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Hurling is arguably the oldest and fastest field sport in the world. It evolved as a method of training Irish warriors for battle or in lieu of battle to settle disputes over property claims for example. Today hurling is one of Ireland’s national sports, and is growing in popularity in the United States.
Teams consist of 15 players including a goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwards and three full-forwards. A regulation Pitch (playing field) is 150 yards long by 100 yards wide with goals at both ends. Our club currently plays on an American football field with 13 players a side in league matches.
While it looks like a hybrid of lacrosse, soccer, rugby, field hockey and other sports, hurling is its own pure sport. Sending the sliothar, (SLI-tar) or ball, through the uprights is worth one point. Goals (worth three points) are scored directly through the goalposts during the two 30-minute halves.
The team with the greater combination of points and goals at the end of the match is the winner. The sliothar can be struck on the ground or in the air with the hurley, and it can also be kicked, caught in the hand and passed with the open palm. Players may not throw the sliothar or pick it up from the ground if the sliothar is stationary and can only carry the ball in their hand for four steps before they must pass or hit it down the pitch with the hurley to a teammate. A player may run and solo, or balance the ball on the end of the hurley, for as long as they can before an opposing player reaches them. To get the ball from the ground to your hand, you may roll-lift the ball up with your hurley or jab-lift the ball off the ground. The player can take the ball from the hurley into his hand only twice in one possession… or if the player had previously caught the ball, he can take it into his hand only once from his hurley before passing or shooting. There are no off sides and players normally mark the same opposing player during a match. Hurling is a fairly physical game. A player may "tackle" another player, which is basically a shoulder to shoulder side charge. This is allowed only when the player committing the tackle has at least one foot on the ground and only if the player charged is playing or possessing the sliothar. The emphasis in recent years has been on skill, speed, stamina, hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity. The goalkeeper cannot be tackled inside their square, but outside it they are fair game. If the sliothar goes out over the sideline the referee will reward a sideline cut (ball hit off the ground like a golf swing), and if it goes over the end line either the goalie will puck (ball tossed from the hand and struck) it back into play, or the other team is awarded a 65 yard free puck (ball struck with the hurley 65 yards from the goal after jab-lifting or roll-lifting it in the air).
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