GAA Rounders is one of the four official GAA sports included in the original GAA charter back in 1884 along with Gaelic Football, Hurling and Handball.
Rounders is a bat and ball game and is not that dis-similar to baseball. Indeed it is now generally accepted that Baseball is derived from Rounders in some form or other, as it has been played on this island for a couple of hundred years now and was probably brought over to America by the early settlers.
The Montreal Shamrocks started playing Rounders socially in 2019 to introduce new people to the sport and the club. In 2020, the first superleague teams were formed within the club for the Montreal Fall Series contested between our inaugural teams; La Legion Irlandaise, The Sud Ouest Dock Strikers, The Old Port Pandas, and The Uptown Ultras. Although our season was cut short due to Covid restrictions, the Fall Series will become an annual tournament in the Shamrocks calendar with new players and teams welcome to join.
How to Play?
Games are played over 3-5 innings which are agreed among the team captains.
Teams consist of 9 players in the outfield.
Games are played with a baseball bat and sliotar (hurling ball). Helmets must be worn by the catcher and pitcher and baseball mitts are not allowed.
Players must round 4 bases to complete a run.
Each team pitches, underhanded, to their own batter.
An inning ends when the team scores 5 runs, or 3 players are out. The final inning is open and only ends when 3 players are out.