Australian Rules Football is played between two teams with an oval shaped ball. 18 players from each team are allowed on the ground at any one time. Each team also has four interchange players. A match is made up of four quarters. Each quarter is made up of 20 minutes of actual playing time.
Playing Field
Australian football is played on a field 135-185 metres in length and 110-155 metres in width. A 50 metre arc at each end marks the distance from the goal. In the middle of the ground is a centre square measuring 50 metres on each side.
At each end of the oval are four posts. The two middle posts, which are tallest, are the goal posts. The two shorter posts on either side are the behind posts or point posts. The four posts each stand 6.4 metres apart. A "goal square" measuring 9 metres in length and 6.4 metres in width is also marked out between the goal posts.
Positions
Players are generally categorised into the following:
- Forwards, who play close to their team's attacking goals and are expected to contribute the majority of the team's score.
- Midfielders, who aim to win the ball from the middle of the ground.
- Backmen (defenders), who try to limit the opposition's scoring.
- Ruckmen, who contest bounces and ball-ups. Usually the team's tallest player(s).
However, in the modern game it is likely that players will fill a number of positions all over the ground during the course of a match. For example, a ruckman may be "rested" up forward or a backman may run on and kick a goal. Some players are also known as taggers, whose job is to limit the impact of an opposition midfielder, rather than win the ball himself. There are no restrictions on where players can move on the field, except at centre bounces, when only four players from each team are allowed in the centre square.
Starting Play
At the start of each quarter, and after a goal has been scored, the umpire bounces the ball in the centre circle in middle of the ground. The two ruckmen compete to tap or knock the ball to his team's advantage. Bouncedowns or ball-ups (when the umpire throws the ball up for the ruckmen to contest) are also used around the ground to restart play after a stoppage.
If the ball goes out of bounds, the umpire will throw it back into play. However, if a player is deemed to have taken the ball out of bounds deliberately or on the full, a free kick is awarded to the nearest opponent.
Possession and Disposal of the Football
Players may run and carry the football the entire length of the ground, provided he bounces or touches the ball on the ground every 15 metres.
Players may dispose of the ball by kicking or handballing. A handball is when the football is held in one hand and hit with the clenched fist of the other.
When the ball is kicked at least 15 metres and caught on the full, this is called a mark. The player who marked the ball is then entitled to a free kick. The "mark" also refers to the spot from which a free kick is to be taken.
If a player is legally tackled, they must legally dispose of the ball or be penalised for "holding the ball".
Tackles must be between the shoulders and knees, and must not push the opponent in the back.
A player may shepherd (block) or bump an opponent who does not have possession of the ball, provided they are within 5 metres of the ball. This is done to give a team mate with the ball more space to run forward.
Free kicks are paid against a player if he is deemed to have infringed these rules. The umpire may also impose a 50-metre penalty if the offending player becomes abusive, runs over the mark or wastes time.
Scoring
A goal is scored when a player kicks the ball through the space between the two goalposts at his team's attacking end. Goals are worth six points.
If the ball hits the goalpost, is kicked between the goalpost and the point post, or is touched by a player before crossing the goal line, then a behind is scored. Behinds are worth one point.
After a behind is scored, an opposition player will kick the ball back into play from the goal square.
If the ball hits the point post, the ball is deemed out of bounds.
Australian Rules Competitions
The highest level of Australian Rules competition is the Australian Football League (AFL), which comprises 16 teams based around the country. There are also semi-professional, amateur, and junior or underage competitions in each state and territory.
International Rules is a hybrid game played between Australian and Irish (Gaelic) footballers.
Australian Rules is also played in other countries, including Britain, the United States, Japan, South Africa, and Papua New Guinea. Teams from around the world have also competed in the Australian Football International Cup since the tournament was founded in 2002.
Lee-Ann Khoh - Lee-Ann Khoh has been writing since she could read and hold a pen, and exploring the World Wide Web for more than a decade. These two ...
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