Gaelic football positions and jersey numbers explained

Facts checked on 29 September 2026 against the GAA Official Guide Part 2 (April 2026 edition).

Gaelic football positions by number

The diagram shows the Gaelic football positions for a team attacking from left to right. Numbers on the players' right side (2, 5, 8, 10, 13) are drawn lower, the same way the line-out diagram in the GAA Official Guide Part 2 places them. Right means the player's own right as they face the opposition goal.

Sides follow the line-out diagram in the Official Guide Part 2 (page 45). Irish terms are from the New English-Irish Dictionary at foclóir.ie.

GAA positions and numbers describe where a player starts. Beyond the positional rule, nothing ties number 11 to the middle of the pitch, and players swap lines during a game.

Goalkeeper, number 1

The goalkeeper guards a goal 6.5 metres wide under a 2.5 metre crossbar and takes the kick-outs. The jersey has to differ from both teams' colours (Rules of Specification 4.1). Inside their own small rectangle, the keeper may handle the ball on the ground, and nobody may charge them there.

The keeper's job changed most with the new rules. A team-mate can now pass back only when both are inside the large rectangle, or when the goalkeeper is in the opposition half (Rule 1.10). The keeper is no longer an easy outlet whenever a defender is under pressure.

Kick-outs got harder too: the ball must travel beyond the 40 metre arc and the 20 metre line before a team-mate plays it, and every other player stands at least 13 metres from the ball (Rule 2.7). The short kick-out to a corner-back is gone. A keeper who cannot kick long and accurately will give away a lot of kick-outs.

The full-back line, numbers 2 to 4

This is the last line in front of goal. The full-back, number 3, usually marks the opposition full-forward, and the corner-backs, 2 and 4, take the corner-forwards.

Almost all their work happens inside the 20 metre line, where a foul can mean a free, a penalty or a black card. Since 2026 a cynical foul that stops a goal chance brings a penalty and 10 minutes in the sin bin at every level, club included.

The half-back line, numbers 5 to 7

Half-backs defend around the 45 metre line and are often first to carry the ball out. The centre-back, number 6, holds the middle in front of the full-back; the wing-backs, 5 and 7, cover the flanks.

The two-point score gave this line a new job. A wing-back who breaks upfield and reaches the 40 metre arc can shoot for two, and the best half-backs now finish moves as well as start them.

Midfield, numbers 8 and 9

Midfielders link defence and attack and fight for the other team's kick-outs. Since a kick-out must now clear the 40 metre arc, more of them land around the middle, and a midfielder who can catch a high ball is worth more than before 2025.

The throw-in changed with it: only one player from each team contests the ball at the start of each half. The second player from each side waits on opposite sidelines at halfway, and they swap sides for the second half (Rule 2.1). Until 2025, two players from each team stood one behind the other.

The half-forward line, numbers 10 to 12

Half-forwards win ball around the middle, track back to help defend and feed the full-forward line. The centre-forward, number 11, is often the playmaker: the forward who creates scores as much as takes them.

The full-forward line, numbers 13 to 15

Most close-range shots come from here. The full-forward, number 14, is usually the focal point, often a strong catcher near the square. The corner-forwards, 13 and 15, need pace and accuracy from tight angles.

The square ball rule keeps them out of the small rectangle until the ball arrives. A clean catch on or inside the 20 metre line, from a kick sent in from on or beyond the opposition 45 metre line, earns them an advanced mark: a free kick, or they can play on.

What the positional rule changed

Since 2026 a team must keep at least four players in its own half, the goalkeeper allowed, and at least three outfield players in the opposition half (Rule 2.14). Pulling all 15 players back behind the ball is simply illegal now.

In practice, three outfield players always stay upfield, even when their team is protecting a lead. They get more one-on-one contests with the defenders who stay back to mark them.

It also limits the goalkeeper: if the keeper goes forward, four outfield players must stay behind halfway. Breaking the rule gives away a free, as the rules page explains.

Substitutes and squad size

Five substitutions in normal time, three more in extra time (Rules of Specification 2.3). Temporary replacements for a blood injury or a suspected head injury come on top of that. A team needs at least 13 players to start (Rules of Specification 2.2).

In the 2026 inter-county championship a matchday squad is 26, the starting 15 plus up to 11 panel members, according to the GAA 2026 Master Fixtures Booklet. A player sent off with a red card cannot be replaced.

What's the hardest position in GAA?

Nobody has measured it, so we judged on two things the rules make visible: running load and the cost of one mistake. On that basis midfield and goalkeeper are the hardest, for opposite reasons.

Midfield wins on running. Midfielders cover both halves, contest the kick-outs that now land in their zone, and defend and attack in the same passage of play. The 2026 changes added to that load.

Goalkeeper wins on the price of error. Kick-outs have to travel further, a dropped catch under the bar costs three points, and the back-pass limit removes the safe option.

Full-back runs it close: one-on-one against the other team's best scorer, where any foul in the small rectangle is a penalty.

GAA positions in Irish

In Irish, the names of GAA football positions follow the lines: the full-back is lánchúlaí, a half-back leathchúlaí, the full-forward lántosaí and a half-forward leatosaí. The goalkeeper is cúl báire.

Terms from the New English-Irish Dictionary (foclóir.ie). The table at the top of the page gives the Irish name for every position.

Frequently asked questions

How many players are on a Gaelic football team?

Fifteen on the pitch: one goalkeeper and 14 outfield players. A team can start with 13, and in the 2026 inter-county championship it names a matchday squad of 26.

What position is 11 in Gaelic football?

The centre-forward, in the middle of the half-forward line, and often the team's playmaker.

How many substitutes are allowed in Gaelic football?

Five in normal time and three more in extra time. Temporary replacements for a blood injury or a suspected head injury do not count towards that, and a player sent off with a red card cannot be replaced.

Is there a goalie in Gaelic football?

Yes, one per team, wearing number 1 and a jersey in a different colour from both sides. The goalkeeper may handle the ball on the ground inside the small rectangle and cannot be charged there.