Gaelic ball explained

A football or Gaelic ball ^[1] is the spherical leather football used in the sports of Gaelic football and ladies' Gaelic football and international rules football.

The pattern of panels consists of six groups perpendicular to each other, each group being composed of two trapezoidal panels and one rectangular panel; 18 panels in all.^[2]

Rules

Gaelic football

The football is required to weigh 480–500 grams (1.05–1.1 pounds) and have a circumference of 68–70 cm (2 ft ~3 in); therefore, a diameter of about . Smaller balls can be used in under-15 or younger grades. In addition, balls are approved by The Central Competitions Controls Committee "on the basis of compliance with standards and tests set out by The Central Competitions Controls Committee] Footballs shall fully comply with the Playing Gear and Equipment regulations as ratified from time to time by Central Council."^[3] Footballs are pumped to 9.75–10 psi (67–69 kPa).^[4]

The Central Competitions Controls Committee have approved two "Match Footballs" to date.

The first Officially Licensed Ball was the iconic O'Neills Football which has been widely used in the sport since the 1960s. In 2015, The Central Competitions Controls Committee approved the MD Sports Match Football.^[5] The most recently approved ball is produced by the Myclubshop.ie company, owned by long-standing GAA patron Martin Donnelly.

Ladies' Gaelic football

In ladies' Gaelic football, a size 4 football is used in all grades of competition from under-12 upwards. A size 3 or Go Games football is used in younger age groups.^[6]

History

Early rules did not precisely define the football, and the ball used was the same as that used in association football (soccer).^[7]

The first distinctive Gaelic footballs were offered for sale in Dublin in 1886. Leather balls quickly became soggy and misshapen until water-resistant coatings were added.^[8]

See also

• Sliotar
• Football (ball)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Scéal liathróid peile i dTír Chonaill . . 13 May 2017 . Irish . 23 December 2017 . 24 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171224101807/http://www.gaa.ie/football/news/sceal-liathroid-peile-dtir-chonaill/ . live .
2. Book: Grasso, John . Historical Dictionary of Football . 13 June 2013 . Scarecrow Press . 9780810878570 . Google Books . en . 1 October 2020 . 6 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220606003638/https://books.google.com/books?id=YTUPQ2Zm-dQC&q=Ball+%28Gaelic+football&pg=PA143 . live .
3. GAA Official Guide May 2017 . . 23 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171114181653/http://www.gaa.ie/mm/Document/TheGAA/RulesandRegulations/13/79/82/GAAOfficialGuide2017_Part2_Neutral.pdf . 14 November 2017 . dead . pdf . en .
4. News: All-Ireland: Pressure on to keep final balls in the air . 18 September 2015 . . Fogarty . John . 23 December 2017 . 24 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171224101924/http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/john-fogarty/all-ireland-pressure-on-to-keep-final-balls-in-the-air-354495.html . live .
5. Web site: 2016-01-26 . Donnelly ball set for swift croke park debut . 2024-04-05 . Irish Independent . en.
6. Playing Rules of Ladies Gaelic Football 2017 . . 2017 . 6 June 2022 . en . 19 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220419011434/https://ladiesgaelic.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Playing-Rules-2017.pdf . live .
7. Web site: Gaelic Athletic Association Football Rules Book 1888 . . Campbell . Noel . 6 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170829211224/https://www.museum.ie/The-Collections/Documentation-Discoveries/July-2015/Gaelic-Athletic-Association-Football-Rules-Book,-1 . 29 August 2017 . dead . en.
8. Book: Chetwynd, Josh . The Secret History of Balls: The Stories Behind the Things We Love to Catch, Whack, Throw, Kick, Bounce and Bat . 3 May 2011 . Penguin . 9781101514870 . Google Books . 1 October 2020 . 6 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220606003642/https://books.google.com/books?id=4YXTQxelfmYC&q=Ball+%28Gaelic+football&pg=PT52 . live .