New to GAA, Where to start?

robbie_50cent

Hey guys,
I'm not the biggest sports fan, don't get me wrong i do enjoy it, Bit I don't support anyone so it's hard to be interested..

But I've decided I'd like to try getting into it abit.

And being Irish, why not just forget all that football and rugby and get into GAA! I figure, I'm not english and don't live in liverpool or newcastle or any of those cities, so i think i'd feel a little stupid supporting a team and city I've nothing to do with.
I mean no offence to english football supports here, i just don't understand it myself.
So being a Dubliner, I guess it's Dublin gaa for me.

I was wondering if any of you guys would be so kind to point out helpfull sites and such to help me get to grips with the game.

The whole game is pretty new to me, not really that interested in playing it (yet) just want to get my head around it, and hopefully become an active supporter.

There's a dublin game in 2 weeks in croke park i think, I'm gonna try get a ticket and go along, (I'm told I've to watch from hill 16) mind you i wont have a clue what's going on, but we all start somewhere.. I'm just a little late to the party.

So anything you think would be helpfull in my quest would be cool.

Cheers.

blackbelt

Well Robbie,its hard to start on how to explain the best games in the World.


Here is a link which covers basic rules of the game

http://www.gaelic-games-football.com/gaelic-football-rules-and-skills.html

Just copy and paste that into your tool-bar.

www.hoganstand.com is where you get news and updates on everything GAA and www.hill16.ie and www.reservoirdubs.com are websites for Dublin GAA.I use the latter for the club scene.

Hope this helps.

As for pitch markings and dimensions.A pitch has to be at least 90 metres in length for football and 130 for hurling.In gaelic football,the equivalent of a corner is a free kick from the 45 metre line and for hurling 65 metres.Players can't enter the small rectangle in front of the goal before the ball enters it and score a goal.

The "box" is the large rectangle which is 13 metres in length from the goal line.Any fouls in this area by the defense is a penalty which is taken from the 13 metre line with other players staying behind the semi-circle which is the 20 metre line.

Each half is 35 minutes long in inter-county and 30 mins a half in club level.

Hope this push-starts you.It can take days to be fully aware of everything once you have a manual.

I'm lucky in the sense that my father brought me to Croke Park when I was young and then there was a time that I didn't go for a few years but when I was old enough and was earning,I made sure to go to all the matches I could come hell or high water.Being on Hill 16 shouting for the Dubs is an amazing experience which makes me tremble at the knees everytime.

There is not too many things that are fun in life anymore but being a GAA fan is one of them.All the best.

megadodge

A pitch has to be at least 90 metres in length for football

Are you sure about that ?

Seems awfully short to me. The 45m kicks would be taken from half-way ???

TirEoghain

A group of us from boards go to games regularly, so why not come along and join us and we can explain the game as it goes along, and then have more discussion and pints afterwards.

There are plenty of good days out coming up in the next few months. We are a friendly bunch really, and always welcome more boardsies. The more the merrier.

TirEoghain

robbie_50cent wrote: »

There's a dublin game in 2 weeks in croke park i think, I'm gonna try get a ticket and go along, (I'm told I've to watch from hill 16) mind you i wont have a clue what's going on, but we all start somewhere.. I'm just a little late to the party.

If you're just going to the game for the craic, certainly go to Hill 16. If you want to learn more about the game and see better what's going on, you're better to sit in a stand.

blackbelt

megadodge wrote: »

Are you sure about that ?

Seems awfully short to me. The 45m kicks would be taken from half-way ???

I'm sure man.

At club level,thats the minimum dimensions but this is extremely rare and I haven't come across it yet in all my years playing football and refereeing.

TirEoghain

blackbelt wrote: »

I'm sure man.

At club level,thats the minimum dimensions but this is extremely rare and I haven't come across it yet in all my years playing football and refereeing.

All your years refereeing...
So how many years are you at it now?

blackbelt

Bout 3 months now.:D

Been playing since I was 6 though.I'll retire when I'm 56.:D

By then I'll have refereed numerous league,provincial and all ireland finals in both football and hurling and collected inter and junior championships at club level.:D

kevmy

Some tips on the vocabulary for the OP:

GAA Dictionary and Thesaurus.

Required reading for all fans of the game, and aspiring stadium builders.

HOLLY- an unspecific measure of force. e.g. "I gave it holly"---I put a fair bit of effort into it!

BOLLIX----handy adjective, describes any opinionated adversary. eg. Pat Spillane, or any Meath players or supporters

MIGHTY---Very good, or very bad, apply equally to any situation. eg. Pat Spillane is a mighty bollix!

