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Everything you need to know—a quick guide to Shinty
With Shinty coming to Renfrew on the 14th of October, as part of Mòd Phàislig 2023, we’re here with a wee guide to Shinty! (or camanachd if you fancy the gaelic for shinty)
Shinty is a ball and stick game played outdoors on grass. Sometime referred to as ‘hockey with no rules’ it shares roots with the Irish game of Hurling.
A match is played between two teams over two forty-five-minute halves. Teams are made up of 12 players for men, or 10 players for women. The objective is to score as many goals as possible over the 90 minutes. The pitch is usually between 140 to 170 yards in length and 70 to 80 yards wide. That’s more than four buses longer than a football pitch!
The goalposts are 3.6m wide and 3m tall. Goals only count if the player uses their stick to hit the ball through the goalposts. One player goes in goal.
The sticks are called caman. They are 1.1m long with a hook on one end. The name comes from the Gaelic cam, meaning bent or crooked. Traditionally they are made of ash.
The ball for shinty is smaller than a tennis ball, covered in leather and is very hard. Players can stop the ball using their stick, chest or foot, but they can’t touch it with their hands. The goalkeeper can use their hands although they can’t catch the ball out of the air.
Players can tackle each other with their sticks, or with their body, although body tackles need to be shoulder to shoulder.
A game starts with two players in the centre of the pitch with their camans crossed above them. The referee throws the ball up and the players try to be the first to strike it. This is called the throwup.
The Mod Cup, known as the Aviemore Cup, has been played at the Royal National Mòd since 1969. A game of shinty is fast paced, rough and brilliant to watch.
Stiùireadh air Camanachd
’S e geama ball is caman a tha air a chluich a-muigh air feur a th’ ann an camanachd. Aig amannan air ainmeachadh mar ‘hocaidh gun riaghailtean’ bidh e a’ roinn freumhan le geama iomanachd na h-Èireann.
Thèid geama a chluich eadar dà sgioba thairis air dà leth dà fhichead ’s a còig mionaidean. Tha sgiobaidhean air an dèanamh suas de 12 cluicheadair airson fireannaich, no 10 cluicheadairean airson boireannaich. ’S e an t-amas a bhith a’ faighinn na h-uimhir de tadhail ’s as urrainn thairis air na 90 mionaidean.Mar as trice tha an raon-cluiche eadar 140 agus 170 slat de dh’fhaid agus 70 gu 80 slat a leud. Tha sin còrr is ceithir busaichean nas fhaide na raon ball-coise!
Tha na puist-tadhail 3.6m de leud agus 3m àrd. Cha bhi tadhalan a’ cunntadh ach ma chleachdas an cluicheadair am bata gus am ball a bhualadh tro na puist-tadhail. Bidh aon cluicheadair a’ dol dhan tadhal.
’S e caman a th’ air na bataichean. Tha iad 1.1m de dh’fhaid le dubhan air aon cheann. Tha an t-ainm a’ tighinn bhon fhacal Ghàidhlig cam, a’ ciallachadh lùbte neo fiar. Gu traidiseanta tha iad air an dèanamh le uinnseann.
Tha am ball airson camanachd nas lugha na ball teanas, còmhdaichte le leathar agus tha e gu math cruaidh. Faodaidh cluicheadairean stad a chuir air a’ bhall le bhith a’ cleachdadh am bata, a’ bhroilleach no a chas, ach chan urrainn dhaibh suathadh ris len làmhan. Faodaidh an neach-glèidhidh an làmhan a chleachdadh ged nach urrainn dhaibh am ball a ghlacadh a-mach às an adhar.
Faodaidh cluicheadairean aghaidh a thoirt air a chèile le am maidean, no leis a’ bhodhaig aca, ged a dh’fheumas aghaidh air bodhaig a bhith gualainn ri gualainn.
Tòisichidh geama le dithis chluicheadair ann am meadhan na pàirce le na caman aca tarsainn os an cionn. Tilgidh an rèitire am ball suas agus feuchaidh na cluicheadairean ri bhith mar a’ chiad fheadhainn a bhuaileas e. Canar tilgeadh suas ris an seo.
Tha Cupa a’ Mhòid, ris an canar Cupa na h-Aghaidh Mòire, air a bhith a’ cluich aig a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail bho 1969. Tha geama camanachd aig astar luath, garbh agus sgoinneil ri fhaicinn!