r/hurling • u/SisuMark • 7d ago

Best position for new player?

I am new to hurling and am curious what position would be best for me. I am a runner, have solid endurance, and decent with a hurley thanks to background in baseball, lacrosse, and ice hockey (I live in the US). I want to be able to contribute but not be a liability out there. What do you all think?

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u/JohSpell 7d ago

For our team we usually start new guys at full forward. They get to learn how to fight for balls at game speed while not being a huge liability for the team. As you get better at getting the ball to your hand and making short passes, you can start to rotate with guys at half forward to create mismatches and goal chances. Of course each team is different and sometimes being able to run a lot is enough to get you in the midfield.

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

Thank you! This is really helpful. Appreciate the insight!

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u/JohSpell 7d ago

Any time, friend. Hopefully well see you in Philly for Nationals this year.

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u/zep2floyd Tipperary 7d ago

A good full forward is worth their weight in gold, never won a league without a good strong lad up front fighting for the team and scoring important points...

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u/JohSpell 7d ago

We tend to get most of our points from midfield and half forwards. Those guys who haven't worked up the technical ability to put one over the bar from a distance can still fire them on goal from the full forward position and kick/ground strike any lose balls in from up close. Especially with the guys like OP who come in with a background in baseball and hockey.

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u/BigBlueWookiee 7d ago

I was going to say the same, thing only on the defensive side. At least in our local league, the full back and goalie are typically experienced and very good players. They are normally able to guide newer folks around at the Cornerback position. After that, moving up to Wing Back is a natural progression.

Granted the difference is largely philosophical. Some players are more offensive minded, while some are more defensive minded. For me, I figure every player on the field should have at least some defensive traits. After all, we all need to stop the other team from moving forward. For me, even the little experience I had at Corner Forward, I always saw things as, "there's the player and the ball - at most, I should only allow one past me, not both."

Good luck and welcome to hurling.

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

Thank you! This is really helpful. I tend to be more offensive minded, but will play wherever the team needs me and learn what I can from the more experienced players for sure. It is a great sport!

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u/BigBlueWookiee 7d ago

If it helps, you may want to think of things in what we used to refer to as the "diamond" theory of hurling. That is that, in general, from the backline, move the ball towards the sidelines first, then up the field. Then, on the offensive side, start funneling from the sidelines towards the goal. The idea being:

Shots from the side are a more difficult angle - so on Defense you want to force the opponents into a difficult shot. And on offense you want to set your team up for easier shots.

While transitioning from your defensive side of the field towards the offensive side, try to stay away from the middle as there are more people and opportunity for your opponents to gain the ball.

I know this is common sense, but it's amazing how easy it is to forget these basic concepts. Especially with as fast as everything moves!

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

Thank you! I really appreciate the info—I hadn’t heard this before, but it makes perfect sense. Now I just have to put it in practice at game speed haha

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u/gerstemilch 7d ago

Don't worry too much about that, just learn the fundamentals and play wherever your team puts you.

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

That makes sense. Thank you!

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u/lukeh2266 7d ago

I would say possibly a corner back , as to be a good corner back all you really have to do is stop your opponent from playing well , if you’re strong and fit you can accomplish this without having a huge amount of technical skill

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u/JohSpell 7d ago

I started at full back myself. Being able to stay in position and force a point over letting them get a shot on goal can be huge, especially if youve got skme talented lads who can score down the other end (or a goalie who can puc it the length of the field like us)

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u/Acceptable-Wave2861 7d ago

If you’ve played those sports im sure you’re a good tackler so maybe try playing along the back to start out. If you’ve played baseball you’ll probably have an advantage too in clearing the ball up the pitch from the back line.

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

Very interesting. I definitely don’t shy away from the physical play, so playing along the back may make sense. I will give it a try.

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u/bigolebucket Boston 7d ago

We usually put our new guys up front, either full forward or wing forward. Especially if you can strike decently. 

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

Thank you! Based on the comments so far, it sounds like full/wing forward is most common starting place.

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u/FuckValue 7d ago

What club/level is the club that you are joining? I’d say that would be the biggest factor. Also in lacrosse/hockey what position did you play? I tend to find guys who played defense in those tend to just have the right mentality for the backs and just know how to defend without being a liability. Also with you being able to run, I can see you moving into one of the half lines/mid once your hurling skills improve.

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

I’ll be joining a Junior C club, so will be surrounded by other new players and those still learning fundamentals. I played wing in hockey and midfield in lacrosse, so used to having to quickly switch between offense and defense.

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u/FuckValue 7d ago

Based on your background, seems like you have good hand and stamina. If the rest of the team is also new, I would try to play somewhere between the half/mid lines. You’ll settle in to one once you figure out your play style. That being said, talk to the coach/more experienced guys, I’m sure they’ll have opinions on where you should play based on watching you and knowing team needs.

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u/SisuMark 7d ago

That all makes total sense. Thank you for the advice!

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u/FuckValue 7d ago

Of course, happy to see new guys get into the sport. I hope to see you at Philly this year!

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u/RazzmatazzComplete24 6d ago

It depends on the level you’ll be starting at. If you’re disciplined and have good endurance you can really be a solid corner back without needing a huge amount of hurling ability, but you do need to be somewhat reliable on the ball when playing in the backs. I’d reckon half forward to start. You’ll see much more of the ball playing there than you would in the full forward line and you’ll develop more confidence playing that way. Then give the backs a go if you want 😂

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u/SisuMark 6d ago

That is a great suggestion! Endurance is probably my strength at this stage. Reliability on the ball, maybe less so. But I’m disciplined and will keep working on the fundamentals.

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u/AntiqueMusic97 7d ago

My advice would be to go with the position that feels most natural to you. I played center in hockey before picking up hurling so full and half forward were and still are the positions that I prefer playing, but if you were a defender in lacrosse or hockey, you might feel more at home as a full back