Hurling : the oldest field sport in Europe
Copyright : Panoramic
Hurling in a nutshell:
Hurling is an Irish sport straight out of Celtic mythology. “Cuchulainn” is said to have prevailed over 150 opponents in a game of hurling.
It’s the world’s fastest field team game sport, so it’s pretty spectacular. As one of Ireland’s Gaelic games, it shares some characteristics with Gaelic football: the goals, the size of the field and the number of players.
Deemed to be too brutal and dangerous, the sport is prohibited between the sixteenth and the eighteenth century. It is subsequently reinstated and has since become the third most popular sport in Ireland, with about a hundred thousand players.
The ball (sliotar) can reach 160 km/h but some players, even the goalkeepers, do not wear a helmet.
Hurling shares skills with baseball and lacrosse but with the contacts and the brutality that we find in hockey.
All these aspects make hurling into a very spectacular sport. Hurling rules:
There are two opposing teams on a huge field of 130 to 145 meters long and 80 to
90 meters wide.
On each side there is one goal area which is a mix between the goal in rugby and the goal in soccer.
Each team includes 15 players (hurlers)
- One goalkeeper
- Six defenders
- Two midfielders
- Six attackers
Points can be scored in two ways:
- A ball that passes between the vertical posts is worth 1 point (point)
- A ball which is sent in the lower area of goals is worth 3 points (goal)
The team that gets the most points wins the game.
More about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurling
