Camanachd Clubs
A cup is played for annually, the Clubs constituting the Association being divided into northern, central, western, and southern districts for the purposes of the cup tie. The secretary of the Association is Mr. W. Macdonald Fraser, Inverness. The winners since the institution of the cup are: Season 1895—6, Kingussie; 1896-7 and 1897-8, Beauly; 1898-9, Ballachulish; 1899-1900, Kingussie; 1900—1, Ballachulish; 1901—2 and 1902-3, Kingussie; 1903—4, 1904—5, 1905-6, Kyles of Bute; 1906—7, 1907—8, 1908-9, 1909-10, Newtonmore.
Implements of the game:- The Ball is made of a cork core bound with worsted thread and covered with leather sewn with coarse seams outside that often contribute a great deal of spin to the ball. It is small, about 2 ins. in diameter, and must not be more than from 7½ to 8 ins. in circumference, nor weigh less than 3 nor more than 4 oz.
The Caman, or Club, was formerly any rough stick with a curved head, but now regular Camanchd clubs are manufactured having triangular heads, the sole forming one side of the triangle, and the other faces sloping to a ridge.
The Hails are the goals in hockey and other games, and consist of two posts fixed in the ground at a distance of 12 ft. from each other, and connected by a cross-bar at a height of IO ft. from the ground. Nets are attached to the cross-bar and uprights, and fixed square with the hails at a distance of not less than 4 ft. 6 ins. behind the hail-line.
The Field of Play may not be more than 250 yards long by 100 yards wide, nor less than 140 yards long by 70 yards wide. A 72-yard semi-circle is drawn round each Oyds. to 250 yds.→ ←140 Quad!
Forward Hail 71/2yd. Semi-circle Hail-keeper Back Quad Forward Form Back Centre Forward Half Back Forward Half Back Centre Forward Half Back Centre Line Centre Half Back Half Back Forward Forward Hay Back Centre Back Forward Quad Forward ◆Back 7/2yd.semi-Cutela Hail-Keepor Hair ه Forward - 70 yds.to/00yds.
A PLAN OF THE FIELD OF PLAY.
Quadr hail, and in all four corners of the ground 2-foot quadrants are marked. A line is also drawn across the centre of the field.
The Time of Play is an hour and a half, with a five-minute interval at half-time.
The Number of Players on each side is twelve, and each side appoints two hail judges and two linesmen, with one referee chosen by both clubs. A list of approved referees is published annually by the Camanachd Association. A glance at the accompanying plan will show the positions of the teams at the commencement of play. The centres stand facing each other on the centre line with their clubs crossed in the air. The referee, standing in mid-field, throws the ball straight in the air to a height of not less than 12 feet between the two opposing centres. The ball is played in the air as well as on the ground, the object being to place it between the hail-posts of the opposite side. In the original game, as is still the case in Cornish hurling, the object was to carry the ball to one's own goal. Nothing but hails count; there are no "points" as in Irish hurley. No players except the hailkeepers are allowed to touch the ball with the hands, though in a scrimmage where clubs are interlocked the feet may be used to disengage the ball. If a hail-keeper catches the ball (as he may to save his goal), he must drop it at once. No metal is allowed on the caman, nor any spikes in the players' shoes. When the ball goes beyond the side lines it is out of play, and must be taken in 16 yards and thrown up between two players by the referee, as at the commencement of the game; if beyond the back-line, corner hits from the 2-yard quadrants are allowed. And there are various other penalties. The nearest approach to an "off-side" rule is that which provides that no opponent shall be allowed to stand within the 72-yard semi-circle of the opposite hail unless the ball be in play in front of him.
The caman is gripped with the left hand above the right, held in a horizontal position across the body, prepared either to meet the ball in the air, or to pick it off the ground with a short, quick swing. Both hands must be employed in hitting. Either hand hitting is essential to really effective play. The flat part-the sole of the bass, as the hitting part of the club is called, is used to stop long dropping shots, and the caman is so constructed as to be used both for right- and left-handed strokes. It is part of the game to "tackle " an opponent in the act of making a stroke by hooking his club from behind as he raises it to strike.
The winning game is that which keeps the ball in constant motion, travelling over the field of play from man to man; though dribbling is sometimes a useful accomplishment. It will be seen from this brief outline that Camanachd is a fine free game, unhampered by the restrictions that have served to popularise its degenerate offspring hockey in the south, but for which the hardy Highlander has nothing but contempt.
In addition it is the only outdoor game to which music is a necessary accompaniment, the skirl of the bag-pipes being an [CAMANACHD inseparable adjunct of the play, and the teams invariably marching to and from the field headed by their official pipers, who also celebrate the scoring of hails and the triumph of their sides with a "screigh" on the pipes.
L. C. R. CAMERON.