Gaelic
Football can be described as a mixture of soccer and rugby, although
it predates both of those games. It is a field game which has developed
as a distinct game similar to the progression of Australian Rules.
Indeed it is thought that Australian Rules evolved from Gaelic Football
through the many thousands who were either deported or emigrated to
Australia from the middle of the nineteenth century. Gaelic Football
is played on a pitch approximately 137m long and 82m wide. The goalposts
are the same shape as on a rugby pitch, with the crossbar lower than
a rugby one and slightly higher than a soccer one.
The
ball used in Gaelic Football is round, slightly smaller than a soccer
ball. It can be carried in the hand for a distance of four steps and
can be kicked or "hand-passed", a striking motion with the
hand or fist. After every four steps the ball must be either bounced
or "solo-ed", an action of dropping the ball onto the foot
and kicking it back into the hand. You may not bounce the ball twice
in a row. To score, you put the ball over the crossbar by foot or
hand / fist for one point or under the crossbar and into the net by
foot or the hand / fist in certain circumstances for a goal, the latter
being the equivalent of three points.
Each
team consists of fifteen players, lining out as follows: One goalkeeper,
three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwards
and three full-forwards. The actual line out on the playing field
is as follows:
|
|
Goalkeeper |
|
|
| Right
corner-back |
|
Full-back |
|
Left
corner-back |
| Right
half-back |
|
Centre
half-back |
|
Left half-back |
|
Midfielder |
|
Midfielder |
|
| Right
half-forward |
|
Centre
half-forward |
|
Left half-forward |
| Right
corner-forward |
|
Full-forward |
|
Left corner-forward |
Players
wear a jersey with their team colours and number on the back. Both
teams must have different colour jerseys. The goalkeepers' jerseys
must not be similar to the jersey of any other player. Referees normally
tog out in black jerseys, socks and togs.
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 five substitutes in a game. Players may switch
positions on the field of play as much as they wish but this is usually
on the instructions of team officials.
Officials
for a game comprise of a referee, two linesmen (to indicate when the
ball leaves the field of play at the side 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' 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 umpire raising his/her
outside arm. A 'square ball', when a player scores having arrived
in the 'square' prior to receiving the ball, is signalled by pointing
at the small parallelogram.
