Needs Analysis,

Physiological Response,
and Program Guidelines
for Gaelic Football
Justin Brown, MS
1
and Michael Waller, PhD
2
1
Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; and
2
Department of Exercise
Science and Health, University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, Indiana
A B S T R A C T
GAELIC FOOTBALL IS A POPULAR
IRISH SPORT THAT HAS
INCREASED IN POPULARITY
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE
PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO
FAMILIARIZE THE STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING COACH (SCC) OF
THE MOVEMENTS ASSOCIATED
WITH GAELIC FOOTBALL. IN ADDI-
TION, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL
RESPONSE RELATED TO GAELIC
FOOTBALL IS DISCUSSED, AND A
SAMPLE TRAINING PROGRAM IS
PROVIDED. A BETTER UNDER-
STANDINGOF THE NATURE OF THE
SPORT AND THE DIFFERENCES
THAT EXIST BETWEEN PLAYING
POSITIONS WILL HELP THE SCC
PREPARE PLAYERS FOR COMPE-
TITION.
INTRODUCTION
G
aelic football is a popular sport
in Ireland and is increasing in
popularity throughout the
world, including the United States
and Canada (33). The origins of the
game are not fully known, although
a variation of the game reportedly
existed during the Middle Ages (31).
Similar variations of the game played
in Europe are believed to have become
the forebears of soccer and rugby
and may have been introduced to
Ireland, eventually becoming Gaelic
football (31).
Gaelic football is played by both men
and women and in many ways is simi-
lar to other codes of football, including
rugby, soccer, and Australian rules foot-
ball. Play is conducted on a eld, also
known as a pitch, which is 40% larger
than a soccer eld (length, 426.51
475.72 ft; width, 262.47295.28 ft)
(31,34). Two teams with 15 players
per team occupy the eld. Like soccer,
each team has a goalkeeper, 2 rows of
defensive backs (3 players per row),
2 midelders, and 2 rows of forwards
(3 players per row) (34). Located at
each end line of the eld is an H-shaped
goal. The horizontal bar stands 8.2 ft
above the ground, whereas the vertical
bars are 21.33 ft apart. Players attempt
to score a goal worth 3 points by kicking
or striking the ball, which is similar to
a soccer ball, below the crossbar of the
goal and into the net or 1 point by kick-
ing the ball over the crossbar between
the vertical bars (34). A goal is not
awarded if the ball is thrown or carried
across the goal line. In addition, a Gaelic
football match consists of two 30-
minute halves, which has implications
for the players physical preparation.
MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
Gaelic football is characterized as
an intermittent high-intensity eld
sport, which is similar in nature to
soccer, rugby, basketball, and Australian
rules football (Figures 1 and 2). The
movements associated with Gaelic
football are similar in nature to the pre-
viously mentioned eld sports, which
require movements of the lower limbs
and upper limbs. Specic movements
include the punt kick, instep kick,
inside kick, hand and st pass, tackle,
pick up, and solo run (34). Movements
can be executed with either hand or
foot, but for the purpose of this article,
we describe movements using the right
hand and foot.
Punt kick. The punt kick in Gaelic
football is similar in nature to the punt
kick used in American football. The
purpose of the punt kick is to move
the ball over a long distance or to
score a point over the crossbar and
between the vertical bars (30). The
punt kick has 6 phases in reference to
the kicking foot with the approach
(phase 1) occurring while the ball is
held in both hands and the player is
running forward. Near the end of the
approach, the left hand is removed
from the ball, and the arm is abducted,
thereby providing balance (30). The
backswing (phase 2) is initiated by
KEY WORDS:
Gaelic football; eld sport; Irish sport;
performance; injury
Copyright National Strength and Conditioning Association Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com
73
concentric muscular actions of the hip
extensor muscles of the kicking leg,
moving it posteriorly while both feet
are off the ground from a jump. A lon-
ger last step allows for greater hip
extension and thigh range of motion
and thereby increases foot speed and
ultimately kick distance (2). The wind
up (phase 3) is an anterior movement
of the kicking leg (e.g., hip exion) fol-
lowed by a forward swing (phase 4),
which occurs with the support leg re-
gaining contact with the ground. The
hip continues through exion while the
knee begins to quickly extend, coming
into initial contact with the ball. The
follow-through (phase 5) begins after
initial contact with the ball and contin-
ues through maximum knee extension.
