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Australian Rules FootballIf you’re like me not ‘native’ to Melbourne, Australian Rules football can look confusing and all over the place. I tried to work out the rules by just watching it, but could not quite get it. I did not understand what really caused the umpire to break up a pile of bodies. So, here it is all explained. What is Australian Rules FootballAustralian Rules football is also known as Aussie rules or "footy".It is a uniquely Australian contact sport, in fact the first form of football ever to be codified in 1858. Its original purpose was to keep Cricketers fit during winter. The Australian football league (AFL) is it’s the central Australian footy competition played throughout winter.
The objective of the game is to score points by kicking the ball between any of the four posts at the opponent’s end. A kick between the two middle posts scores 6 points. A kick between a side post and middle post scores 1 point; this is called a behind. The game is played over 4 quarters of 20 minutes. The team with the highest score wins. Each team has 22 players, 18 of which are on the field at a time. Players can move anywhere on the ground, although they have designated positions. These are Full Forwards, Half Forwards, Centre Line, Half Back and Full Back. Footy RulesThe ball can be advanced either through kicking, hand passing, or by running with the ball. Hand passing involves hitting the ball with the fist – throwing is not allowed. When running, a player must bounce the ball every 15 metres – not an easy task with the odd shaped ball.The fun of Australian Rules football comes from being a contact sport. A player can bump any opponent who is within 5 metres of the ball, which adds to the excitement. A bump is contact made from the side by hip or shoulder. It is used to prevent the other player from gaining possession of the ball. Furthermore, the ball can be snatched of an opponent any time. This is called a tackle. It often involves wrestling the other player to the ground – this gets spectacular in wet muddy conditions. If a player is tackled he has to pass on the ball immediately. An aerial mark is called a spectacular mark or specky. While going for a mark, a player jumps up on the back of another player, resulting in spectacular catches in mid air – and falls. Return from Australian Rules Football to Melbourne Sport
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It is a fast moving game with fit muscled players. It is played with an oval ball on a large oval field. Because of the ball’s shape, you never know which way it will bounce, making the game more random.