Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply "football" or "footy" is a code of football (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football) played with a prolate spheroid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolate_spheroid) ball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28ball%29), on large oval (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oval_%28geometry%29) shaped fields (cricket (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket) fields), with four posts at each end. No more than 18 players of each team are permitted to be on the field at any time, with four<sup id="_ref-0" class="reference">[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football#_note-0)</sup> interchange players on the bench, and the primary aim of the game is to score by kicking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_%28football%29) the ball between the posts. The winner is the team who has the highest total score by the end of the match.
There are several different ways to advance the ball, including kicking and hand passing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handpass). When hand passing one hand must be used to hold the ball and the other fist to hit it — throwing the ball is not allowed. Players running with the ball must bounce or touch it on the ground every 15 metres. There is no offside (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offside) rule and players can roam the field freely. Australian rules is a contact sport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_sport). Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_kick_%28Australian_rules_football%29) is paid. Players who hold on to the ball too long are penalised if they are tackled (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tackle_%28football_move%29) by an opposition player who is then rewarded, whilst players who catch a ball from a kick exceeding 15 metres (known as a mark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_%28Australian_football%29)) are awarded uncontested possession. The duration of play varies, but is longer than in any other code of football.
Frequent contests for possession including aerial marking or "speckies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specky)" and vigorous tackling with the hands, bumps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_%28football%29) and the fast movement of both players and the ball are the game's main attributes as a spectator sport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectator_sport).
The code originated in Melbourne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne), Australia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia) in 1858 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1858), and was devised to keep cricketers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket) fit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_fitness) during the winter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter) months. The first laws of Australian football (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_Australian_football) were published in 1859 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1859) by the Melbourne Football Club (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Football_Club). The dominant governing body and most prestigious professional (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_sport) competition is the Australian Football League (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Football_League) (AFL), which culminates in the annual AFL Grand Final (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Grand_Final), the highest attended club championship event in the world.
[edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_rules_football&action=edit§ion=2)] Rules of the game
<dl><dd> Main article: Laws of Australian football (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_Australian_football)
</dd></dl> http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Afl_stadium.PNG/200px-Afl_stadium.PNG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Afl_stadium.PNG) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Afl_stadium.PNG)
The playing field, which may be 135-185m long and 110-155m wide. The centre square is 50x50. The curved fifty metre line is 50m away from the goal line. Adjacent goal posts are 6.4 metres apart.
Both the ball and the field of play are oval (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsoid) in shape. No more than 18 players of each team are permitted to be on the field at any time. Up to four interchange (reserve) players may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. There is no offside rule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offside_rule) nor are there set positions in the rules; unlike many other forms of football, players from both teams disperse across the whole field before the start of play. However, only four players from each team are allowed within the 50m centre square before every centre bounce, which occurs at the commencement of each quarter, and to restart the game after a goal is scored. There are also other rules pertaining to allowed player positions during set plays (i.e., after a mark or free kick) and during kick-ins following the scoring of a behind.
A game consists of four quarters. The length of the quarters can vary from 15 to 25 minutes in different leagues. In the AFL, quarters are 20 minutes, but the clock is stopped when the ball is out of play, meaning that an average quarter could last for 27 to 31 minutes. Games are officiated by umpires (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umpire_%28Australian_rules_football%29). Unlike other forms of football, Australian football begins similarly to basketball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball). After the first siren (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren_%28noisemaker%29), the umpire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umpire_%28Australian_rules_football%29) bounces the ball on the ground (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball-up) (or throws it into the air if the condition of the ground is poor), and the two ruckmen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruckman_%28Australian_rules_football_position%29) (typically the tallest man from each team), battle for the ball in the air on its way back down.
The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot, clenched fist (called a handball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handball_%28Australian_rules_football%29) or handpass) or open-hand tap (unlike rugby football there is no knock-on rule) but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances. Throwing is defined in the rules quite broadly but is essentially any open hand disposal that causes the ball to move upward in the air.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Sherrin.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sherrin.png) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sherrin.png)
An Australian football (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28ball%29). The Sherrin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherrin) brand is used for all official AFL matches. A red ball like this is used for day matches and a yellow ball is used for night matches.