The recovery (phase 6) is characterized
by maximal knee extension and maxi-
mal hip exion, and because of linear
momentum, both feet are off the
ground.
Instep kick and inside kick. The instep
kick is used when shooting or passing
over a long distance (4). The instep
kick begins with the player approach-
ing the ball pushing off with the right
foot and becoming airborne. During
the backswing, the player is airborne,
and the right leg continues to move
backwards. The left foot makes contact
with the ground next to the ball, and
the right leg approaches maximal hip
extension cocking the leg back, which
is noticeable by a 908 angle of the knee.
The right hip exors begin to contract,
accelerating the thigh in a forward
direction. When the thigh reaches
a point almost directly below the hip,
the knee extensors forcefully contract
extending the lower leg. The foot rap-
idly moves in a forward direction, mak-
ing contact with the ball. After ball
contact, the hip continues forward
with the leg moving through the me-
diolateral and longitudinal axes of the
body (22). Although the instep kick is
used for distance, the inside kick is
a precision kick used for accurate short
shots and passes (3,14). The inside kick
is different from the instep kick because
it requires ball contact with the medial
portion of the midfoot, and the
required range of motion of the hip is
reduced (4,16). The approach, back-
swing, and leg cocking occur similarly
as in the instep kick.
Hand pass and st pass. The hand
pass is another technique used for
passing the ball over short distances
or when attempting to score a point
by striking the ball over the crossbar.
The hand pass begins with the ball
being held in front of the body with
the nonstriking hand. It is important
to keep the left hand still to send the
ball in the desired direction. As the ball
is steadied, the striking hand moves
forward, making contact with the ball
using the base of the hand near the
wrist or with a closed st. The striking
hand should follow although in the
direction of the pass. The st pass is
a variation of the hand pass. The
movements are essentially the same
with the st pass concluding with
a closed st.
Tackle and pick up. The tackle is
a defensive maneuver similar to guard-
ing or shadowing an opponent in bas-
ketball and is different than the tackle
associated with American football.
The main objective of the tackle is to
slow progression of the ball toward
the goal and attempt to dislodge it
from the opponents grasp. This skill
requires the tackler to swiftly move
into the path of the ball carrier using
their body to prevent a direct path
toward the goal by the attacker. The
tackler then moves within arms reach
of the ball carrier, trying to dislodge the
ball from the grasp or push the ball
away during an attempted pass, kick,
or bounce. If the ball is dislodged from
the opponents grasp, the defensive
player then needs to pick up the ball
within Gaelic rules. In addition, players
may use a shoulder-to-shoulder charge
on an opposing player who is in pos-
session of the ball, playing the ball, with
the exception of a kick, or is trying to
obtain possession of the ball (27). In
Gaelic football, it is illegal to trip or
hold an opposing player while per-
forming a tackle.
Frequently, players gain possession of
the ball while it is on the ground; how-
ever, in Gaelic football, it is illegal to
lift the ball directly from the ground
using the hands, and instead players
need to use their feet to propel the ball
upward (pick up). This skill is often
completed while the player is running
and occurs in 3 phases with the player
approaching the ball (phase 1). During
the approach, the supporting foot is
placed alongside and slightly ahead of
the ball with the arms reaching for-
ward, cupping the hands just ahead
of the ball. During the ball lift (phase
2), the foot lifting the ball moves for-
ward making contact with the ball and
lifting the ball in an upward and for-
ward direction. During the catch
(phase 3), the ball is caught with the
hands, and the arms are used to pro-
tect the ball from being dislodged by
opposing players. Once in possession
of the ball, the player may elect to pass,
begin the solo run, or attempt to score
a goal or point.
Figure 1. Offensive player in possession
of the ball attempting to
avoid the defensive player.
Figure 2. Player executing a punt kick.
An Analysis of Gaelic Football
VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 2014
74
Solo run. The solo run is a skill unique
to Gaelic football, which requires con-
centration, balance, and a correct foot
strike to the ball. A player in possession
of the ball who elects not to pass or
shoot must solo the ball, which is sim-
ilar to dribbling a basketball. While in
possession of the ball, the player is per-
mitted to run with it, as long as the ball
is bounced or dropped onto the foot
and kicked back into the hands. How-
ever, the player is permitted to bounce
the ball off the ground rather than the
foot during the solo run, similar to drib-
bling in basketball. A player who carries
the ball and neglects to perform the
solo run is assessed a penalty. The solo
run sets up the catch by a teammate
because the ball may be passed using
a kick or hand pass. Hulton et al. (15)
examined the energy cost of the solo
run and found that the solo run elicited
a larger heart rate (HR) compared with
running at the same speed (181 versus
160 beats per minute). Furthermore,
the solo run required a 7% increase in
oxygen consumption secondary to the
increased energy cost, which may have
players experiencing increased levels of
fatigue when performing the solo run.
PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Anthropometric characteristics. A
review of studies, which examined
the anthropometric characteristics of
Gaelic footballers revealed a height
between 1.76 and 1.86 m, a body mass
between 70.7 and 81.9 kg, a body fat
percentage between 12.2 and 15%, and
a BMI between 24.28 and 25.34 kg/m
2
(11,25,26,36,39,41). Anthropometric
measures vary by players position.
Forwards, backs, and goalkeepers
tend to be taller, whereas smaller play-
ers are located on the wings (9,34).
Researchers have shown goalkeepers
having a higher body mass, possibly
the result of a lower physiological
demand associated with playing that
position (1,9,37). In contrast, midelders
Table 1
Differences inmaximal oxygenconsumption, distancecovered, high-intensity activity, durationof high-intensity bouts,
and work-to-rest ratios according to playing position
Variable Authors Backs Forwards Midelders
V

O
2
max (mL/kg/min) McIntyre and Hall (26) 56.8 6 5 59.6 6 5 65.8 6 5
Distance covered (m) Keane et al. (19) 8,523 6 1,175 8,490 6 673 9,137 6 977
High-intensity activity (%) ODonoghue and King (29) 12.8 6 2.9 10.7 6 1.5 19.8 6 4.2
Duration per high-intensity activity (s) ODonoghue and King (29) 5.7 6 1.1 4.9 6 1.7 6.2 6 1.8
Work-to-rest ratio McErlean et al. (24) 1:11.6 1:14.2 1:7.4
Table 2
Reported sites of injury for Gaelic footballers
Author Athletes Location Percent
Brown et al. (5) Female adults (N 5 74) Fingers 22.5
Ankle and foot 19.4
Knee 10.2
Hamstring 8.2
Hip and pelvis 7.1
Cromwell et al. (6) Adults (N 5 107) Ankle 21
Hamstring 13
Knee 13
Shoulder 12
Hand and nger 4
Head, neck, and face 3
Murphy et al. (27) Male adults (N 5 851) Thigh 33.3
Knee 11.3
Ankle 10.0
Pelvis and groin 9.4
Trunk 7.9
Shoulder 6.2
Wilson et al. (42) Male adults (N 5 83) Ankle 13.3
Anterior thigh 12.2
Posterior thigh 12.2
Head and face 7.8
Chest and ribs 4.4
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75
tend to perform higher amounts of
high-intensity activity and are involved
in many aspects of competition and have
lower-body fat percentages (25,29). Lit-
tle research exists regarding body com-
position changes during a competitive
season; however, Young and Murphy
(44) did report a decrease in body mass
and estimated body fat between the
off-season and preseason (81.2 6 7.1
kg versus 80.7 6 9.4 kg and 13.7 6
3.3 % vs. 11.4 6 2.4%). Few studies have
examined the changes in body compo-
sition during a competitive season. In
addition, little research exists regarding
strength and conditioning (SC) and the
inuences on performance, as well as
body composition in Gaelic footballers.
Aerobic capacity and match perfor-
mance. Gaelic football requires vigor-
ous efforts with peak HRs reaching
205 beats per minute (35) and an aver-
age HR reaching 80% of HRmax
(11,34). In addition, athletes have been
reported to have maximal oxygen con-
sumption (V

O
2
max) levels ranging from
47.6 6 5.3 to 65.8 6 5 mL/kg/min
(3,18,21,26,39), which varies according
to different positions (Table 1). Little
existing research has documented
changes inV

O
2
max during a competitive
season; however, Young and Murphy
(44) reported a V

O
2
max of 54.1 6 4.6
during the off-season and 57.1 6 4.6
during the preseason. It has been re-
ported that the game is played at inten-
sities of ;72% of V

O
2
max (11).
