Gaelic sports
Gaelic handball
Striking the ball with the hand against a wall so that your opponent cannot return it: a sport of skill and speed, close to Basque pelota.
1 or 4 wallsDepending on the format
2 or 4 playersSingles or doubles
15, 21 or 25 ptsPoints per game
Gaelic handball (known in Ireland simply as handball, or in Irish as liathróid láimhe) is a sport in which players strike a ball with the hand or fist against a wall so as to make a shot that the opponent cannot return. It can be played by two players (singles) or four (doubles). Popular in Ireland, the sport is close to Basque pelota or squash. It is even more popular in the United States, where it is estimated that as many as 2 million people could play it. It is in any case one of the four Gaelic games run by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), although it is also run by other bodies. It is played more and more in France in its simplest form: one-wall (a single wall), both indoors and outdoors.
Rules
Handball is played on a court that varies with the format (1wall, 4wall large or small court).
The aim of a game is to be the first to reach a set number of points (15, 21 or 25, depending on the competition). In some cases, points can only be scored by the player who is serving. More and more often, though, it is played as “rally point”: every rally scores.
After the serve, players take turns to hit the ball onto the “front wall” before it bounces twice on the floor of the court. There is no lower limit on the wall, so it is possible to play shots with very little bounce that are often winners: these are called “killshots”.
History
Games resembling Gaelic handball appeared in several places at different times. Hieroglyphs in the temple of Osiris in Egypt show priests taking part in a game very similar to handball, and the civilisations of Mesoamerica and South America had a game like it.
An early origin for the game in Ireland is supported by recent archaeological finds in the Callan and Mooncoin areas of Kilkenny, which may suggest that a Celtic forerunner of the modern game was played there in ancient times. An ancient Celtic version of the game is supported by the existence of Welsh handball (in Welsh: Pêl-Law), a similar sport attested in Welsh literature since the 9th century.
In Ireland, the first written trace of a similar ball game is found in the statutes of the town of Galway in 1527, which forbade playing ball games against the town walls. The first depiction of an Irish form of handball only appears in 1785. On the west coast of Ireland, Galway had many trading links with Spain, particularly the Basque regions, where the same game of pelota is played. According to Dublin Handball GAA, “It is highly likely that one game was derived from, or influenced by, the other.”
Irish emigrants later introduced the game to many countries in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. It is still played in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Africa and England. Father John Murphy, a leader of the 1798 rebellion, was one of the finest handball players of his day and frequently held rebel meetings in his local handball alley.
Types of handball
In Ireland there are four forms, or codes, of handball.
These include the two national codes:
- Softball (also known as the “big alley” or “60×30” because of the dimensions of the court, played with a small rubber ball called a “softball”)
- Hardball (can also be called “60×30”, played on the same court as softball but with a much harder “hardball”)
and two international codes played all over the world, including Europe:
- One-Wall (also known as “wallball” and played against a single wall)
- Four-Wall (also known as “40×20” or the “small alley”, and played on four walls, very much like squash).
Gaelic handball in France
Driven by the clubs of Paris and Toulouse, Gaelic handball has grown in France since the 2020s. A first tournament was held in Toulouse in 2021, and many sections have since opened in French clubs. One-wall is the format favoured in France, often played on Basque pelota walls (frontons) or “jeu de paume” courts. There is no championship as such; the great majority of tournaments are “Open” (open to a range of players, including some from other countries). Since 2024, however, a ranking has been introduced (the “Ranking”) for licensed Gaelic handball players, women and men.
France GAA Handball Ranking
Full ranking, updated regularly:
Classement_Handball_France_GAA – Google Sheets
Women’s top 5, 2024:
- Maud Pradella (Paris Gaels)
- Guillemette Demange (Lugdunum CLG)
- Carole Lenne (Nantes)
- Laurie Dinier (Tolosa Gaels)
- Pia Isidore (Paris Gaels)
Men’s top 5, 2024:
- Naoise Greene (Paris Gaels)
- Florian (Paris Gaels)
- Guillaume Kerrien (Tolosa Gaels)
- Lucas Reyes (Clermont Gaels)
- Tom Dutheil (Paris Gaels)
Calendar
Upcoming dates
The season’s next dates, updated whenever the Federation’s calendar is imported.
Fancy giving it a go?
A club near you will welcome you to a first session, with no equipment or experience needed.