Hurling is an outdoor team sport primarily played in Ireland, and is arguably the world's fastest field team sport in terms of gameplay (however the ball travels faster in other field games such as hockey). Hurling resembles the games of shinty that is played primarily in Scotland and bandy that was played formerly in England and Wales. When played by women hurling is known as camogie. Similar to hockey, hurling is played with a small ball and a curved wooden stick.

Hurling is Europe's oldest field game. When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding, they brought with them a unique culture, their own language, music, script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now called hurling. It features in Irish folklore to illustrate the deeds of heroic mystical figures and it is chronicled as a distinct Irish pastime for at least 2,000 years.

The Game
The stick, or "hurley" (called camán in Irish) is curved outwards at the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or "sliothar" is similar in size to a hockey ball but has raised ridges.

A hurling pitch is 154 yards (140 m) long and between 80 to 90m wide, significantly larger than a soccer or rugby pitch. The goal posts 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 objective of this field game is for one of two teams to score more goals and points, during a match, than the other. A team is comprised of 15 players: notionally, one goalkeeper, six defenders, two midfielders and six forwards. A match lasts 70 minutes, comprising two halves with an interval between them.

You may strike the ball on the ground, or in the air. Unlike hockey, you may pick up the ball with your hurley and carry it for not more than four steps in the hand. After those steps you may bounce the ball on the hurley and back to the hand, but you are forbidden to catch the ball more than twice. To get around this, one of the skills is running with the ball balanced on the hurley.

Each team consists of fifteen players, lining out as follows: 1 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:

[img_assist|fid=16|thumb=0|alt=Pitch Positions|caption=A game is played over two halves of 30 minutes (at club level) or 35 minutes (at inter-county level).]

Scoring
Scoring is done by sending the sliotar (ball) between the oppositions goal posts, be it over or under the cross bar. The skill of players comes from their ability and speed in controlling the ball. The posts, which are at each end of the field, are "H" posts as in rugby football but with a net under the crossbar as in soccer. The posts are seven yards (6.37 m) apart and the crossbar is seven feet (2.12 m) above the ground. Three points are scored when players send the ball under the crossbar into the goal area while one point is scored when players send the ball over the crossbar.

During a match, players attack their opposing goal and protect their own. When the ball is on the ground, it must be played by striking or lifting it off the ground with a stick into the air where it may be struck again or caught by a player. If the ball is caught, the catching player may not throw it or carry it for the shorter of four paces or four seconds, but is allowed to strike the ball with a stick or hand, or by kicking. The stick's flat face, which is also known as a bas, may be used to carry the ball while a player controls it, but usually requires great skill. Players may be tackled but not struck with a stick. Accidental collisions between players and equipment do occur and, so a protective helmet, although not mandatory, is recommended.

The Players
Players wear a jersey with their team colours and number on the back. Both teams must have different colour 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 three 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 '65'' free kicks and 4 umpires (to signal scores, assist the referee in controlling the games, and to assist linesmen in positioning ''65' frees).

A goal is signalled by raising a green flag, placed to the left of the goal. A point is signalled by raising a white flag, placed to the right of goal. A '45'/'65' is signalled 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 signalled by pointing at the small parallelogram.

A bit of History
Hurling was first mentioned in a description of the 14th century BC Battle of Moytura where the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann defeated the Fir Bolg in a match and, later, in a battle. Hurling has also been mentioned in several other old Irish sources since and the game has enjoyed popularity through the ages.

The strongest hurling teams have come from the counties of Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary but teams such as Clare, Galway, Limerick, Offaly, Waterford and Wexford have become prominent or re-emerged since the 1980s. County Antrim in northeast Ireland is considered an isolated "hurling county" but has never won the Liam McCarthy Cup.

Significant hurling matches are those between the counties of Ireland in each of the four national provinces. Up to the end of the 1990s, the provincial champions played-off in the semi-finals for the right to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final that takes place annually in September at Croke Park in Dublin. In recent times the championship has opened up to include a group stage and quarter-finals.

Since 1884, hurling has been governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The most important match is the GAA All-Ireland Intercounty Championship which takes place annually in a modified knock-out format. The final matches are played at Croke Park and regularly attract attendances of up to 83,000 people.