Caid (sport)

Caid (Irish pronunciation: [kadʲ], meaning "stuffed ball") is a collective name used in reference to various ancient and traditional Irish mob football games. The word caid originally referred to the ball which was used. It was made out of animal skin, with a natural bladder inside.

The sport may have been taken around the world by the Irish diaspora. Caid is believed by some to be connected to the modern sport of Gaelic football, the rules of which were officially first written in 1885 and is now organised and governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) as an amateur sport. Most Irish historians, however, reject such a connection. It being the basis for Australian football is also disputed.