Gaelic Football

 

I tried my luck with the Phoenix Gaels when I first moved to Arizona. Gaelic football is very similar to Hurling, a sport that I played in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Hurling Club). I didn't play very long before I decided to focus my efforts on Australian Rules Football.

 

 

About Gaelic Football:

Gaelic Football can be said to be a mixture of soccer, rugby and basketball, although it predates all of those games. It is a field game which has evolved along similar lines as Australian Rules football. Indeed Australian Rules football is a spin off from Gaelic Football, as the Irish game was brought to Australia by the waves of immigrants in the last two centuries. Unlike Australian Rules, Gaelic Football is played with a round ball, slightly smaller, and heavier than, a soccer ball. The playing area is a rectangular field, approx. 137 metres long, and 82 metres wide. The goalposts are the same basic shape as rugby goalposts, but the crossbar is lower than in rugby.

Teams are comprised of 15 players each. The players are named at set positions, however there is no limit to the movement a player may make during the course of a game. For example, there is nothing to prevent a corner forward helping out in defence when the situation demands.