GAA

Here at Sports Direct, we're passionate about GAA sports, especially hurling, Gaelic football and camogie. That being said, we are aware that Gaelic sports can be a little tough to understand for beginners, and that's why we have put together this helpful GAA guide which answers all of the most frequently asked questions about Ireland's favourite sports. Featuring an in-depth guide to the rules of hurling and Gaelic football, plus a guide to all the GAA kit you need, lots of interesting information about the history of GAA sports and a handy GAA jargon glossary, this guide has everything you need to be an expert on some of the most exciting and fast-paced sports on Earth.

OVERVIEW

What is GAA?

GAA is the Gaelic Athletic Association who are responsible for all of the Gaelic games and sports in Ireland, but the term GAA is often used as a synonym for Gaelic football - one of the two most popular Gaelic sports, along with hurling. Formed in 1884, the GAA also promotes camogie (the female version of hurling), rounders and Gaelic handball, and is a huge influence on everyday life and culture in Ireland, as well as the worldwide Irish diaspora. They promote traditional Irish values and the Irish language, while creating a strong sense of local and national community through their clubs.

GAA stands for the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Hurling is Ireland's national sport and known as the fastest sport on grass. In simple terms, teams of 15 players use a hurley (stick) to roll, jab, lift or flick a sliotar (ball) into either the goal net or through the posts above to score points and defeat the opposition. Played on a huge field with H-shaped goal posts at either end, hurling shares skills and formats with several other sports, including lacrosse, football, rugby, Gaelic football, shinty and a variety of others to create an immensely exciting spectacle that is played in front of huge crowds across Ireland. There are many more rules and anomalies that make hurling unique and slightly complicated, and we will explain those fully later in this GAA guide.

Gaelic football is Ireland's second most popular sport and is played on the same field as hurling, with the same point scoring system, number of players and club colours. Where it differs from hurling is that Gaelic football is played with a football and without a stick. The players must use only their feet and hands to get the ball into the goal or through the posts, but throwing is not allowed. Using skills most closely associated with association football (soccer) and rugby, players move the ball through carrying, bouncing, kicking, hand-passing, or soloing as they attempt to score points and win the game. That's just the basics of Gaelic football, continue reading for more in-depth rules, regulations and facts.

Put simply, camogie is the female version of hurling, played by well over 100,000 women and girls across Ireland. As in hurling, teams of 15 players use a hurley (stick), their feet and their hands to roll, jab, lift or flick a sliotar (ball) as they progress up a huge field to try and score by either getting the ball into the goal net (3 points) or between the posts (1 point). There are some differences to hurling though: players can hand pass to score, goalkeepers wear the same colours as outfield players, a smaller sliotar is used, side-to-side shoulder charges are forbidden and two points are awarded for a direct score from a sideline cut, plus a number of smaller anomalies.

RULES, REGULATIONS AND EQUIPMENT

Hurling, Gaelic football and camogie are played on the same pitch, which is between 130-145 metres long and 80-90 metres wide.

Hurling matches are 60 minutes long, split into two halves. The exception to this is that senior inter-county matches are 70 minutes long, with two 35-minute halves.

A hurley is the stick used in hurling, traditionally crafted from ash wood, featuring a flat curved 'bas' and 'heel' at the end and typically between 45 and 96cm long. Shop hurleys right here.

The hurley stick is used for most of the play in hurling, as players hit, control or balance the sliotar (ball) in general gameplay. Players will strike the sliotar with force using their hurley in order to score points or pass to their teammates. When trying to regain possession from the opposition, players can use their hurley one-handed to tackle the sliotar away from their opponent. Using the hurley stick is also the only way to pick up the sliotar from the ground. Browse hurley sticks here.

The small leather ball used in hurling is known as a sliotar and is around 2.8 inches in diameter and 120g in weight. Buy your sliotar here.

For GAA hurling, teams use a small ball called a sliotar, which has a cork middle with a leather cover. For Gaelic football matches, a round leather football is used, similar to those used in soccer, and they're available here.

