Sports Events

Gaelic Football, Men's Rugby and Soccer

Sporting Events Schedule

Saturday

Starting at noon there will be a Gaelic Football tournament with teams: *Buffalo, *Syracuse,*Mason Dixon, *Montreal and *Albany.

Sunday

We will be having a Rugby tournament starting at 11am with the *Utica Klubs, *Rome Mercenaries, *Barrack Rangers, *Brockpart Doggies and *Cortland-Homer Thundering Heard.

* Represents teams entered thus far. Times subject to change.

It has been said that rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen, soccer is a gentleman's game played by thugs and Gaelic football is a thugs game played by thugs. Well, now you can decide for yourself the truth of that statement, as all three sports will be on display at the Great American Irish Festival.

This year's Gaelic Football Tournament will be contested on Saturday, with two teams advancing to vie for the GAIF Cup in the championship game. Soccer will be featured on an adjacent field on Saturday as well. On Sunday, the men's rugby teams will take over the pitch.

Gaelic Football has been described as a mixture of soccer and rugby, but it predates both of those games and there are distinct differences. The players may kick, punt, or punch the ball, or they may bounce it while advancing. Throwing or carrying the ball is not allowed. At each end of the field is a goal consisting of two vertical posts and a horizontal crossbar with a net under the crossbar. Kicking or punching the ball over the crossbar counts one point; punching or kicking it into the net counts three points.

Although the game of rugby appears complex, it is governed by only two major rules: (1)players may not pass the ball forward, and (2) players may not touch the ball while it is in play if it was last touched behind them (nearer their own goals) by players on their own teams. A goal scored from a dropkick (when during play a player drops the ball, lets it rebound off the ground and kicks it over the crossbar and through the uprights) counts 3 points.

All athletic events will take place on the village athletic fields adjacent to the festival grounds and admission to all sporting events is included with the festival admission.