organized by the referee, the winning team determine which direction the teams will play. It then begins when the referee throws the ball in the air and 2 players contest for the ball in the air.
 * If a foul is committed a free hit is given, the player must strike the ball from the ground on the spot of the foul and all the other players must be 5m away. If the ball goes out on the sideline the team that touched it last is awarded a hit-in. The player must strike the ball vertically in the air. If a defender has put the ball wide of the goal then a corner hit is awarded, the player places the ball in the corner quarter circle and hit the ball from the ground. If a foul is committed in the penalty area then a penalty hit is awarded to the attacking team. The ball is placed on the penalty spot and it’s one shot at goal with the goalkeeper and 2 players guarding the net.

General gameplay

 * The sliotar can be propelled in any direction. The sliotar can be hit with the hurley on the ground or in the air. The sliotar or hurley cannot be thrown under any circumstances of gameplay. The sliotar can be transferred to the hand but only twice and they cannot run with the sliotar in hand. If the sliotar touches the ground, the count is reset, the sliotar can be balanced on the hurley for an unlimited time
 * The sliotar can be caught while in the air and the player is allowed to chest the ball. The sliotar cannot be picked up from the ground directly with the hand, the hurley must be used to roll, jab, lift or flick the sliotar into the hand. The ball cannot be kicked or dragged by use of boot, but it can be controlled by use of one or both feet. To score you can hit the sliotar out of the hands, hit the sliotar on the ground or hit the sliotar in the air.
 * The defending side are allowed to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact, use their hurley to block shots, intercept a pass, steal/strip the sliotar. They are also allowed to poke check, sweep checking, stick check, lift check and press check. Goalkeepers don’t have a stick and are allowed to use their hands or feet to save, but just like in association football they can only handle the ball in the penalty area. Any cynical play that occurs anywhere behind the 30m line will receive a yellow card and a free-kick center of the 30m line.