HURLINGCAMOGIE
Europe’soldestfastestfield sport.
This Is Hurling & Camogie.
A brief history of Hurling
Hurling is a game similar to 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. As one of Ireland’s native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of players, and much terminology. The female version of hurling is called Camogie.
How do i play?
The BasicsPositions and FormationsA Few More Rules
The Equipment
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.
Keeping Score
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.
The Pitch
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.
The Rules
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.
Formations
In Europe, most games are played on an eleven-a-side basis, utilising a 1-2-2-2-2-2 formation. Camogie – the female version of hurling- in Europe is often played with 7 or 9 players on each team.
Jerseys
Players wear a jersey with their team colours and number on the back. Both teams must have different colour jerseys. The goalkeepers’ jerseys must not be similar to the jersey of any other player. Referees normally tog out in black/green jerseys, socks and togs.
The Sliotar – What can you do with it?
The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked, or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than four steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick, and the ball can only be handled twice while in his/her possession.
Tackles : Is it Free-or-All?
Provided that a player has at least one foot on the ground, s/he may make a shoulder to shoulder charge on an opponent: (a) who is in possession of the ball, or (b) who is playing the ball, or (c) when both players are moving in the direction of the ball to play it.
Protection?
No protective padding is worn by players. A plastic protective helmet with a faceguard is mandatory for all age groups. The game has been described as “a bastion of humility”, with player names absent from jerseys and a player’s number decided by his/her position on the field.