                |
 |
Atlanta Men's Gaelic Football
Gaelic Football
Resurgence for 2009
Following our
recent success at the Connolloy's Cup Tournament in Charlotte it has
been decided to play a Charlotte Gaelic football team in Atlanta on
August 1st in conjunction with the second International Rules games to
be held between Charlotte and the Atlanta Kookaburras Australian Rules
Football Club.
Both games will
be held at Creek Park on August 1st, click
here for map
The club has
chosen to commit to the growth
of hurling for now but hopes to keep football alive. If there is
sufficient interest and participation football will come to once again
play a greater part in the clubs activities.
Contact Club Chairperson Dan Kuemmerle - chair@atlantagaa.org
New Players welcome and encouraged.
What is Gaelic Football?
Links to some informative You Tube Videos
What is Gaelic Football? (part 1 of 3)
What is Gaelic Football? (part 2 of 3)
What is Gaelic Football? (part 3 of 3)
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 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:
Game is played over two halves of 30 minutes (at club level) or 35 minutes (at inter-county level).
Players wear a jersey with their team colors and number on the back. Both teams must have different color 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 signaled by raising a green flag, placed to the left of the goal. A point is signaled by raising a white flag, placed to the right of goal. A '45'/'65' is signaled 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 signaled by pointing at the small parallelogram.
