The Rules of Gaelic Football & Hurling

This page was originally written by Conor Tierney and Kelley Broadcasting.

The rules of Gaelic Football & Hurling are quite simple in most cases, and this short guide is designed to introduce you to them. Not all rules are covered here - should you require more information, there are several good books explaining the rules in detail.

Irish football, or Gaelic football, (and the variant called Hurling), is played by women or men in teams of fifteen (goalkeeper, 6 backs, 2 midfielders, 6 forwards), on a field approximately 90M X 50M, with H-goal posts at each end. A goal is scored if the ball passes between the posts and under the crossbar. A point is scored if the ball passes between the posts and over the crossbar. The football itself is similar to a soccer ball. Hurling is played with a small ball (sliotar), and well-crafted hand-held scoop sticks called hurls or hurleys.

The ball may be carried for up to four paces and then passed by being bounced or released to the toe, kicked, or struck with the open hand or fist, in any direction; or played from foot to hand (the solo). The ball may not be thrown. Two bounces in a row is not permitted, so a player will usually bounce-solo-bounce-solo, etc. As long as the player continues this bounce-solo routine, he can keep possession of the ball for as long as he likes. Players may punch the ball, but the punching motion must be clearly visible to the referee. Players may not pick up the ball off the ground unless they first get their toe under the ball. When played by men, it may not be picked up directly from the ground at all. Physical contact is allowed, shoulder to shoulder.

A game consists of two 35 minute halves. If the ball passes over either end line, having hit a defending player last, a 45 yard free is awarded to the attacking team. A game is officiated by one referee, two linesmen and 4 umpires.

Rules Index

1. Technical fouls
2. Personal fouls
3. Frees & penalties
4. Sidelines & kick outs/Puckouts
5. Scoring
6. Other

Technical Fouls

This section deals with fouls 'against the ball', i.e. fouls committed by a player which do not infringe on another player.

1. Players may not lift the ball directly from the ground. The toe or the hurl may be used to lift the ball from the ground, into the hands. If a player illegally lifts the ball from the ground, the opposing team regains possession, and a free is taken from the point where the foul occurred.

2. When in possession of the ball, a player may take no more than four steps while holding the ball. He may however, start on a 'solo-run', dropping the ball from hand to foot, and playing it back to the hand 'toe-tap' in football, or soloing on the hurl in hurling . If a player takes more than four steps with the ball in his hand, a free to the opposing team is awarded.

3. A player may pass the ball using either the hand ('hand pass') or by kicking the ball to a team mate ('foot pass'), or in hurling by striking the ball with the hurl. A legal 'hand pass' is committed by a player who makes it apparent to the referee that a clean striking action has occurred (to clearly show that the ball was not thrown).

4. If an attacking player is within his opponents small parallelogram before the ball enters, it is deemed a 'square ball', and a free out to the defending team. However, if the ball enters before him, or enters, is cleared and played back into the small parallelogram before he has time to exit, a foul is not called.

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This section deals with fouls committed by a player on another player.

1. Tackling: A defending player may try to dispossess an attacking player by one of two methods:-
   1. Tackling 'shoulder-to-shoulder' i.e. making fair contact with his shoulder to the other player's shoulder to try and unbalance him. The defender may not use his hip or elbow in the tackle, and one foot has to be on the ground during the whole tackling procedure. A player may use the shoulder to push a player away from the ball whilst both of them are chasing a 'fifty-fifty' ball i.e. no team is in proper possession of the ball.
   2. In Gaelic football he may attempt to knock the ball from the attacker's hands with the open palm. Only one hand can be used, and the defender cannot try to pull it from the attacker, he must knock it cleanly from his possession.

   If either of these rules are breached, the referee awards a free to the attacking player. Consistent personal fouling by a player may warrant a booking from the referee, and if he is booked a second time, he must leave the field of play, and suffer an immediate two week suspension, which may be lengthened by the appropriate disciplinary board.

2. Pulling:No player may pull the jersey of an opposing player during the game, weather it is whilst running for the ball, tackling an attacking player, or during quiet periods of play.Consistent pulling of an opposing player's jersey may warrant a booking, and if the foul is committed at a later time and noted by the referee, this mandates a sending off.

3. Pushing:A free is awarded if one player pushes an opposing player, whilst chasing him, tackling him, or if one player is in front of another for a catch and the payer behind pushes his opponent to get a better chance of catching the ball.

4. Striking:If a player strikes any other player on the pitch, with either the fist of the boot, weather an opponent or on the same team, he is to be immediately put off. A minimum two week suspension is imposed, and this may be extended by the appropriate disciplinary board.

