Ball (Gaelic football)
A football or Gaelic football (Irish: liathróid peile)[1] is the spherical leather football used in the sports of Gaelic football and ladies' Gaelic football and international rules football.
![](../I/m/Gaelic_football_ball_on_pitch.jpg)
The pattern of panels is identical to the volleyball, consisting 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). Smaller balls can be used in under-15 or younger grades. In addition, balls are approved by Central Council "on the basis of compliance with standards and tests set out by Central Council […] 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]
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. [5]
History
Early rules did not precisely define the football, and the ball used was the same as that used in association football (soccer).[6]
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.[7]
See also
References
- "Scéal liathróid peile i dTír Chonaill".
- Grasso, John (13 June 2013). "Historical Dictionary of Football". Scarecrow Press – via Google Books.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "All-Ireland: Pressure on to keep final balls in the air". 18 September 2015.
- http://ladiesgaelic.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Playing-Rules-2017.pdf
- https://www.museum.ie/The-Collections/Documentation-Discoveries/July-2015/Gaelic-Athletic-Association-Football-Rules-Book,-1
- Chetwynd, Josh (3 May 2011). "The Secret History of Balls: The Stories Behind the Things We Love to Catch, Whack, Throw, Kick, Bounce and B at". Penguin – via Google Books.