Hurling, Ireland's national sport is as popular in Ireland as hockey or football is in our country. Tens of thousands of fans attend National Hurling League matches and crowds of up to 50,000 at championship matches are not uncommon, which is all quite amazing considering the country's entire population is a modest 4 million. The revenue generated by this sport and the way it is distributed is even more incredible than the sport itself. There isn't one professional player in all of Ireland. Hurling, you see, is a sport of pride and not money. All funds are managed by the GAA, an association responsible for supplying players with equipment as well as the building and upkeep of stadiums. Travel expenses for players and coaches are also covered but that is the extent of any incomes. Thanks to hurling regulations which restrict player movement, (players generally represent the town of their birth) the sport has managed to maintain its charm. The rules of hurling are described in detail in the "rules" section, but here is a general outline of how the game is played. 30 players, 15 on each side, play on a field about the same size as a standard football pitch. Each player is "armed" with a hurley (a short "hockey-shaped" stick carved from ash wood). The object of the game is for players to use the hurley to hit a small ball, or slioter, between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for three points . A team's score may end with the result 2-16, for example. That means that the team scored twice in the net for a total of 6 points and 16 times over the crossbar. The slioter can be picked up off the pitch only with the hurley and without using one's hands. The first player to pick the slioter up off the pitch and onto his hurley, may then proceed to bounce or carry the ball on his stick. This is all done with lightning speed, as hurling is one of the fastest sports in the world! Players can handle the ball twice and advance a maximum of four steps before making a pass. Passes can be made either by striking the ball with the hurley or by kicking or slapping it with an open hand for short passes. Players may use their hands only to catch a ball in the air or off a bounce.

Hurling is a wonderfully fast and entertaining sport. In order to play this game it is necessary to master many skills, but these skills are no foreigner to us. The sport is actually a version of field hockey, and its no secret that Czechs are hockey champions.

sources in www.hurling.cz