Between-competition technical skill characteristics in elite hurling match-play

Hurling is one of the most popular sports in Ireland, yet the technical skill characteristics are still unclear. This study investigated the between-position, -competition, and temporal-differences in the frequency of technical skill executions. A total of 27,141 technical skill events from seventy-two (n = 72) team performances during the 2022 League and Championship were analysed using SportsCode video analysis software. For the full team, possessions and tackles were more frequent in the League, while total and successful shots were higher in the Championship. Half-backs performed fewer catches (ES = -0.27), steps (ES = -0.49), solos (ES = -0.48), and handpasses (ES = -0.28) in the Championship than the League. Within positions, there was no difference (p > 0.05) between competitions for jab lifts, long-, or short-strikes. Between-half temporal analysis revealed minimal differences for possessions, total shots, successful shots, and tackles across 5-minute periods, with no temporal decrement observed in either competition. Additionally, no difference (p > 0.05) was found between competitions for possessions and successful shots across any of the 5-minute periods. These findings are the first to highlight the technical skill frequencies between-competition and between-positions in elite hurling match-play, offering valuable implications for coaching, training and profiling of playing positions.