A sliotar is a small leather ball and is used in hurling and camogie. The sliotar is moved in various ways, including kicking, hand-passing and using a hurley, with each team's aim to get the sliotar into the goal or through the posts above to score points and win the game.

Yes, you can kick the sliotar in a game of hurling. You must not pick up the sliotar from the ground directly with your hands, you should use the hurley to lift it into your hands.

The sliotar travels very fast during a game of hurling, up to 180kmph! This immense speed is one of the reasons that hurling is known as the fastest game on grass, as it allows the game to move from one end of the field to the other in a matter of seconds, creating a hugely exciting spectacle.

Yes, you must wear a helmet for hurling. It has been a GAA regulation since 2010 that hurlers of all ages must wear a helmet with a faceguard while training and in matches. Pick up your hurling helmet from our extensive range.

Browse our GAA range to find the best hurling helmets for adults and juniors - click here. We recommend only wearing hurling helmets from the best brands in the sport, such as O'Neills, Atak and Marc, as these will be durable, cushioned and lightweight, giving you the protection you need while also remaining comfortable and easy to wear. We also suggest wearing a hurling helmet that matches the colours of your club's jersey.

Also known as an ash guard, hurling gloves are generally only worn on the player's dominant hand - i.e if you're right-handed it is worn on your right hand and if you're left-handed it is worn on your left hand. Hurling gloves tend to be fingerless and are designed to protect the wearer's hand from being struck by an opponent's hurley. Shop our hurling gloves right here.

Browse right here for our best hurling grips to aid your hurling and camogie play. Hurling grips are wrapped around a hurley to give players better grip of their stick so they have more control over their hits and the hurley doesn't fly out of their hands. There are many different hurling grips available in various colours and featuring differing levels of cushioning.

GAA shorts for hurling, camogie and Gaelic football tend to be short because they give the wearer's legs free reign to move quickly and turn at any point. Another reason GAA shorts are so short is because they game is steeped in tradition and sports shorts were always a lot shorter in the 20th century. Pick up your GAA shorts from here.

GAA hurling and camogie require a lot of equipment and kit, including helmets, hurleys, sliotars, jerseys, shorts, socks, grips and gloves, plus training clothing too. Gaelic football has less gear requirements, with just the kits, footballs and other clothing needed.

There's lots of GAA training wear available here and this is what we recommend you wear for a GAA hurling or camogie training session: training top, shorts, socks, boots, helmet and hurley, plus a jacket, track pants and sweatshirt if the weather turns bad. For Gaelic football training, you need all the same clothing, just without the helmet and hurley!

OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GAA

No! Gaelic football and hurling are not the same sport and they differ in many key ways, despite being both played under the umbrella and stewardship of the GAA. Hurling is a stick-and-ball game, while Gaelic football is simpler and uses just a ball and the player's anatomy. There are many other difference between the two sports, but they do also have lots of similarities too, including: they are played on the same field, they use the same point scoring system, they wear the same jerseys and kit, they have the same counties and club teams and they are played in the same stadia.

There are over 2,200 GAA clubs in Ireland, split into 32 counties and four provinces, all playing hurling, Gaelic football, camogie and the other Gaelic games.

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded on November 1st 1884 in Thurles, Tipperary. At a meeting at the Hayes Hotel, the GAA was formed by a group of Irishmen to preserve and prosper Ireland's Gaelic games under a regulated set of rules and competitions.

No, GAA players are not paid. All GAA competitions are strictly amateur. GAA sports like hurling and Gaelic football are two of the very few remaining elite-level amateur sports in the world and the volunteer status of GAA players is extremely important to the association, counties, clubs, supporters and players alike. Players and coaches do not receive payment for playing and their willingness to play is generally born out of passion and pride in their own county and Ireland as a whole.

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland dominate participation in GAA Gaelic games like hurling, but other countries with a strong Irish connection also play Ireland's favourite sport. In the UK, there are county boards who play in GAA competitions, including London, Warwickshire and Scotland, while other countries like USA, Australia and Canada also love hurling, with many clubs set up. Many more countries have smaller hurling communities too, formed by members of the Irish diaspora to maintain roots to Ireland and its culture.

