Camogie, known in Irish as camogaiocht, is a Gaelic sport played in Ireland. It is a variant of hurling, or iomaint in Irish, but is played by women. More than 500 camogie teams compete in Ireland.
As in hurling, each camogie player uses a stick called a hurl or hurley (caman), which is made from ash wood. The hurl is about 1 meter (31/3 feet) in length. It resembles a hockey stick but is more flexible. The ball, called the sliotar, is 21 centimeters (3 1/4 inches) in circumference and is made of cork bound firmly with woolen thread and then covered with leather. The rims, where the leather is joined, stand out from the surface. The ball may be struck with either side of the bas (wide part of the hurl). The object of the game is to carry the ball on the hurl or dribble it on the ground toward the opponents’ goal and score.
All the skills of hurling apply in camogie. There are 15 players on a camogie team. The game is played on a pitch measuring 130 meters (142 yards) to 145 meters (159 yards) long and 80 meters (87 yards) to 90 meters (98 yards) wide. Goal posts stand at each end. The goal posts have crossbars. A player scores 1 point if the ball passes between the posts and over the crossbar. A goal, worth 3 points, is scored if the player propels the ball under the crossbar.
The positions of the players on the field are the goalkeeper, three fullbacks, three halfbacks, two center fielders, three half-forwards, and three full-forwards. No physical contact is allowed. The game has two halves of 30 minutes each. The game is officiated by a referee and seven assistants.
During play, the ball may be struck while stationary on the ground or while in motion. A player may strike the ball while it is in the air either to continue its flight in the same direction or to change its direction. A player may not pick up the ball from the ground with her hand, but must raise it with the hurl, usually in a scooping motion or in a rolling motion. A player may catch the ball in flight and may pass it by hand or by kicking it if necessary.
When a foul is committed, a free puck is taken by lifting the ball from the ground and striking without handling. If the ball is driven out of play at the side lines, the opposition takes a free shot from outside the boundary of the playing area. The ball is hit with the hurl in the manner of a golf shot.
The Camogie Association was formed in 1912, and the first competition was played between the Irish universities in 1915. This contest was for the Ashbourne Cup, and this championship is still regarded as an important competition.