A player may run with the ball but it must be bounced or touched on the ground at least once every 15 metres. Opposition players may bump (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_%28football%29) or tackle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tackle_%28football_move%29) the player to obtain the ball and, when tackled, the player must dispose of the ball cleanly or risk being penalised for holding the ball. The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees. If the opposition player pushes a player in the back whilst performing a tackle, the opposition player will be penalised for a push in the back. If the opposition tackles the player with possession below the knees, it is ruled as a low tackle or a trip, and the team with possession of the football gets a free kick.
If a player takes possession of the ball that has traveled more than 15 metres from another player's kick, by way of a catch, it is claimed as a mark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_%28Australian_football%29) and that player may then have a free kick (meaning that the game stops while he prepares to kick from the point at which he marked). Alternatively, he may choose to "play on:" forfeiting the set shot in the hope of pressing an advantage for his team (rather than allowing the opposition to reposition while he prepares for the free kick). Once a player has chosen to play on, normal play resumes and the player who took the mark is again able to be tackled.
There are different styles of kicking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styles_of_kicking) depending on how the ball is held in the hand. The most common style of kicking seen in today's game, due principally to its superior accuracy, is the drop punt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_punt) (the ball is dropped from the hands down, almost to the ground, to be kicked so that the ball rotates in a reverse end over end motion as it travels through the air). Other commonly used kicks are the torpedo punt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_punt) (also known as the spiral or screw punt; the ball is held at an angle and kicked, which makes the ball spiral in the air, resulting in extra distance) and the checkside punt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkside_punt) or "snap", used to curve the ball towards targets that are on an angle. Forms of kicking which have now disappeared from the game include the drop kick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_kick) (similar to the drop punt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_punt) except that the ball is allowed to make contact with the ground momentarily before being struck with the foot) and place kick (where the ball is first placed on the ground when shooting for goal, similar to the place kick used in rugby union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union)).
Apart from free kicks or when the ball is in the possession of an umpire for a ball up or throw in, the ball is always in dispute and any player from either side can take possession of the ball.
[edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_rules_football&action=edit§ion=3)] Scoring
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/81/Scoring_in_aussie_rules.jpg/200px-Scoring_in_aussie_rules.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Scoring_in_aussie_rules.jpg)
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Australian rules football goal posts - the two tall central posts are the goal posts, and the two shorter outer posts are the behind posts.
At each end of the field are four vertical posts. The middle two are the goal posts and the two on either side, which are shorter, are the behind posts, or point posts.
A goal is scored when the football is propelled through the goal posts at any height (including above the height of the posts) by way of a kick from the attacking team. It may fly through on the full or bounce through and must not be touched, on the way, by any player from either team. A goal cannot be scored from the foot of an opposition (defending) player.
A behind is scored when the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post at any height, or if the ball hits a goal post, or if an attacking player sends the ball between the goal posts by touching it with any part of the body other than a foot. A behind is also awarded to the attacking team if the ball touches any part of an opposition player, including their foot, before passing between the goal posts. When an opposition player deliberately scores a behind for the attacking team (generally as a last resort, due to the risk of them scoring a goal) this is termed a rushed behind.
If the ball hits one of the behind posts, the ball is considered out of bounds and no score is awarded.
A goal is worth 6 points whereas a behind is worth 1 point. The Goal Umpire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_Umpire) signals a goal with two hands raised at elbow height, a behind with one hand, and then confirms the signal with the other goal umpire by waving flags above his head.
The team that has scored the most points at the end of play wins the game. If the scores are level on points at the end of play, then the game is a draw.
As an example, consider a match between St. Kilda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Kilda_Football_Club) and the Sydney Swans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Swans). St. Kilda's score of 15 goals and 11 behinds equates to 101 points. Sydney's score of eight goals and ten behinds equates to a 58 point tally. St. Kilda wins the match by a margin of 43 points. Such a result would be written as:
<dl><dd>St. Kilda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Kilda_Football_Club) 15.11 (101) defeated Sydney Swans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Swans) 8.10 (58);</dd></dl> and said,
<dl><dd>"St. Kilda fifteen eleven one hundred and one defeated Sydney Swans eight ten fifty-eight."</dd></dl>