5. Dangerous play: If the referee deems a player to be a danger to other players, he has the right to caution the player about his conduct. If this conduct is not changed, the referee may book the player. If again this makes no difference, the referee has the right to put the player off. A two week suspension is imposed upon the player.

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If a foul is committed outside the fourteen yard line, the free is to be taken by a player on the attacking side, from the ground (in Gaelic football the free may now be taken from the hands. If he is taking the free kick from the hand, he is not allowed bounce the ball, throw it from hand-to-hand, etc., before the free is taken).

For any foul committed inside the 14 yard line, but outside the large parallelogram, are brought out to the 14 yard line, perpendicular to the end line. The free may be taken from the ground or hand, and the same rules apply to the free taker if the free is being taken from the hand.

If a personal foul to an attacking player is committed within his opponents' large parallelogram, a penalty to the attacking team is awarded. Penalties are one-on-one frees taken from the 14 yard line, directly in front of the centre of goal. In Gaelic football only the defending goalkeeper may stand in the goal, but in hurling the goalkeeper and two other players may line the goal. All players (except the player taking the penalty and those on the line) must be 14 yards away from the ball and outside the 14 yard line, and may not encroach on these boundaries until the ball has been played. Recently, new markings to the pitch showing these boundaries have been introduced.

If a technical foul is committed by a defending player within his own large rectangle, but outside the small parallelogram, a 14 yard free is awarded to the attacking team.

If a technical foul is committed by a defending player inside his own small parallelogram, a penalty is awarded to the attacking team.

A special free called a '45', in football, and '65' in hurling, is awarded to an attacking team if a defender plays the ball last before it crosses the defenders' end line. This free is so called because it is taken from the defenders' 45/65 metre line. This free must be taken from the ground. It is taken perpendicular to where the ball crossed the line.

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A player who touches the ball last before it crosses out of play is penalised by possession returning to the other team and a free awarded depending on where the ball leaves the field of play. If the ball crosses the sideline, a sideline is taken. This free may be taken in a similar fashion to any other free awarded, and is taken from where the ball left the field of play.

If an attacking player is the last to touch the ball before it crosses the end line, a kick out/puckout is awarded to the defending team. Kick outs, in Gaelic football, are taken from the ground. Puckouts, in hurling, are where the goalkeeper has a free strike of the ball from his goal area. Where they are taken depends on where they crossed the end line:

1. If the ball crosses the endline but does not go between the defenders' goalposts, a wide ball is declared and the free kick is taken from the 6 yard line (i.e. the front of the small parallelogram).
2. In football, if the ball crosses the endline, and goes between the defenders' goalposts, either above or below the crossbar, a score is given to the attacking team, and the kickout is taken from the 21 yard line.

As explained earlier, if a defender plays the ball over his own end line, a '45' / '65' is awarded to the attacking team.

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In Gaelic football and hurling there are two types of score, a goal or a point.

A point is scored by playing the ball over your opponents' end line, between their goalposts, and over the crossbar.

A goal is scored by playing the ball over your opponents' end line, between the goalposts, and under the crossbar. A goal is worth three points.

Players may score from either the hand or the foot in football, or the hurl and foot in hurling. A goal cannot be scored using the hand pass method, although points can be scored this way. A goal scored by hand will count if the referee deems it not to have been by the hand pass method e.g. if a player is in possession of the ball, drops it, and punches the ball into the goal this will count.

A set of goals in Gaelic football/hurling are similar to those of rugby. The two vertical posts (goalposts) are placed 14 yards apart, with a horizontal bar (crossbar) between them, 8 feet from the ground.

If a defender plays the ball through his own goalposts, weather by foot or by hand, the appropriate score is awarded to the attacking team. A defending player may score an own goal with a hand pass.

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Teams are made up of fifteen players. They line out as follows:

Players wear a jersey with their team colours, and number on the back. Both teams must have differing jerseys. Goalkeepers' jerseys may not be similar to the jersey of any other player. Referees normally tog out in black jerseys, but this is not required at lower levels.

Goalkeepers may not be physically challenged whilst inside their own small parallelogram, but players may harass them into playing a bad pass, or block an attempted pass.

Teams are allowed a maximum of three substitutes in a game. Once a player is substituted from the field of play, he may not be played again for that game.

Players may switch position on the field of play as much as is wished.

Officials for a game comprise of a referee, two linesmen (to indicate the ball leaving the field of play and to mark '45' free kicks), and 4 umpires (to signal scores, assist the referee in controlling the games, and to assist linesmen in positioning '45'/'65' frees).

A goal is signalled by raising a green flag, placed to the left of the goal. A point is signalled by raising a white flag, placed to the right of goal. A '45'/'65' is signalled by the raising of the outside arm. A 'square ball' is signalled by pointing at the small parallelogram.

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