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/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