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Team Sports
7–15 players
both
stick, ball, helmet
7 essential rules
Hurling is a stick-and-ball field game administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the amateur governing body for Gaelic games headquartered at Croke Park, Dublin. The playing rules set out in this document are drawn from the Official Guide - Part 2, published by authority of the Centr...
The Sliotar (Ball) - Rule 4.4(i): The diameter of the sliotar, not including the rim (rib), shall be between 69mm and 72mm. Its mass shall be between 110 and 116 grams.
Field Markings - Rule 1.2: At distances of 13m, 20m, 45m, and 65m (the hurling-specific distance line) from each endline, lines are marked across the field parallel to the endline, with their intersections with the sidelines marked by flags. A 10m...
Team Composition - Rule 2.1-2.2: A team consists of fifteen players, a goalkeeper and fourteen outfield players (a Council or Committee in charge may reduce outfield players to a number not below eleven). A team may commence a game with thirteen p...
The Play - Rule 1: The ball is in play once thrown in or pucked to start or restart play, and remains in play until the Referee signals a stop, the ball passes completely over a boundary line or strikes a boundary flag, or is prevented from crossi...
Rule 3.1: A goal is scored when the ball is played over the goal-line, between the posts and under the crossbar, by either team. A point is scored when the ball is played over the crossbar, between the posts, by either team.
Technical Fouls - Rule 4: These cover ball-handling infringements such as overcarrying or overholding the ball (4.1), throwing the ball or handpassing it without a definite striking action (4.2), lifting the ball off the ground with the knees (4.3...
Mandatory Head Protection - Rule 4.2(i): Every player must wear a helmet with a facial guard meeting the IS:355 standard (or its NSAI-determined replacement) in all Hurling Games and Hurling Practice Sessions, and the helmet must not be modified f...
The 'parish rule' — club loyalty over transfers
Although the GAA's official rulebook permits player transfers between clubs, a long-standing cultural norm holds that a player should represent the club of their home parish and that 'poaching' players from neighbouring clubs is against the spirit of the Association, even when technically permitted.
Rooted in the GAA's parish-based founding structure.
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