A Different Breed of Sport

Just five days to go! I can't believe how quickly time is passing; I remember starting my countdown at eighty days in my planner and now it's only five left. Where have the weeks gone?

This post is going to be devoted to something that really riles up the Melburnian spirit and is little found outside of Melbourne (or at least isn't nearly as popular as it is in Melbourne): Australian Rules Football. Also known as "footy", it is quite different from American football, regular football (soccer), and rugby. I'm going to try to explain the game as well as I understand it, which isn't too well at this point, but once I get to Australia I hope to attend a game myself and barrack* for the local team!

The Rules of Australian Rules
The object of the game is to score goals by kicking the ball between the middle two goal posts of the opposing team. The team with the most goals at the end wins.

In footy, both the ball played with and the field are oval in shape. Each team is not allowed to have more than eighteen players on the field at a time, though the teams may have more players total which they can sub in no more than four at a time (these are known as interchange or reserve players).

There are no offside rules to the game of footy. The game can be played all over the field; there is no out-of-bounds area. Footy is a contact sport, so the players can tackle and bump each other to try and obstruct their opponents.

This part is confusing: from Wikipedia:
"...only four players from each team are allowed within the 50 m 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."

The game has four quarters, like in American football, and is officiated by umpires. Quarters are twenty minutes long each in professional Australian Rules (not including time added for time-outs, etc.). I imagine games are shorter in minor leagues and university games because eighty minutes (minimum) is a long time... for me, anyway. But Melburnians really get into their footy, so I'm sure every added minute is a pleasure.

Footy begins when the siren sounds and the umpire bounces the ball on the ground (tosses it if the ground is muddy or something) and the ruckman on each team (typically the tallest players) battle for the ball on its way back down from the air. The ball can be propelled or passed by foot, fist, or open hand tap, but cannot be thrown as in American football. A player can run while holding the ball so long as the ball touches the ground at least once every fifteen meters or so.

If a player is bumped or tackled by an opponent to obtain the ball then the ball must be handed over cleanly or the one tackled/bumped is penalised. The player carrying the ball may only be tackled between the shoulders or knees. If the opposing player wrongly tackles or bumps the ball carrier then the opposing team is penalised; that includes a tackle below the knees, which is called a low tackle or a trip, and the team with possession of the ball gets a free kick.

A free kick is a chance for the team in possession of the ball to kick it as far as they can towards the goal from where the player currently with the ball stands.

This part is also a little confusing: from Wikipedia:
"If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 meters from another player's kick, by way of a catch, it is claimed as a mark and that player may then have a free kick (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."

Aside from a free kick and when the umpire has the ball, the ball is always in dispute between the two teams and a player from either team can take possession of it at any time.

Like I said, a goal is scored when the ball goes through the goal posts of the opposing teams at any height (even if the ball soars above the posts) by way of a kick. The ball can just fly through or can bounce through, but cannot be touched on its way by the team that owns the goal posts or it does not count. A goal also cannot be scored by a player on his own team's goal posts-- remember the death stare in gym class when you scored on your own team? No worries about that in footy!

A "behind" is scored when the ball passes between a goal post and one of the posts behind the two central ones (also at any height), or if an attacking player sends the ball between the goal posts with any part of the body other than a foot (not a free kick). If the ball hits one of the behind posts and doesn't go through, it doesn't count.

Scoring: a regular goal is worth six points; a behind is worth one. The umpire signals a behind by raising one arm straight up from the elbow; he signals a goal with both arms. If at the end of the fourth quarter the score is tied, it is a draw, unless it is the finals of a major competition where the teams go overtime.

Official website: Australian Football League

*to "barrack for" is to cheer for a team-- you would never want to say "root" in this way; in Australia, "root" is used in the same way as "f**k." What a major faux pas that would be!