Gaelic Football

Description

It's not American football. It's not soccer. It's not rugby. Gaelic football is played on a field larger than a soccer or American football field. To score, a player must get a soccer-type ball into the net of a goal (for three points or what is called a 'goal') or through the uprights above the goal (for one point or what is called a 'point'). Gaelic footballers use their hands and there is no off-sides. To move the ball, a player is allowed to kick it, punch it (but not throw it), run with the ball for three strides, bounce it (but only once) or solo it (to drop the ball to one's foot and tap it back into one's hands while running, remembering not to take more than three strides in between solos).

No other sport offers you the thrill of soccer, the tactics of rugby and the skill of basketball!

Rules

A gaelic football team consists of 15 players and a number of substitutes. The substitutes can be called into play at any stage of the game. The team's manager chooses his starting fifteen and substitutes from a 'panel' of players. A maximum of three substitutes may be used in a game. Every football team has a goalkeeper, six defenders, two midfielders and six forwards. 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.

Championship matches last 70 minutes and league matches last 60 minutes.

Inter county and Inter club teams will wear their own registered distinctive colours. In all football games the goalkeeper will wear a different colour jersey to the rest of his team. Each year Inter County and Inter Club teams compete in various competitions. The most famous and respected competition of all is the All-Ireland Championship. This is a knockout championship that runs from May to September for Inter County teams only. Early in the year a draw is made in each of the four provinces to decide which teams play each other. Venues are decided upon and the matches are then played.

Our Teams

The Baltimore GAA offers oportunities for people of all skill levels and competitive desires to play Gaelic Football.

Co-ed leagues: Spring and Fall leagues offer playing oportunities for all skill levels in a social setting.

Competitive Teams: Play matches against other mens and ladies teams from the mid-atlantic region durning the summer months.

Travel Teams: In the late part of summer we prepare our mens and ladies travel teams to compete in the North American GAA Championships held in cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and the this year, Boston.