Australian Rules Football

Sports (or “Sport”, as it is referred to in Australia) are a popular pastime down under. For the most part, Australians are an active culture, and participate in numerous athletic activities…or at least watch, eat and breathe them.

What is Australian Rules Football?
Aussie Rules or Footy is a contact sport that combines aspects of rugby and Gaelic football. It began in the 1850s in Australia, an although it is now also played overseas, it has not been met with commercial success in other countries.

Where is footy played?
Aussie rules is played all over Australia, however, its following is second to rugby in Queensland and New South Wales. The Australian Football League overseas all professional play. The AFL also supports leagues in Britain, Canada, Denmark, Japan and New Zealand. Check out the AFL website.

What are some of the basic rules of the game?
The game consists of 4 quarters, of 20 minutes each. The clock runs continuously, and time is added on at the end of the game to make up for out-of-bounds time. Teams change ends of the oval playing field every quarter. Points are scored by kicking the ball through two different sets of goalposts. A tan (day use) or yellow (night use) leather ball, which looks somewhat like the American football, is used. Players can either run the ball, bouncing on the ground ever 15 meters, kick it, or handball it, i.e. “serve” it toward another player, to move it toward the goalposts. There are 18 players per team on the field at any time. The team with the most points wins. The game is allowed to end in a tie. Extensive protective equipment is not used.

By Court | Permalink

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