History Hurling is an ancient Gaelic and Irish team sport played in the open air. The game has been played for 3,000 years and has primordial beginnings.
Camogie is the female version of hurling, with only a few minor rule variations. Camogie is a sport that 100,000 women play in Ireland and around the world. The Camogie Association, based in Dublin, is in charge of its administration globally.
The game is now played all around the world, and its popularity grows year after year. In 2016, the USGAA Finals were held in Seattle, where the Seattle Gaels hurling team won the national title.
The Mission Statement
The game’s goal is for players to knock a small ball called a sliotar between the opponent’s goalposts using a wooden stick called a hurley, either over the crossbar for one point or under the crossbar into a goalkeeper-guarded net for one goal. The hurley can be caught in the hand and carried for no more than four steps, while the sliotar can be struck in the air or on the ground. Short-range passing can be kicked or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass).
Field of play
A hurling pitch is comparable to a rugby pitch in some ways, although it is larger. The rectangular grass pitch measures 130–145 metres (140–160 yards) long and 80–90 metres (90–100 yards) wide. At each end, two H-shaped goalposts are made by two posts that are normally 6–7 metres (20–23 feet) tall, 6.5 metres (21 feet) apart, and 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) above the ground by a crossbar. The crossbar and lower goal posts are connected with a net that extends behind the goal. Both Gaelic football and Gaelic football are played on the same pitch; the GAA, which organises both sports, decided to make dual use easier. Each end-line is marked with 14 yards, 21 yards, and 65 yards (45 yards for Gaelic Football). Youth teams use smaller goals and shorter surfaces.
Camogie’s Rules
With a few exceptions, the regulations of camogie are nearly identical to those of hurling (see below):
- Goalkeepers wear the same colours as the rest of the team. Because goalkeepers are not subject to any particular restrictions, referees are not required to distinguish between goalkeepers and outfielders.
- A score can be passed by hand in camogie (forbidden in hurling since 1980)
- Camogie games are 60 minutes long, divided into two 30-minute halves (senior inter-county hurling games last 70, which is two 35-minute halves). Multiple 210-minute sudden death extra periods are used to break ties; in these, the first team to score wins.
- It is acceptable to drop the camogie stick to handpass the ball.
- Camogie uses a smaller sliotar (ball) – popularly known as a size four sliotar – while hurlers use a size five sliotar.
- If a defender hits the sliotar wide, the opposition receives a 45-meter puck (in hurling, it is a 65-metre puck)
- The goalkeeper pucks out from the 13-meter line after a goal. (He must puck from the end line in hurling)
- The tape must be used to cover the metal band on the camogie stick. (Not required in hurling)
- Charges from one side to the other are prohibited. (allowable in hurling)
- A touchdown directly from a sideline cut is worth two points (since March 2012).
- Instead of shorts, camogie players must wear skirts or skorts.
