Hurling
Ancient Irish team sport using ash stick and sliotar.
Hurling (known in Irish as iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team sport with ancient Gaelic Irish roots. The women's version is called camogie (camógaíocht), and both share a common Gaelic origin. As one of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it has several similarities with Gaelic football, including the same field dimensions and goalposts, the number of players on each side, and much of the terminology.
The aim of the game is for players to use an ash wood stick—called a hurl or hurley (in Irish, a camán)—to strike a small leather ball known as a sliotar. The ball can be hit between the opponent's goalposts either over the crossbar, which scores one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper, which scores three points (a goal). Players may catch the sliotar in their hand and carry it for no more than four steps. They can strike it in the air or on the ground with the hurley, kick it, or slap it with an open hand (a hand pass) for short-range passing. To carry the ball beyond four steps, a player must bounce it or balance it on the end of the stick (a solo). The ball may be handled only twice while a player has possession. A player may make a shoulder-to-shoulder charge on an opponent who is in possession or playing the ball, or when both are moving toward the ball, provided the charging player has at least one foot on the ground. No protective padding is worn, but since 2010, a plastic helmet with a faceguard has been mandatory for all age groups.
Early forms of hurling have been played since at least the Middle Ages. The earliest written references appear in Irish law tracts from the eighth or ninth century, and the oldest archaeological evidence dates from the twelfth century. The first written rules were published in 1884 by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Today, hurling is governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It appears regularly in film, music, and literature. CNN ranked the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final second in its list of "10 sporting events you have to see live," behind only the Olympic Games and ahead of the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. After the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final, Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper wrote that hurling was "the best sport ever and if the Irish had colonised the world, nobody would ever have heard of football." UNESCO
- origin
- Ancient Gaelic Irish
- governing_body
- Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
- team_size
- 15 players per side
- ball_diameter
- 69–72 mm
- ball_weight
- 110–120 g
- hurley_length
- 24–36 inches (61–91 cm)
- match_duration
- 70 minutes (senior inter-county); 60 minutes (other)
Lore & Background
Early forms of hurling have been played since at least the Middle Ages, with the earliest written references appearing in Irish law tracts from the eighth or ninth century. The earliest archaeological evidence dates from the twelfth century. The first written rules for hurling were published in 1884 by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Hurling is today administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Reader's Guide
Hurling is a fast-paced outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played with an ash wood stick (hurl or hurley) and a small leather-covered ball (sliotar). The sport features a rectangular grass pitch 130–145 metres long and 80–90 metres wide, with H-shaped goalposts at each end. Teams consist of fifteen players: a goalkeeper, three full backs, three half backs, two midfielders, three half forwards and three full forwards. Scoring is achieved by sending the sliotar between the opposition's goal posts: over the crossbar for one point (white flag raised) or under the crossbar into a net for three points (green flag raised). Since 2010, all players must wear a plastic protective helmet with a faceguard. The game has featured regularly in art forms such as film, music and literature. The final of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was listed in second place by CNN in its '10 sporting events you have to see live', after the Olympic Games and ahead of both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. UNESCO lists hurling as an element of intangible cultural heritage.
Did You Know?
- A good strike with a hurley can propel the ball over 150 km/h (93 mph) and 110 metres (361 ft) in distance.
- The goalkeeper's hurley usually has a bas (the flattened, curved end) twice the size of other players' hurleys.
- The earliest written references to hurling are generally accepted to be from the eighth or ninth century, as found in the Brehon law tracts dating from the 8th century onward.
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