The following is an alphabetical list of terms and jargon used in relation to Gaelic games.
Abbreviations Competitions usually have long names, so an abbreviation system is used:
Level Sport Tournament type M: Minor U-20 or U20: Under-20 U-21 or U21: Under-21 J: Junior I: Intermediate S: Senior N: National C: Camogie F: Gaelic football H: Hurling LF: Ladies' Gaelic football L: League C: Championship S: Shield
For example: Leinster MHC: Leinster Minor Hurling Championship U20 FL Div 2: Under-20 Football League, Division 2 Westmeath JBHC: Westmeath Junior "B" Hurling Championship Cork SCC: Cork Senior Camogie Championship AI JLFC: All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championship The term "GAA" is not normally used in competition names, particularly in GAA-only sports.
Other abbreviations include: ACL = All-County League, sometimes used in counties that also have regional leagues AI = All-Ireland CLG = Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Irish for "Gaelic Athletic Association" or "Gaelic Athletic Club", e.g. CLG Naomh Anna, Leitir Móir CPG = Cumann Peil Gaelach, Irish for "Gaelic Football Club" GAA = Gaelic Athletic Association GAC = Gaelic Athletic Club, e.g. Kilcoo GAC GF = Gaelic football GFC = Gaelic Football Club, e.g. St Grellan's GFC GH = Gaelic handball HC = Hurling Club IAHA = Irish Amateur Handball Association ICHA = Irish Collegiate Handball Association LGFC = Ladies' Gaelic Football Club Pk = Park
A
A chara: Irish meaning literally "Dear friend". Often used to start official communications, even in English. Alley: the court in Gaelic handball, often measuring 12.2 m by 6.1 m (40 feet by 20 feet). All-Ireland: Adjective describing a competition, such as the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, run by the GAA and whose winners become national champions at the grade of that competition. The All-Ireland can refer to an already mentioned All-Ireland championship; more generally it can refer to the All-Ireland Senior Football or Hurling Championship. All Star: An annual award, one of which is given to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football, hurling, ladies' football, and camogie. Áras: Irish, meaning a sports centre, or club (i.e. building).
B Bainisteoir: Irish word meaning manager. Backdoor: Adjective describing a "knockout" championship in which defeated teams are not immediately eliminated from the competition, and remain eligible to win (e.g. Offaly in the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship). Such teams are said to re-enter the championship through the back door. Barracks games: (derogatory) nickname for "foreign sports" (see below) from their supposed connection with the British military. Also "the barracks" as in "go to the barracks" (i.e. watch one of the foreign sports). Bas: The flattened, curved end head of a hurley, or camán. Big Alley: the 60x30 foot court, the indigenous handball alley. Black card: Card shown to a player who has committed a "cynical" foul. The player is sent off to a sin bin for 10 minutes and can return to the field after that. Block: where one player prevents an opponent's strike by trapping the ball between his hurley and the opponent's swinging hurley. Book: See tick. Where the referee notes the name of a player, without giving a black, yellow, or red card. Akin to a warning.
C
Caid: Another name for Gaelic football, usually referring to precodified varieties in the south west of Ireland. Camán: Hurley or hurling stick. Camóg: A stick as used in camogie. Shorter than the similar implement (hurley) used in hurling. Camogie (camógaíocht): aversion of hurling, modified to suit women. A GAA coinage, from the Irish. Captain: a player assigned additional responsibilities before, during and after a match. Central Appeals Committee (CAC): Committee to which a unit or individual may bring their case if they are unsuccessful at the first hearing by the Central Hearings Committee (CHC). Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC): Committee which organises fixtures for competitions above provincial level and proposes suspensions, fines, etc. on units and individuals who, in their view, have broken the rules. Central Hearings Committee (CHC): Committee to which a unit or individual first bring their case if they do not accept a penalty proposed by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC). Challenge match: A type of game, usually played independent of any organised tournament. Cic Fada: A competition for Gaelic footballers based on accuracy of long kicking. Club: the basic organisational unit of the GAA, at least one of which exists in most parishes throughout Ireland. Clubs are commonly named after either the home district, or a saint or national hero associated with that district. If the club fields teams only in Gaelic football, that name is followed by GFC (Gaelic Football Club); for hurling-only clubs it is HC (Hurling Club), but for clubs involved in two or more Gaelic sports the usual term is GAC (Gaelic Athletic Club). All clubs are controlled by locally elected volunteer committees. Cluiche corr: rounders, the one Gaelic game widely adopted outside Ireland. An Coiste Náisiunta: The National Executive. Comhairle Cluiche Corr na hÉireann: Rounders Council of Ireland. An Comhdháil Náisiúnta: The National Council. Compromise rules/Composite rules: Games held between hurlers, and shinty players under modified rules. Not to be confused with "international rules". Corner back: Players who stand on either side of the full back, and who are defenders. County: a geographic region within the GAA, controlled by a County Board (sometimes called County Committee). In Ireland, there are 32 of these, corresponding closely to the boundaries of counties currently or formerly used for administrative purposes (but not the newer administrative counties in the Republic). However, counties as used in Gaelic games sometimes admit into their