Gaelic footballers must possess high
levels of physical conditioning to com-
pete for the ball, tackle and perform
high-intensity activity. Players cover
;8,5239,137 m per match (19,25)
and engage in high-intensity activity
for 10.719.8% of a match, which varies
according to the position played (29)
(Table 1). Furthermore, midelders
cover greater distances, perform greater
amounts of high-intensity activity, and
have shorter work-to-rest ratios (24)
(Table 1). The existing research demon-
strates the need for the development of
both aerobic and anaerobic pathways to
meet the physiological demands of the
game. These energy demands should be
considered when developing a SC plan.
INJURY ANALYSIS
Gaelic football is a fast-paced game
with high levels of physical contact that
may occur with other players, the
ground, or the ball. Despite the amount
of physical contact associated with the
game, little protective gear is worn.
Because of the vigorous efforts and
physical nature of the game, players
are at risk for injury (35). An examina-
tion of injuries by Cromwell et al. (6)
showed 1.78 injuries per year for male
players. In comparison, Wilson et al.
(42) reported 2.20 injuries per player
per year, and Newell et al. (28) reported
1.46 injuries per player per year. Female
players have a similar number of injuries
at 1.88 per injured player, with most
occurring to the lower body (6).
Because Gaelic football demands move-
ments such as sprinting, running, jump-
ing, twisting, pivoting, and turning, the
lower body accounts for more than 70%
of all injuries (6,25,40) (Table 2).
Further analyses of sport-specic inju-
ries indicate that 5964.4% of injuries
occur during the second half of match
play (27,42) and up to 35% occur dur-
ing training (6,42). In addition, player-
to-player contact accounts for 32.2% of
injuries, followed by sprinting (26.8%),
turning (12%), and landing (7.1%)
(Table 3). The ngers have also been
reported as the most frequent injury to
the upper body, usually fractures (5,7).
Other notable injuries include the
shoulder, hand and nger, back and
ribs, head, neck, and the face (6,28,42).
PERFORMANCE TESTING
Sprinting, strength, and anaerobic
capacity are important characteristics
in this sport, but it is up to the coach-
ing staff to determine which tests will
Table 3
Reported mechanism of Gaelic football injury
Author Athletes Mechanism Percent
Cromwell et al. (6) Adults (N 5 107) State of eld 29
Collision 22
Twist/turning 19
Kicking 9
Foul play 6
Murphy et al. (27) Adults Player-to-player
contact
32.2
Sprinting 26.8
Turning 12.0
Landing 7.1
Kicking 4.5
ORourke et al. (32) Male and female
adolescents
Ball collision 37
Watson (41) School boys (N 5 150) Foul/illegal play 34.83
Poor eld conditions 17.42
Poor shoes 11.24
Lack of tness 11.24
Wilson et al. (42) Male adults (N 5 83) Tackle 27.8
Sprinting 14.4
Turning 13.3
An Analysis of Gaelic Football
VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 2014
76
be used for assessment of the Gaelic
footballers. Establishing testing dates,
order of the tests, and how the infor-
mation will be used needs to be
thought through based on evidence-
based practices. Watson (39) observed
that vertical jumping abilities of
Gaelic footballers were similar to
soccer and American football players
and most notable in Gaelic mideld-
ers. Furthermore, they demonstrated
the above average aerobic capacity
Table 4
Performance test data for male and female Gaelic football players
Authors Performance assessment Subjects Score
Brick and ODonoghue (3) Sit and Reach (cm) Senior intercounty (n 5 25) 29.8 6 4.1
Cullen et al. (8) Elite adolescent male (n 5 265) 21.87 6 6.88
