Hurling (, ) is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin. When played by women, it is called camogie (), which shares a common Gaelic root. 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 objective of the game is for players to use an ash wood stick called a hurl or hurley (in Irish a , pronounced or in English) to hit a small ball called a (pronounced in English) between the opponent's goalposts either over the crossbar for one point or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for three points. The 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 on the end of the stick (solo), and the ball can be handled only twice while in the player's possession. Provided that a player has at least one foot on the ground, he may make a shoulder-to-shoulder charge on an opponent who is in possession of the ball or is playing the ball, or when both players are moving in the direction of the ball. No protective padding is worn by players though a plastic protective helmet with a faceguard has been mandatory for all age groups since 2010.
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 seventh century. The earliest archaeological evidence dates from the twelfth-century. The first written rules for hurling were published in January 1883 by the Dublin Hurling Club.
Hurling is today administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It 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. Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper wrote after the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final that hurling was "the best sport ever and if the Irish had colonised the world, nobody would ever have heard of football". UNESCO lists hurling as an element of intangible cultural heritage. A 2024 survey found that hurling was the favourite sport of 25% of Irish people.
Statistics A team comprises 15 players, or "hurlers" The hurley/hurl is generally in length The ball, known as a sliotar, has a cork centre and a leather cover; it is between in diameter, and weighs between ; traditionally white in colour, in recent years the GAA has mandated use of an "optic yellow" sliotar at higher levels for easier visibility The goalkeeper's hurley/hurl usually has a bas (the flattened, curved end) twice the size of other players' hurleys to provide some advantage against the fast moving sliotar A good strike with a hurley/hurl can propel the ball over in speed and in distance. A ball hit over the bar is worth one point. A ball that is hit under the bar is called a goal and is worth three points. As of 2010, all players must wear a suitable helmet.
Rules
Playing field
A hurling pitch is similar in some respects to a rugby pitch but larger. The grass pitch is rectangular, stretching long and wide. There are H-shaped goalposts at each end, formed by two posts, which are usually high, set apart, and connected above the ground by a crossbar. A net extending behind the goal is attached to the crossbar and lower goal posts.
The same pitch is used for Gaelic football; the GAA, which organises both sports, decided this to facilitate dual usage. Lines are marked at distances of 13 metres, 20 metres and 59 metres (41 metres for Gaelic football) from each end-line. Shorter pitches and smaller goals are used by youth teams.
Teams
Teams consist of fifteen players: a goalkeeper, three full backs, three half backs, two midfielders, three half forwards and three full forwards (see diagram). The panel is made up of 24–30 players and five substitutions are allowed per game. An exception can now be made in the case of a blood substitute being necessary. Blood substitutes are a result of one player needing medical treatment for a laceration and another coming on as a temporary replacement while the injured player is tended to.GAA Official Guide Part 2, Rules of Control, 1.5 (b).https://www.gaa.ie/api/pdfs/image/upload/vybckve2iipp56xmjhqd.pdf
Helmets
From 1 January 2010, the wearing of helmets became compulsory for hurlers at all levels because too many players were recording notes of permanent brain damage after playing for too long. A standard hurling helmet is a helmet designed specially for the games of hurling and camogie. It consists of a plastic rigid shell, lined with foam cushioning, which covers the forehead, temples, crown of the head and down to the nape of the neck. A wire grille faceguard covers the whole face and is secured by straps that clip at the back of the head. This saw senior players follow the regulations already introduced in 2009 at minor and under 21 grades.
The GAA hopes to significantly reduce the number of injuries by introducing the compulsory wearing of helmets with full faceguards, both in training and matches. Hurlers of all ages, including those at nursery clubs when holding a hurley in their hand, must wear a helmet and faceguard at all times. Match officials will be obliged to stop play if any player at any level appears on the field of play without the necessary standard of equipment.
Duration, extra time, replays Senior inter-county matches last 70 minutes (35 minutes per half). All other matches last 60 minutes (30 minutes per half). For teams under-13 and lower, games may be shortened to 50 minutes. Timekeeping is at the discretion of the referee who adds on stoppage time at the end of each half. In 2020, water breaks were brought in after the first 15 minutes in each half.
