Hurling is played with a stick, a small hard ball and fifteen players a side who each carry a number that says where they belong.
The shape is the same six lines used in Gaelic football, but the speed of the sliotar changes what every one of those lines actually has to do.
A ball can travel eighty metres in a single strike, so positioning matters more here than in almost any field sport.
- The Goalkeeper wears one, faces shots struck at speed and takes the puckouts.
- The Full Back Line, numbers two to four, defends the space in front of goal.
- The Half Back Line, numbers five to seven, is where hurling matches are usually won.
- The Midfield pair, eight and nine, contest the puckouts and cover the most ground.
- The Half Forward Line, numbers ten to twelve, wins primary possession and works back.
- The Full Forward Line, numbers thirteen to fifteen, converts chances into goals and points.
#1 Goalkeeper
- 🏆 Notable Goalkeepers: Nickie Quaid and Eoin Murphy
A hurling goalkeeper faces a hard ball struck from close range at speed, and stops it with a stick rather than the hands. Reflexes and the courage to stand up to a goalmouth scramble are the base requirements of the position.
The puckout has turned the role into a tactical one. Driving the ball long invites a fifty fifty contest around midfield, hitting it short to a defender keeps possession but invites the press, and the best keepers now vary both within the same half.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Stopping shots struck from inside twenty metres.
- Puckout distance and, more importantly, accuracy.
- Reading the opposition press to pick the free man.
- Handling the high ball dropping into a crowded square.
#2 Full Back Line (2, 3 and 4)
- 🏆 Notable Full Backs: Brian Lohan and JJ Delaney
The right corner back wears two, the full back three and the left corner back four. They defend the space closest to goal, where a single clean strike is worth three points, so the margin for error is tiny.
The full back holds the middle and deals with the ball dropping into the square, while the corner backs mark the two quickest inside forwards. Hooking and blocking a shot at the last moment is a defining skill of the line.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Hooking and blocking to stop the strike rather than the player.
- Clean first touch under pressure in a crowded area.
- Reading the flight of a dropping ball.
- Clearing the ball long and straight rather than sideways.
#3 Half Back Line (5, 6 and 7)
- 🏆 Notable Half Backs: Tommy Walsh and Brian Whelahan
The right wing back is five, the centre back six and the left wing back seven. Hurling people talk about this line as the spine of a team, because most ball comes through it and most attacks are launched from it.
The centre back at six is often the outstanding defender in a side, marking the opposing centre forward and sweeping the space in front of the full back line. The wing backs are expected to win their own ball and then drive it long into the forwards.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Winning the dropping ball in the air, often one handed.
- Striking long and accurately off both sides.
- Physical strength in the tackle without conceding frees.
- Reading the game to intercept rather than chase.
#4 Midfield (8 and 9)
- 🏆 Notable Midfielders: Jamesie O’Connor and Cian Lynch
The two midfielders contest puckouts at both ends and cover more ground than anyone else on the pitch. Because the sliotar travels so far from a good strike, midfield is where possession is either won cleanly or turned into a scramble.
Modern midfielders are as likely to drop deep to receive a short puckout as to compete for a high ball. The role now asks for running power and passing as much as for the traditional aerial contest.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Catching the sliotar overhead in traffic.
- Aerobic capacity across seventy minutes of end to end play.
- Long range scoring, since space opens in front of midfield.
- Quick delivery, because holding the ball invites the tackle.
#5 Half Forward Line (10, 11 and 12)
- 🏆 Notable Half Forwards: Henry Shefflin and Joe Canning
The right wing forward wears ten, the centre forward eleven and the left wing forward twelve. They win the primary possession from puckouts and long clearances, then either shoot from distance or deliver ball into the inside line.
The centre forward at eleven often carries the biggest workload in the team, competing with the opposing centre back for every ball down the middle. Wing forwards are judged as much on their tackling as on their scoring in the modern game.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Winning breaking ball around the middle third.
