To compare the type of passing in Gaelic football at senior inter-county level historically to modern day

Notational analysis was used to record hand and kick passes for both the 1980s and 2014–2016 periods (10 games each). The type, quantity, percentage of successful passes, direction and zone of each pass was recorded using SportsCode software. The number of consecutive hand passes competed along with the ball in play time was recorded. A significant increase in hand passing (p ≤ 0.001) and a significant decrease in kick passing (p ≤ 0.001) were observed between the periods. The ratio of hand to kick passes had risen from 1:1.6 (1980s) to 2.5:1 (2014–2016). Forward passes accounted for the highest proportion of passes while most passes were completed in the middle zone for both periods (1980s and 2014–2016). Sequences of consecutive hand passing increased from between 1 and 7 passes (1980s) to between 1 and 16 consecutive hand passes recorded in the 2014–2016 period. The amount of time which the ball was in play increased significantly (p ≤ 0.001). Therefore, the results of this study confirm the growing use of hand passing in Gaelic football and a decreasing number of kick passes being completed in the game.