Good question! There is no definitive to answer to why hurling is so named, but the modern game we see today was developed from similar games called camán and lomán in the 18th century, before 'hurley' began being played in the 19th century. Going further back, the first literary reference to a game like hurling was over 3,000 year ago (yes, really), having been mentioned in Irish myths and legends. The game has a truly fascinating history that is deep-rooted in Irish culture, with the GAA being set up in 1884 to regulate hurling and the other Gaelic games.

Hurling is not violent, but it can be dangerous. As such, players at all levels are now required to wear protective helmets. This is to protect players from being struck on the head by hurleys or sliotars and causing long-term damage. The tackling in hurling can also be dangerous if players are pushed to the floor with force, but the GAA is regularly taking steps to reduce the risk of injury in the sport.

Hurling has been banned in Ireland by occupying forces and the Irish themselves several times. In the 12th century, the Normans outlawed hurling during their occupation, before the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1367 also banned hurling but the ban had little effect. Then in 1537, the Galway Statutes banned hurling once more but again the ban was largely ignored. By the time of the Great Famine (1846-49), though, hurling had declined significantly in popularity and was played with two differing rule sets - Camán and Lomán - before the GAA's foundation in 1884 brought everything under one regulator and the sport's popularity soared thereafter.

GAA GLOSSARY

CAID

Another name for Gaelic football.

CAMÁN

Another name for a hurley or hurley stick.

CAMOGIE

The women’s version of hurling.

COUNTY

The separate regions of Ireland (of which there are 32) used by the GAA to split administration of Gaelic games and set up the popular inter-county competitions. Outside of Ireland, GAA teams and administrations like London, New York, Scotland etc. are also referred to as Counties.

CROKE PARK

The headquarters of the GAA and flagship stadium for Gaelic sports, capable of hosting 82,300 spectators, making it the third largest stadium in Europe.

DUAL COUNTY

A county board which plays both Gaelic football and hurling to a similar level. Each county tends to be more successful in one or the other.

DUAL PLAYER

Any player who plays at the top level in both Gaelic football and hurling.

VOETBAL

In Ireland, 'football' always means Gaelic football. The term 'soccer' is used for association football.

FOREIGN SPORTS

All non-Gaelic sports which could rival GAA sports, such as soccer, rugby, cricket and hockey. Some of these sports are banned for GAA stadia and until 1971, GAA players were banned from playing or even watching foreign sports.

GAELIC GAMES

Group term for Gaelic football, hurling, camogie, rounders and Gaelic handball.

GOAL

In hurling, camogie and Gaelic football, a goal is getting the ball into the net under the bar and between the posts in the H-shaped goalposts. This is worth three points.

HURLEY

The stick used in hurling.

INTER-COUNTY

The matches that take place between opposing counties in Gaelic games. These match draw the biggest crowds and form the most important competitions.

OVERSEAS UNIT

GAA bodies outside of Ireland.

PANEL

The Gaelic games term for the squad or roster of players a county, club or team has at its disposal.

PÁIRC

The Irish word for ‘park’ regularly used in the names of Gaelic stadia.

PROVINCE

Separate administrative boards control a collection of counties grouped under the four provinces of Ireland - Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht. Britain is also called a Province in regards to GAA, overseeing the 'county' teams within Britain.

SIDELINE

The white line along the length of a hurling or Gaelic football field.

SLIOTAR

The small ball used in hurling and camogie.

SOLO

A big part of hurling and Gaelic football, similar to dribbling in soccer. In hurling, soloing is running with the sliotar balanced or bouncing on your hurley. In Gaelic football, soloing is dropping the ball and kicking it back into your hands over and over again while running.

UMPIRES

The four officials in a game of hurling, camogie or Gaelic football, aside from the on-field referee. Their roles include the raising of a flag to indicate a point or goal, indicate which team touched the ball last before it left the field of play and raise any foul play with the referee.

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