What is Gaelic Football based upon?

Answer 1

Gaelic Football is not really based on another sport. All so-called football sports, like American, Australian Rules, soccer, Rugby and Gaelic Football have similarities to others, but many have developed in their own right and evolved. As they have done so, they have moved further from other sports. Some still borrow ideas from others to use or adapt for their own games. For example in Gaelic Football, the use of yellow and red cards was an idea taken from soccer.

Gaelic Football's own origins can be traced back as early as the 14th century. Over subsequent centuries football sports in Ireland and developed and one called Caid is believed to be the one most directly leading on to Gaelic Football. Forms of it were being played in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1884 the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded. It formalised the rules for Gaelic Football in 1887 and the GAA is still the governing body for it and a number of other sports, most notably Hurling. The sport continues to evolve and rule changes are made every few years, some being influenced by rules used in other sports and others within the sport's own trends and ideas. It is still a very unique sport though. To someone never seeing it before it could be described as a cross between soccer and rugby, but that would not be an accurate description if you know more about the sport.