Gaelic Football

Gaelic football is the most popular field sport in Ireland. The All-Ireland Championship matches routinely attract crowds in excess of 70,000 people. Most Americans think it resembles a hybrid of soccer, basketball, and rugby but it is completely it's own beast and is descended from none of the above. It is fast paced, relentless, and physical . The men’s game is full-contact with competitive play being similar to ice hockey and lacrosse in physicality. The women’s game is light to moderate contact, still much more physical than basketball or soccer.

The following 3 videos are produced by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are great introductions to Gaelic football:

Video1 - 7.4MB

Video2 - 10.1MB

Video3 - 6.7MB

Gaelic football is played with a round ball, smaller and heavier than a soccer ball. The rules are rather simple and easy to learn:

1. Players are allowed to carry the ball for a maximum of 4 steps before either passing, kicking, dribbling, or toe-tapping the ball.

2. The act of dribbling or toe-tapping gives the ball carrier 4 additional steps

3. The ball cannot be dribbled twice in a row, but it can be toe-tapped as many times in a row as the ball-carrier wishes.

4. The ball must be passed by striking with either the fist or open palm. It CANNOT be thrown.

5. The ball can be kicked to a teammate.

6. The ball cannot be touched by the hand when it is settled or rolling on the ground. It must first be touched with the foot to bring it into the hands.

7. Shoulder to shoulder checks are allowed as are attempts to strip the ball from the carrier by using the open hand.

8. There is no offsides!

How to score:

At the each end of the pitch are goals which resemble a soccer goal with uprights. The goal is actually more narrow but slightly taller than a soccer goal. 3 points are awarded for kicking the ball into the goal. The ball may also be played into the goal with the hand providing it is being played while still in the air after being kicked. 1 point is awarded for kicking or punching the ball over the crossbar between the uprights. One would think the point advantage of a goal would mean players look at the net only. However, games are often won or lost by missed opportunities to collect single points.

Why Should I Play Gaelic Football?

Here are a few reasons why you should:

1.A great cardio-vascular workout!

2. Awesome cross-training for other sports

3. Make some new friends

4. Learn about a new culture

5. Play the games your ancestors played

6. Have a LOT of fun!