Basic match structure
- A standard adult game lasts 60 minutes, played in two halves of 30 minutes each.
- Teams have 15 players: 1 goalkeeper, 6 defenders, 2 midfielders, and 6 forwards, with at least 12 players required for a game to start.
- The pitch, goals, and scoring system are the same as hurling: 1 point for the sliotar over the crossbar, 3 points for a goal into the net.
Start, restart, and scoring
- Play starts with a throw‑in midfield, where the referee throws the sliotar between opposing midfielders.
- After wides, 45s, and sidelines, play restarts with a puck‑out or sideline puck, struck from the ground with the hurley.
- If the game ends level in knock‑out competitions, extra time is usually played in two 10‑minute periods until a winner emerges.
What players are allowed to do
- Strike the sliotar on the ground or in the air with the hurley.
- Lift the sliotar with the hurley, with the foot, or a combination of both.
- Catch the ball with one hand, hold or carry it for up to four steps (or the time equivalent), and then play it.
- Hand‑pass the sliotar to a teammate or to score a point.
- Kick the sliotar, or solo by balancing/carrying it on the hurley while running.
Main technical fouls
The following actions are not allowed and result in a free to the opposition.
- Picking the sliotar directly off the ground with the hand.
- Touching the sliotar on the ground with the hand (except in a fall where it is already in the hand).
- Throwing the sliotar or hopping it on the hand like a basketball.
- Passing the sliotar from one hand to the other or catching it with two hands.
- Catching the sliotar more than twice in the same passage of play, or over‑carrying/over‑holding beyond four steps.
Physical contact and dangerous play
Camogie is physical but tightly controlled, so many body‑contact actions are fouls.
- Players may not deliberately push, trip, hold, pull down, or charge into an opponent.
- Striking or attempting to strike an opponent, chopping down on a hurley, kicking, punching, stomping, or using the hurley to obstruct are all serious offences, usually punished with cards.
- Sandwiched tackles (trapping a player between two or more opponents) and placing hands on an opponent’s back are also fouls.
Safety and equipment rules
- All players must wear a helmet with a facial guard in games and training; playing without one is a punishable offence.
- Camogie uses a size 4 sliotar, slightly smaller than the size 5 ball used in men’s hurling.
If you are interested in playing Camogie in New York, get in touch!