Keane et al. (17) Elite female (n 5 46) 24.9 6 6.4
McIntyre (25) Intercounty (n 5 26) 25 6 6
McIntyre and Hall (26) Elite collegiate (n 5 28) 22.3 6 5.5
Tucker and Reilly (38) Collegiate female (n 5 12) 23.38 6 4.1
Strudwick et al. (36) 10-m sprint (s) Intercounty (n 5 33) 1.89 6 0.17
Cullen et al. (8) 20-m sprint (s) Elite adolescent male (n 5 265) 3.22 6 0.15
Strucwick et al. (36) 30-m sprint (s) Intercounty (n 5 33) 5.20 6 0.12
Tucker and Reilly (38) Collegiate female (n 5 12) 4.60 6 0.30
Brick and ODonoghue (3) Vertical jump (cm) Senior intercounty (n 5 25) 62.2 6 5.1
Strudwick et al. (36) Intercounty (n 5 33) 58.3 6 6.7
Tucker and Reilly (38) Collegiate female (n 5 12) 44.85 6 3.16
Watson (39) County (n 5 32) 50.3 6 5.8
McIntyre and Hall (26) Elite collegiate (n 5 28) BK: 54 6 7.2
FWD: 56 6 6
MFD: 65 6 4
Cullen et al. (8) Counter movement jump (cm) Elite adolescent male (n 5 265) 43.32 6 5.08
Cullen et al. (8) Standing long jump (cm) Elite adolescent male (n 5 265) 198.23 6 20.69
Florida-James and Reilly (11) Blood lactate (mmol/L) Club male (n 5 7) 1st half: 4.3 6 1.8
Collegiate male (n 5 4) 2nd half: 3.4 6 1.6
Brick and ODonoghue (3) Grip strength (kg) Senior intercounty (n 5 25) RH: 55.1 6 5.4
Keane et al. 2010 (17) Elite female (n 5 46) LH: 53.4 6 5.9
McIntyre and Hall (26) Elite collegiate (n 5 28) FM: 33.0 6 5.8
BK: 47.4 6 6.3
FWD: 45.2 6 6.5
MFD: 53.1 6 5.3
Brick and ODonoghue (3) 1 max (kg) Senior intercounty (n 5 25) 93.6 6 12.3
McIntyre (25) Intercounty (n 5 26) 73.7 6 12
McIntyre and Hall (26) Wingate test (W) Elite collegiate (n 5 28) 912 6 152
BK 5 backs; FM 5 female; FWD 5 forwards; LH 5 left hand; MFD 5 midelders; RH 5 right hand.
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com
77
(mean: 58.6 mL/kg/min), low body fat
percent (mean: 15.0%) (39), and the
changes of direction warrant the need
to use performance-specic tests. For
example, Gabbett and Domrow (12)
demonstrated that the L-test (3-cone
L-drill) as a measurement of agility
had the fastest time in rugby players
during the preseason but slowed as
a rugby season progressed. Because
there is a similarity between the sports
of rugby and Gaelic football, the L-test
would be a test that could be used
throughout the year to monitor
the changes in agility from training
and competition. The L-test would
be assessed following the format as
described by Kielbaso (20), with
Table 5
End of off-season SC guidelines
Exercise Set 3 repetitions Intensity Rest
Strength-speed (frequency 23 wk)
Hang snatch 5 3 2 8095% 1 RM 2 min
Sled pushes 10 3 10 m 5075% body mass 1 min
Medicine ball put 3 3 4 (each arm) 24 kg 2 min
Front squats 4 3 5 8095% 1 RM 2 min
Super-set
DB bench press 3 3 6 Load adjusted for continuous 6
RM
2 min
DB bent over row
Ancillary exercises
DB biceps curls 2 3 612 Loads are at 612 RM 1 min for all ancillary
exercises
Triceps press-downs 2 3 612
T-V-W upper back 2 3 1215 Submaximal
4-way neck 2 3 1215 Submaximal
SAQ and jump training (SAQ 23 wk and
jump training frequency 13 wk with SAQ)
Bounding 3 3 20 m Maximal effort 1 min
Single leg push-offs 3 3 4 each leg Maximal effort 1 min
Cycle split jumps 2 38 (4 each leg) Maximal Effort 1 min
Multiple hurdle hops 3 3 4 each leg Height, 38 in 1 min
Knee tuck w/ball catch 2 3 5 12 kg 2 min
10-m sprints 3 3 1 8095% 1 RM 1 min
50-m sprints 3 3 1 5075% body mass 2 min
20-m sprintscarry 3 3 1 8095% 1 RM 2 min
Medicine ball zig-zag sprints (20 m) 4 3 1 7085% 1 RM 1 min
Aerobic and anaerobic endurance (frequency
23 wk)
Jog 350 msprint 20 m 1,6003,200 m Maximal effort
300-yd shuttle sprints 383 12 min
RM 5 repetition maximum; SAQ 5 speed, agility, quickness; SC 5 strength and conditioning.
