ABSTRACT
Recently there has been an emphasis on examining the factors that influence performance in Gaelic games. Reilly and Doran (2001) have recently reviewed the current sports science literature as applied to Gaelic football. The diversity in scientific information specific to Gaelic football has not been mirrored in the other main Gaelic field sport of hurling. Hurling is a team game played on a pitch ~137 m x ~82 m using a 15-player team; it is similar to hockey in that it is played with a small leather ball (sliothar) and a curved wooden stick (camán). The ball can be stuck while on the ground, or played in the air. A significant amount of play occurs in the air, especially above head height (Figure 1). Unlike hockey, the ball can be picked up with the camán and carried for four steps. The ball then must either be bounced on the camán and back to the hand, or carried with the ball balanced on the camán. Similarly, Gaelic football, consists of 15 players on the field at any one time but the pitch is about 40% longer than a soccer pitch. The ball can be played with the hands or with the feet, long or short. The ball is round like a soccer ball: the skills employed in playing it include high catching, long distance kicking for accuracy, passing and moving the ball, solo-running by kicking the ball to oneself and collecting it before it bounces, and blocking an opponent’s kick or hand pass. It is common tactical practice in both codes to follow a person-to-person marking strategy. The team configuration consists of a goalkeeper, two defensive lines each of three players, each line in turn being confronted by a corresponding trio of forwards. The remaining two players take up the centre-field positions. The roles of individual players vary according to playing position and positional changes are common for tactical purposes. Matches consist of two 30-min halves. Time is increased to 70 min in intercounty (elite) championship games. The ball is rarely out of play for long periods, especially since new rules were introduced in 1990, which allowed players fewer respites during a match. The players are required to run repeatedly, with or without the ball or to give or receive a pass. To score, in both codes the ball must pass over or under the crossbar for a point or goal respectively, the latter being the equivalent of three points. Players can physically contest possession of the ball with shoulder-to-shoulder charges or blocking with either the camán or the body; therefore both Gaelic game codes are highly physical (Figure 1).