- Scoring points from forty metres and out.
- Work rate to tackle back the moment possession is lost.
- Delivering an accurate ball into the full forward line.
#6 Full Forward Line (13, 14 and 15)
- 🏆 Notable Full Forwards: Christy Ring and DJ Carey
The right corner forward is thirteen, the full forward fourteen and the left corner forward fifteen. They play closest to goal and are measured in scores, with a goal worth three points and a point worth one.
The full forward holds the edge of the square and either turns to strike or lays the ball off to a runner. Corner forwards live on movement and on first time striking, since the ball rarely arrives with time to control it.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- First time striking off the ground and out of the hand.
- Movement to create half a metre against a tight marker.
- Composure to take the point when the goal is not on.
- Winning frees in scoreable positions.
Hurling Positions by Number
Hurling numbers its fifteen the same way Gaelic football does, from the goalkeeper upfield, one line at a time. Right and left are read from behind your own goal looking up the pitch.
| Number | Position | What the player does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goalkeeper | Stops the shot with the hurley and takes every puckout. |
| 2 | Right Corner Back | Marks the opposing left corner forward close to goal. |
| 3 | Full Back | Holds the square and deals with the ball dropping in. |
| 4 | Left Corner Back | The mirror of the right corner back. |
| 5 | Right Wing Back | Wins ball on the wing and drives it long into the forwards. |
| 6 | Centre Back | The spine of the defence, marking the opposing centre forward. |
| 7 | Left Wing Back | The mirror of the right wing back. |
| 8 | Midfield | Contests puckouts and links the two halves of the team. |
| 9 | Midfield | The second midfielder, usually the more mobile of the pair. |
| 10 | Right Wing Forward | Wins primary possession and tackles back when it is lost. |
| 11 | Centre Forward | Competes for every ball down the middle and scores from distance. |
| 12 | Left Wing Forward | The mirror of the right wing forward. |
| 13 | Right Corner Forward | Scores from half chances close to goal. |
| 14 | Full Forward | Holds the edge of the square and finishes or lays the ball off. |
| 15 | Left Corner Forward | The mirror of the right corner forward. |
The difference from Gaelic football is only in the names: hurling says wing back and centre back where football says half back and centre half back. The numbers themselves line up exactly.
Hybrid Positions
Sweeper
An extra defender playing in front of the full back line rather than marking a man. Used against teams that rely on long ball into a strong full forward.
Free Taker
The designated striker of frees and sixty fives. In a sport where a third of the scoring can come from placed balls, the free taker is often the first name on the team sheet.
Target Full Forward
A tall inside forward picked to win the long delivery. Teams switch to this route when their short game is being closed down.
Puckout Receiver
A half forward or midfielder given the job of getting free for the short puckout. Modern teams rehearse this as carefully as a set piece.
Hurling shares its numbering and its six line shape with Gaelic football. See the differences side by side in our guide to Gaelic football positions and roles.
FAQ
What are the positions in hurling?
Hurling has fifteen positions in six lines: goalkeeper, three full backs, three half backs, two midfielders, three half forwards and three full forwards, numbered one to fifteen from the goal upwards.
What is the number six position in hurling?
Number six in hurling is the centre back, who marks the opposing centre forward and protects the space in front of the full back line. It is widely seen as the most important defensive position in the game.
What hurling position is best for beginners?
Wing back and wing forward are good hurling positions for beginners because they teach striking and tackling in space, while corner back and corner forward demand tight marking and first time striking under pressure.
Conclusion
Hurling puts fifteen numbered players on a large pitch and then moves the ball faster than any of them can run.
That speed is why the half back line is treated as the spine of a team and why the centre back at six is so often the best player on the field.
Midfield decides the puckout battle, and the two forward lines are judged on how much of that possession becomes a score.
Sweepers, free takers and rehearsed short puckouts have added roles that the traditional numbers never described.
Learn the six lines and the fastest field sport in the world becomes surprisingly easy to follow.
