Incredible! Playing football with your hands?
Gaelic football is a very popular sport in Ireland and it is a variation of football where you can use your hands!
In many countries around the world, but especially in Ireland, football is played in a different way. This "sport" is actually a combination of several sports, football, rugby and, basketball. The official name is Gaelic football.
Gaelic football is a combination of football, basketball and rugby
Next, we will explain some of the rules of this strange sport:
-This sport is played on a rectangular field, between 130 and 145 meters long and between 80 and 90 meters wide. There are H-shaped goals on both sides, with a net at the bottom. This is where football meets rugby, as players will have to choose between scoring a goal on a football goal or taking a lob shot and converting on the goal used in rugby (shaped like an H).
Scoring a goal on goal with the net is worth 3 points, while a goal on top is worth 1 point.
-Football goals have a goalkeeper who prevents goals, while the rugby goal is impossible to defend because of the height. Scoring a goal on a football goal awards 3 points, while scoring on a rugby goal awards only 1 point. Obviously, scoring a goal down is more difficult than scoring a goal up. It can only be scored using the feet, unless the ball is in the air and in that case, the hand can be used to score.
-The matches last between 60 and 70 minutes, divided into 2 halves of 30 or 35 minutes. Ties are broken by replay or by adding 20 minutes of additional time in two 10-minute halves.
-Each team has 15 players on the field and can have up to 15 substitutes, of which only 5 can be used per match.
-A leather ball is used, similar to a football ball, but slightly heavier. The appearance of the ball is similar to a volleyball. With this ball, you can kick as if it were a football ball and make passes with your hand as if it were basketball or rugby.
-When a player has the ball in his hands, he can only take 4 steps in total. To keep holding the ball, he must release the ball and tap it with his foot. After recovering the ball, the player will have 4 more steps to continue moving. Also, it is possible to do this but use your hands to bounce the ball on the floor, like a basketball. This rule can only be used 2 times, so the idea is to alternate between foot and hand.
The ball is made like a football ball but with the appearance of a volleyball
-There are 3 cards. The yellow card is a warning, the black card expels the player but someone else can substitute him in his place, while the red card is equal to football.
-The FIFA of this sport is the GAA, Gaelic Athletic Association. This sport is very popular in Ireland and many times, the stadiums are usually full of people. In addition to Ireland, this sport is practiced professionally in Galicia (Spain) and amateurishly in Argentina, Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others. Obviously, the League of Ireland is the most famous and popular in the world. The winningest Irish team in history is Kerry with 36 cups, followed by Dublin with 22.
Kerry is Ireland's winningest team
-In the first Gaelic World Cup, held in the city of Abu Dhabi in 2015 (capital of the United Arab Emirates), the Argentine team was the world champion, beating the Galician team in the final by 7 to 4, in extra time.
Continue Reading: Preston North End FC, England's first league champions