competitions clubs from neighbouring administrative counties, so that the Gaelic games county boundaries are more fluid than those used for government purposes. Most Gaelic games county names in Ireland are shared with current or former administrative counties, the sole exception at present being County Derry (the largely coterminous administrative county, abolished in 1973, was County Londonderry). Outside Ireland, for GAA purposes "county" often refers to places which are not otherwise termed counties, e.g. entire countries such as Scotland or American states such as New York. Many county boards have subsidiary boards or committees for different regions within the Gaelic games county. County colours: the colours of the kit worn by that county's representative team in inter-county competition. County championship: A championship in football or hurling in a specific grade contested by clubs within a county. Croke Park (in Irish Páirc an Chrócaigh; colloquially "Croker" or "Headquarters"): The principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Cúige: Irish for a province, plural cúigí. Cumann: Irish for club, society or association, can be found in various compounds. Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael: Irish for Camogie Association of Ireland. Cumann Lúthchleas Gael: the Irish language name of the Gaelic Athletic Association as a whole; also means "Gaelic Athletic Club". Cumann na mBunscol: the voluntary organisation of primary school teachers who coach GAA. Cumann Peil Gael na mBan: Irish for the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association
D
Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA): An external independent quasi-legal body which is the final arbiter in GAA disputes. Double, The: When a county wins the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in the same year. It is very rare. Dual county: A county which plays both football and hurling at a similar level. Most counties specialise in one sport or the other. Dual player: A person who plays both football and hurling at a high level.
E End line: The two shorter sides – the ends – of a football or hurling pitch, at the centre of which the goalposts are situated. Extra time: If the score is level in a match after normal time, extra time may be played. Initially two ten minute periods of extra time are played each way. If the score is still level, a further two five minute periods of extra time may be played each way.
F Féile na nGael: literally "Festival of the Gaels", an annual tournament comprising the sports of hurling, camogie and handball. Féile Peile na nÓg: literally Festival of Youth Football, national festival of football for boys and girls under 14 years of age and is based on the GAA club unit. Fetch: To catch the ball above one's head. Football: Always Gaelic football. Association football is referred to as "soccer" in GAA terms – see foreign sports. Foreign sports: A phrase in common usage used to describe non-gaelic field games such as association football, rugby union, rugby league, field hockey and cricket, particularly in the sense that they rivalled Gaelic games for popularity in Ireland during the formative years of the GAA. Officially, the GAA does not use this phrase – specific sports (such as association football and horse racing) are banned from GAA grounds. Forty-five: Kick awarded in football to the attacking side 45 metres from the defending side's goal when a player for the defending side last touches the ball before it goes over that side's end line. Formerly known as a fifty (45 metres is roughly equivalent to 50 yards). 40x20: The international code of handball, introduced from the USA. Four Codes: the four types of handball administered by the GAA, aka 40x20, 60x30, One Wall and Hardball. Free, Free-in or Free-out: normal means of restarting play by the non-offending team after a foul. Free Taking Competition: If the score is level in a match after the two normal halves, two ten minute periods of extra time played each way may be played (depending on the rules for the relevant competition). If the score is still level after the first two halves of extra time, a further two five minute periods of extra time may be played. If the winner has not been determined by extra time, a free-taking competition may be held. Each team will nominate five players to take frees from their chosen position in front of the posts and with no defenders – on the forty five metre line in football and from the hands or from the ground, on the sixty five metre line in hurling. If the teams score an equal number of points from their five frees, the outcome of the match is decided by sudden death frees using the same nominated players in the same order. Full-back: a defender in the number 3 position. Has a very important role, normally playing directly in front of the goal, and is the last line of defence in front of the goalkeeper.
G Gaelic games: The sports of Gaelic football, hurling, camogie, Gaelic handball and rounders. Goal: A score in football, hurling and camogie – worth three points, awarded when the ball legally crosses the goal line under the bar and between the posts. Goalkeeper: a defender in the number 1 position. The last line of defence in football and hurling, part of whose role it is to prevent the opposition from scoring goals. Golden score: A tie-breaking mechanism used in some knockout competitions. After a drawn game, play continues until one team scores a goal or a point; that team is the winner. Grade: A level at which a game or competition is played, based on age (e.g., Senior, Minor), ability (e.g. Senior, Junior), gender, etc. See Senior, Under-21 and Minor. A grade can also be split further, e.g. Senior A, Senior B.
H
Hand-pass: In hurling, football and camogie, when a ball is slapped with the palm of the hand, rather than throwing (which is illegal). Hand-passing may not be used to score goals, but may be used to score points.