Gaelic Football

A Passion for Sport

One of the many great things Irish immigrants brought to the Americas was a love of sport, and Gaelic football embodies all that passion. It is a hugely skillful and physical game and at it’s pinnacle is the All-Ireland Final, played at Croke Park in Dublin each year for the Sam Maguire Cup.

For those who have never had the privilege of playing or watching the game, we’ve put together a summary of what you really need to know.

The Original Beautiful Game

Gaelic Football is a distinctly Irish game played with a round football which can be caught, kicked and hand-passed. The governing body, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), describes it as a “field invasion game” and it’s no wonder. Each game is a fast and furious battle with no quarter given either way. Counties, cities, towns, villages and town lands all have their team and the dream is to win the championship. The following video gives you just a flavor but without the atmosphere of a big match. And, just in case you were mesmerized by the artistry and missed the rules, we’ve summarized them below.

Equipment

The ball used in Gaelic Football is round and slightly smaller than a soccer ball. It’s made of 18 stitched leather panels and approximately 28 inches circumference.

Teams

Teams have 15 players and up to 15 substitute players of which six can be used. Players in the main team are numbered 1 to 15 and there’s one goalkeeper, six backs, two midfielders and six forwards.

Playing Rules

The senior teams’ game is played for 70 minutes total, 35 mins each half. Time is a little less for all minor and under 21 games due to the fast pace and strenuous activity during the game. Extra time is played as needed. The Gaelic pitch is similar to a rugby pitch but larger. The grass pitch stretches up to 159 yards long.

in play, the ball can be carried in the hand for four steps only and can be kicked or "hand-passed", a striking motion with the hand or fist. After every four steps the ball must be either bounced or "solo-ed", this is where the player drops the ball onto the foot and kicks it back up into the hand. You cannot bounce the ball twice in a row. Players may contest for the ball by playing it with the hand or by shoulder charging an opponent side-to-side.

Scoring

Scoring is achieved by points and goals. To score, you can put the ball over the crossbar by foot or fist/hand for one point. If it goes under the crossbar and into the net by foot or fist/hand, then it’s a goal and is the equivalent of three points. The final team score is tallied in points i.e. 1 goal and 4 points is a total of 7 points. Whoever has the most total points wins the game.

A goal is signaled by raising a green flag to the left of the goal. A point is signaled by raising a white flag to the right of goal.

Officiating

A football match is overseen by up to eight officials: a referee, two linesmen, sideline official, and four umpires (two at each goa).

A Must See

There’s nothing quite like watching an All-Ireland final. It is a battle of speed, skill, determination, stamina and sheer grit. You’re almost guaranteed a rollercoaster ride regardless of whether you have skin in the game or not!