There are various solutions for knockout games that end in a draw, such as a replay, or what the rules refer to as "Winner on the Day" measures such as extra time (20 minutes), further extra time (10 more minutes), or a shoot-out. The application and details of these measures vary according to the importance of the match and the difficulty of scheduling possible replays, and can change from year to year. The general trend is that the GAA have been trying to reduce the need for replays, to ease scheduling.
Technical fouls The following are considered technical fouls ("fouling the ball"):
Picking the ball directly off the ground (instead it must be flicked up with the hurley) Throwing the ball (instead it must be "hand-passed": slapped with the open hand) Going more than four steps with the ball in the hand (it may be carried indefinitely on the hurley) Catching the ball three times in a row without it touching the ground (touching the hurley does not count) Putting the ball from one hand to the other Hand-passing a goal "Chopping" slashing downwards on another player's hurley Deliberately dropping the hurley or throwing it away. A 'square ball', entering the opponent's small rectangle prior to the ball entering it To cover or shield the ball by lying down on it. To deliberately throw the ball up and catch it again (the ball must touch a hurley or other body part) Carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line
Aggressive fouls Can be deliberate or accidental, often accompanied by a card. They are as follows:
Pulling down an opponent. Using the hurl in an uncontrolled or reckless way. Tripping an opponent. Using threatening or abusive language to an opposing player, to a teammate, or to an official Throwing the hurl in a dangerous manner. Attempting to strike any player or official with a hurl, elbow, fist, head, or kick. Spitting at an opponent.
Scoring
Scoring is achieved by sending the sliotar between the opposition's goal posts. The posts, which are at each end of the field, are H posts as in rugby football but with a net under the crossbar as in association football. The posts are 6.4 m apart and the crossbar is 2.44 m above the ground.
If the ball goes over the crossbar, a point is scored and a white flag is raised by an umpire. If the ball goes below the crossbar, a goal, worth three points, is scored, and a green flag is raised by an umpire. A goal must be scored by either a striking motion or by directly soloing the ball into the net. The goal is guarded by a goalkeeper. Scores are recorded in the format {goal total} – {point total}. For example, the 1996 All-Ireland final finished: Wexford 1–13 Limerick 0–14. Thus Wexford won by two points (1–13 being worth sixteen points).
Tackling Players may be tackled but not struck by a one-handed slash of the stick; exceptions are two-handed jabs and strikes. Jersey-pulling, wrestling, pushing, and tripping are all forbidden. There are several forms of acceptable tackling, the most popular being:
the "block", where one player attempts to smother an opposing player's strike by trapping the ball between his hurley and the opponent's swinging hurl the "hook", where a player approaches another player from a rear angle and attempts to catch the opponent's hurley with his own at the top of the swing the "side pull", where two players running together for the sliotar will collide at the shoulders and swing together to win the tackle and "pull" (name given to swing the hurley) with extreme force The "shoulder barge" where one player attacks the other player's shoulder by shoving him with the shoulder
Restarting play
The match begins with the referee throwing the sliotar in between the four midfielders on the halfway line After an attacker has scored or put the ball wide of the goals, the goalkeeper may take a "puckout" from the hand at the edge of the small square. All players must be beyond the 20 m line. After a defender has put the ball wide of the goals, an attacker may take a "65" from the 65 m line level with where the ball went wide. It must be taken by lifting and striking. However, the ball must not be taken into the hand but struck while the ball is lifted. After a player has put the ball over the sideline, the other team may take a 'sideline cut' at the point where the ball left the pitch. It must be taken from the ground. After a player has committed a foul, the other team may take a 'free' at the point where the foul was committed. It must be taken by lifting and striking in the same style as the "65". After a defender has committed a foul inside the square (large rectangle), the other team may take a "penalty" from the ground from behind the 20 m line. Only the goalkeeper may guard the goals. It must be taken by lifting and striking and the sliotar must be struck on or behind the 20m line (The penalty rule was amended in 2015 due to safety concerns. Before this the ball merely had to start at the 20m line but could be struck beyond it. To balance this advantage the two additional defenders previously allowed on the line have been removed). If many players are struggling for the ball and no side is able to capitalize or gain control of it the referee may choose to throw the ball in between two opposing players. This is also known as a "throw in".
Officials A hurling match is watched over by eight officials:
The referee (on field) Two linesmen (sideline) Sideline official/standby linesman (inter-county games only) Four umpires (two at each end)