HAMES---A right ****e -e.g.-"He made a hames of that chance"

TIMBER---Intimidation of a hurling opponent - e.g.- "Show him some timber"

LAMP----A good thump-- e.g.-"I swung for the sliotar, missed by 3 feet and lamped the full back"

A CROWAD---A gathering of people who watch a match and hope for random acts of violence -e.g-Meath supporters

SCHKELP---To remove living tissue in the absence of surgical procedures.--e.g.-"That ****e from Tipp took a schkelp outta me leg"

HATCHET MAN---Mountainy type, uses hunter/gatherer instincts

BULLIN'--- Unreasonably Angry- e.g-"The centre half was bullin' after I lamped him"

BULL THICK---Very angry- e.g.-"The centre half was bull thick after I lamped him again"

JOULT---A push- e.g.-"I gave him ! a joult and he has to wear a neck brace for 2 weeks"


THE COMM-A-TEEE---Applies to local GAA bull****ters in general, though more specifically to those bul****ters who actually run the GAA

BUSHTED---An undefined soreness- e.g.-"Jayz me arm is bushted"

THE BOMBER---Origin unknown, possibly north of border. eg. Popular name for all fat hairy GAA players.

A HANG SANGWIDGE---Consumed with "tay" on the sides of roads after matches in Croker or Thurles, usually contains half a pound of butter & ****all else.

RAKE -A great amount of anything, usually pints of Guinness, consumed the night before an important match or any gathering of GAA batchelors.

INDANAMAJAYSUS (in-da-nama-Jaysus)--! An indignant defense term. eg. -'What was that for referee"?

YA BOLLIX YA--- A form of begrudging praise. eg. Corner back's formal recognition of a score by his opponent.

LEH-IT-IN-TA-****-WUD-YA--- plea to deaf ears. eg. Full forwards appeal to a midfielder for a more timely delivery of the pass

MULLOCKER---Untidy or awkward player, released for matches from local lockup.

BURST THE BOLLIX---Coaches all-purpose shouted mantra. eg. Instructions from the sideline to tackle your man

ROW---Disagreement involving four or more players, initiated usually 3 minutes after percieved offence has been settled.

MASSIVE ROW---Disagreement involving both teams, including goalies, substitutes and supporters jumping fences

RUNNING ROW---A massive row that continues out in the parking area or dressing room areas, usually resolved by the Gardai.

YELLOW CARD --Referees sanction, though really a public recognition of an effective Joult, Schkelp, or Lamp, by any Mullocker, or Bollix.

RED CARD -- Oscar Time! also known as The Meath P45, or Dublin PE teachers Union card.

And just so he can recognise a few people:

JUST as footballers can be classified as either defenders, forwards or goalkeepers, so fans can be categorised into certain broad stereotypes.

The study has shown that supporters can be categorised into one of six large groups:

The Cloth Cap Brigade:
These are a band of men who enjoyed their heyday at the turn of the century. They are avid supporters.
The Cloth Cap Brigade are easily identified because they make a very distinctive call which sounds something like "giveherlang giveherlangferchrissakes". This means kick the ball as hard and as far down the pitch as you can. The Cloth Caps have nothing against the O'Dwyer revolution and the modern game. They just don't think it will work for their team.
All Cloth Caps are waiting for their messiah. The "chosen one" will be a seven foot tall full-forward with hands like shovels. Standing at the edge of the square the messiah will catch all those "lang" balls and score enough goals and points to win that elusive county championship.

The Crazy Women:
The existence of the gangs of crazy women who attend gaelic football matches has not been very well documented. Needless to say, they exist, and they are extremely dangerous. Decades ago, the crazy women armed themselves with umbrellas which they used as weapons to assault players. Now that most pitches have perimeter fencing, the crazies have decommissioned their brollies but they have become equally lethal with the tongue.
Referees are the favourites targets. Some of these women suffer from DMS (Doting Mother Syndrome) which is a strain of DFS (written about last week). Women with DMS will attack referees who give decisions against their sons. More frightening still, is the common occurrence when a gang of crazy women defend each others' sons. The result: verbal carnage.

The Loyalists:
These men are the sixties generation, but you wouldn't think it to look at them. When other nations were entering the age of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll this squad were running around dance halls in Carrickmore, Kilrea and Belfast.
The loyalists form the backbone of the GAA. By and large they are peace loving creatures, however they have been known to turn violent during the championship season.
Loyalists come to all matches, rain, hail or snow. Some come to chat to friends, others to torture the opposition, while the majority have long since forgotten why they go to matches - it's just something they do on a Sunday.

