When Should Hurling and Camogie Clubs Order Sliotars? A Season Planning Calendar
Quick Answer
Order training and underage sliotars in November or early December, straight after your AGM, so they arrive before pre-season training in January. A factory-direct order of 20–50 dozen takes 2–3 weeks to make, club crest included, plus 10–15 days to Ireland VAT-paid. Allow five to six weeks from order to delivery.
Buy match balls for official games from a GAA-licensed supplier. Training, underage and wall-ball stock is where clubs spend most of their sliotar budget, and where buying direct saves the most.
Most club ball orders we receive arrive in December and January. That’s the right time to plan, but often slightly late to order. This calendar shows when each kind of ball needs ordering and why.
Match Balls and Training Balls Are Two Different Purchases
Since March 2026 the GAA has asked clubs to use only balls from licensed sliotar suppliers in official games. The licence is held by the Irish company that sells the ball, not by the factory that makes it, so a ball built to match-grade specification is not automatically a licensed match ball. Our guide to sliotar specifications explains the difference.
In practice a club makes two purchases:
- Match balls for league and championship fixtures, from a licensee.
- Training, underage, Go Games and wall balls, which make up most of the balls a club gets through in a year. These can come from any supplier, so they’re the purchase worth timing and buying in bulk.
The Club Year, Month by Month
| When | What’s happening | What to order |
|---|---|---|
| October | Pre-AGM; season review | Count the stock: how many balls are left, by size |
| November | AGM held by the end of the month; new officers and budget | Place the training and underage order now |
| December | Budget agreed; county conventions | Last safe window for January delivery |
| January–February | Pre-season training; inter-county leagues start | Stock should already be on site |
| By 26 February 2027 | Community Sport Facilities Fund applications close (5pm) | If you’re applying for equipment funding, price the order before this date |
| Early March | Eid (around 9–10 March 2027) slows production in Pakistan | Avoid ordering in the two weeks before it |
| By 31 March | Membership registration deadline on Foireann | Juvenile numbers are confirmed; size the underage order |
| April–June | Club leagues and Go Games at their peak; the most balls are lost | Top-up order by mid-April if stock is running low |
| May | Eid al-Adha (around 16–17 May 2027) | Second production slowdown |
| May–June | Cúl Camps booked | Order camp balls by late May for July delivery |
| August–October | Club championships | Match balls from your licensee |
Eid dates depend on the moon sighting and can move a day or two.
What a Club Order Looks Like
A typical full-club order splits roughly like this:
- Size 4 (camogie and U14): about 40%
- Size 5 (adult): about a third
- Size 3: about 15%
- Go Games balls (Quick Touch, Smart Touch): about 15%
Size 4 is usually the biggest share, because camogie and underage hurling both use it. Clubs order once a season, sometimes twice, so getting the first order’s quantities right matters more than timing a top-up.
What It Costs
Factory-direct training sliotars cost €1.35–1.80 per ball, depending on size and quantity, with the lowest prices on the largest orders. Air freight to Ireland with VAT paid adds about €0.80–1.00 per ball, so a ball reaches your club for about €2.15–2.80, or €26–34 a dozen. In an Irish shop, licensed match balls cost €48–100 a dozen and Go Games balls about €7 each.
Sea freight only pays once an order reaches 3,000–4,000 balls. At that size it’s usually cheaper per ball than air, but it takes 25–40 days instead of 10–15, so it only suits orders placed well ahead, such as a county board or retailer stocking up for the season.
How Long It Takes
- Production: 2–3 weeks for 20 dozen. Orders of 30–50 dozen take about the same time.
- Club crest: included in that time. Stamping or printing your crest doesn’t add a separate step.
- Delivery: 10–15 days to Ireland VAT-paid, so nothing is due on arrival.
- Total: five to six weeks from order to delivery, longer around Eid.
If your squad starts training in the first week of January, order by mid-November. Ordering in December still works, but leaves no margin.
Before You Order: A Checklist
- Count what’s left of last season’s stock, by size.
- Confirm juvenile numbers for the coming season.
- Decide which balls are match balls (licensed) and which are training balls.
- Send the club crest as a vector file (AI, PDF, SVG or EPS).
- Order by mid-November for January, and avoid the two weeks before Eid.
Ordering
We make training, underage, Go Games and wall-ball sliotars for hurling and camogie clubs, with club crests, from 50 balls. See our wholesale sliotars page for specifications, or read our sourcing guide for clubs. To get a quote for the season, contact us with your quantities by size.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should a club order sliotars for the new season? By mid-November, straight after the AGM. Factory-direct orders take five to six weeks from order to delivery, so a mid-November order arrives before training starts in January.
How much do training sliotars cost? Factory-direct, €1.35–1.80 per ball depending on size and quantity. Air freight with VAT paid adds about €0.80–1.00 per ball, so a ball delivered to Ireland costs about €2.15–2.80, or €26–34 a dozen.
Can clubs use factory-direct sliotars in official games? Since March 2026 the GAA has asked clubs to use balls from licensed suppliers in official games. Factory-direct balls built to specification suit training, underage coaching, challenge games and wall-ball work.
Does a club crest add to the lead time? No. Stamping or printing the crest is included in the 2–3 week production time. Send the crest as a vector file (AI, PDF, SVG or EPS).
Is sea freight cheaper than air for sliotars? Only at around 3,000–4,000 balls or more. Below that, air freight is usually the better option, and it takes 10–15 days rather than 25–40.
What size sliotars does a club need most? Size 4, used for camogie and underage hurling, is usually about 40% of a full-club order. Size 5 for adults is about a third.