An Analysis of Gaelic Football
VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 2014
78
consideration to assessing on grass,
articial turf, or wood surfaces. Further-
more, Wislff et al. (43) demonstrated
strong relationships between vertical
jumps, 10-m sprints, 30-m sprints, and
10-m shuttle, with soccer players max-
imal half-squat strength. The relation-
ship of these movements suggests
relevance to their inclusion of tests to
ascertain physical capabilities. Muscular
leg power, initial velocity, peak velocity,
agility, and muscular leg strength would
be the characteristics assessed, respec-
tively. The anaerobic nature of the sport
may also predicate the use of either 300-
yd shuttle or Yo-Yo intermittent sprint
test to assess anaerobic capacity. Testing
protocols and how to evaluate the data
may follow the recommendations by
Epley (10) and Maud (23), as a method
to establish test order, rest periods, reli-
ability, validity, and stafng needs. The
interpretation of the results may then
lead to an effective sport skill and SC
plans (Table 4).
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
GUIDELINES FOR GAELIC
FOOTBALL
The development of a SC plan for
Gaelic football requires the review of
general guidelines along with the liter-
ature that discusses rugby, American
football, and soccer SC planning. Since
the aforementioned sports are seasonal,
the overall layout should use off-season,
preseason, in-season, and postseason
phases. Instead of going through each
phase, the time at the end of the off-
season will be used as a method to set
the foundation for sport specicity that
may be inferred to other phases, both
earlier in the off-season and subsequent
phases (Tables 5 and 6). The volume
and intensity are set to maximize the
desired physiological adaptations dur-
ing this phase. The reason aerobic and
anaerobic endurance is only being con-
ducted twice a week is the block of
training before this one will have greater
emphasis on these characteristics. The
period of time in this phase is meant to
maintain anaerobic and aerobic endur-
ance, while increasing strength-speed,
speed, agility, quickness (SAQ), and
speed-strength ( jumping).
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Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com
79
Previous literature on rugby has sug-
gested that HR may average 78% of
maximal HR (MHR), with ;44%
(higher end) of playing time greater
than 85% MHR (13). These HRs are
at varying levels from amateur to
semi-professional levels, thus, adjust-
ments to a SC plan will need to be made
based on skill level and training status.
Elite Gaelic footballers demonstrated
relative oxygen consumptions (V

O
2
)
between 56.8 and 65.8 mL/kg/min
depending on position (25), which then
could be related to a corresponding HR.
Obtaining HRand respective V

O
2
inten-
sity percentages would then provide
coaches an ability to modify daily sport
skill or SC plans to provide the most
appropriate overload or recovery. The
transition of different phases during
a sport year warrants the need to have
methods for monitoring daily and
weekly capabilities. Coaches can ask
open-ended questions, such as How
are you feeling today? to more specic
questions, such as After the 10 repeated
sprints, how do your legs feel?
There needs to be cooperation between
the objective and subjective tests, while
not overwhelming the players with test-
ing protocols. The subjective questions
and visual observations during training
will best be used during the daily and
weekly monitoring. As Gaelic footbal-
lers progress through the sport year,
there will be objective testing days to
assess the SC plan effectiveness and
recovery. These objective tests will pro-
vide data that coaches can visually see
decreases, increases, or sustained ath-
letic performances, with the last 2 being
the most desirable. The physical and
psychological stress that is imposed
on an athletes body during the course
of a season may lead to decrements in
performance if there is not adequate
recovery. Gill et al. (14) observed posi-
tive recovery in rugby players after com-
petition, which may be inferred to
Gaelic footballers based on the similar-
ities of the 2 sports. However, until fur-
ther research is completed on Gaelic
football, there is a gap of uncertainty
on the effectiveness of similar recovery
methods used by rugby players.
The paucity of information on the
sport of Gaelic football currently re-
quires SC practitioners to use informa-
tion based on sports that are similar in
nature. Sports such as rugby, American
football, Australian rules football, and
basketball may provide guidance for
the development of SC plans, research
outlines, and sport skill practices. If
Gaelic football increases in participa-
tion and popularity, there will be
a need for increased evidenced-based
practices for coaches, sports medicine
personnel, and players.
Conicts of Interest and Source of Funding:
The authors report no conicts of interest
and no source of funding.
Justin Brown is
a graduate stu-
dent studying
exercise physiol-
ogy at the Uni-
versity of Utah.
Michael Waller
is an Assistant
Professor at the
University of
Saint Francis.
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