Hurling

Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an Irish outdoor team sport that is similar to hockey and is played by two teams of 15 people.

The object of the game is for players to use a wooden axe-shaped stick, called a hurley (in Irish a "camán", pronounced kam-awn) or a hurl, to hit a small ball, called a sliotar (pronounced slith-er), between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points.

The ball may be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the stick. It may be kicked or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than three steps must bounce or balance the ball on the end of the stick, and the ball may be handled only twice while in the player's possession.

Statistics

  • A team has 15 players, or "hurlers."
  • The hurley or hurl (hurl), or camán, is generally 70–100 cm (32–36 inches) long.
  • The goalkeeper's hurley usually has a bás (the flattened, curved end) twice the size of other players' hurleys to provide some advantage against the fast moving sliotar.
  • The ball, known as a sliotar, has a cork center and a leather cover; it is between 23 and 25 cm in circumference and has a mass between 100 and 130 g.
  • A good strike with a hurley can propel the ball up to 150 km/h (93 mph) and 100 m (305 ft) .
  • A ball hit over the bar is worth one point. A ball that is hit under the bar is worth three points, which is called a goal.

Playing field

Hurling is played on a pitch approximately 137 m long and 82 m wide The goals at each end of the field are formed by two posts, which are usually 6 m high, set 6.4 m apart, and connected 2.44 m above the ground by a crossbar. A net extending in back of the goal is attached to the crossbar and lower goal posts.

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