The Club Mascot:
For mascot read lunatic, and there is one in every club. Indeed their reputation often goes before them. The mascot is a loner, though not by choice. No one knows if mascots actually enjoy gaelic football as they never applaud or praise their team. Rather for 60 minutes, the mascot, foaming and frothing at the mouth, curses the opposition, the referee, his own team etc.
Most Mascots cannot drive, yet there is a goodly soul in every club who persists in bringing this person to away matches.

The Drinking Crew:
The drinking crew are sons of the Loyalists and some have grandfathers who are Cloth Caps.
The drinking crew tend to be in their twenties or thirties and they are very single. Often they don't turn up until half-time. Sunday is not a good day for the crew. Attendance at the match serves two vital functions. The first of these is to establish what happened on the previous night. The second is to watch the match.
There is a further reason why the crew turn up late. Some of their comrades from the previous night (who also downed a copious number of pints) are out on the pitch, so the crew know well in advance that there is little chance of victory.

Teenage Posers (female):
This group only appear at championship matches with big crowds.
Again they are easy to recognise. Posers can be seen walking around the pitch, on the loose gravel, in high heels, looking out at the crowd and largely ignoring the ongoing match. This practice is known within the sisterhood as "circuits".
Posers tend to drift away from gaelic football, unless they hook up with a member of the Drinking Crew.

If you have read this and failed to identify yourself, read it again – this time more honestly.

robbie_50cent

Cheers for all the great advise there lads, Blackbelt, those sites were a great help.
It's hard to figure out what game counts for what.

Like, I know the 'all ireland' is the biggest and it's for the sam, but where do i find a timetable for all those games?

Is the Dublin game in croker in 2 weeks nothing to do with that?

+ If i was buying match tickets, is ticketmaster the best or can ya join a supporters club?

thanks again lads.

Pride Fighter

robbie_50cent wrote: »

Cheers for all the great advise there lads, Blackbelt, those sites were a great help.
It's hard to figure out what game counts for what.

Like, I know the 'all ireland' is the biggest and it's for the sam, but where do i find a timetable for all those games?

Is the Dublin game in croker in 2 weeks nothing to do with that?

+ If i was buying match tickets, is ticketmaster the best or can ya join a supporters club?

thanks again lads.

The Sam Maguire cup is awarded to the All-Ireland winners. But firstly teams have to compete in their Provincial Championships as a first step. The Dublin game in 2 weeks is the Leinster football championship quarter final. The winner of a provincial title is granted entry to the All-Ireland series which begins in August. Teams that dont win their province have to win entry to the All-Ireland series through the 'back door'. So the game in 2 weeks is a neccessary step toward 'Sam'. Wikipedia is a great resource for knowing when the games are on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_2008.
As for the ticket question the best way to get them is to join a GAA club, for early games tickets should be on sale at the ground.

sharkDawg

robbie_50cent wrote: »

And being Irish, why not just forget all that football and rugby and get into GAA!

I see you've confused football with soccer here, football = gaelic. Enjoy your GAA experience.

Flukey

Stick with us Robbie_50cent. Keep coming in here and you'll learn plenty. Watch the matches on TV over the coming months. Read the reports in the papers. Look into the video thread at the top of this forum. There are a few of us that will be in Croke Park to see Dublin play Louth on June 8th. We'll gladly meet up with you and help out. You'll get all the fixtures for the year on the GAA's website. Welcome aboard.

Nalced_irl

As said many times, your more than welcome to meet up for a few beveragres after the game. The more the merrier. You`ll be GAA mad before you know it. Tends to reel people in once you start going to games. You really cant beat a good day in Croker. Also, for tickets your best bet would be to become a social member in your local club. When tickets get hard to come by in the later stages, a social or full membership can be a savior. If you plan on playing you could become a full member but most clubs only give them out to people directly involved.

blackbelt

Robbie,

What part of the stadium do you hope to get a ticket for?I'll be in Hill 16 and Nalced will probably be there too.We could all meet up before the game and head in together.I have a little rule booklet which explains the rules of GAA including the pitch dimensions,technical fouls,aggressive fouls,rules of play and general rules of the game.

It will make it easier for you to understand as you go along.Also the beer sessions are a good laugh after the games.For Championship matches in Croker we go to Madigans on O Connell Street and for O Byrne Cup,National League and club championships,we go to Parnell Park in Donnycarney and drink in Kitty Kiernans.

I'm pretty confident that you'll pick it up quickly enough and get into it.

proballyg

Check out www.ballygarvangaa.ie