Australian Rules Football
Australia's homegrown 18-a-side contact sport played on a huge oval with a red leather ball — a fast, high-scoring blend of kicking, marking and long running.
What is Australian Rules Football?
Australian Rules football was codified in Melbourne in 1859, making it one of the oldest football codes on Earth. Eighteen players a side play on a huge grass oval (usually a cricket ground) using a distinctive red leather ball, roughly twice the length it is wide. Any part of the body may touch the ball; running with it requires a bounce every 15 metres. Scoring is done by kicking through vertical goal posts. Governed by the AFL (Australian Football League), the sport dominates southern Australia and has an emerging women's competition (AFLW) since 2017.
Quick facts
Category
Ball Sports
Type
Team sport
Players
18 per team
Duration
~100 min
Where played
outdoor
Field / court
oval
Country of origin
🇦🇺 Australia
Estimated origin
1858–1859 (codified)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Score more points than the opposition by kicking the ball through the tall centre posts.
Match structure
Play is continuous. Players kick, handball (punching the ball off a fist) or run with the ball (must bounce it every 15 m). A 'mark' is a clean catch from a kick of 15+ m — the marker earns an unimpeded kick.
Rules
Basic rules
Handball & kicks
You may kick the ball anywhere, or 'handball' it by punching it off your fist. Throwing is illegal.
The mark
Catch a ball cleanly from a kick of 15+ metres → you take an unhindered kick. Marks are the most spectacular skill in the sport.
Running
You can run with the ball but must bounce it every 15 metres.
Tackling
You may tackle between the shoulders and the knees. Above-the-shoulder or below-the-knee contact = free kick + report.
Scoring
Between the two tall centre posts = goal (6 pts). Between a centre post and a behind post, or off a defender = behind (1 pt).
Advanced rules
Deliberate rushed behind
A defender deliberately putting the ball across their own goal line for a behind concedes a free kick from the goal square.
50-metre penalty
Serious infractions after the mark (dissent, holding, delay) advance the mark 50 metres.
Interchange cap
Each team is limited to ~90 interchanges per match to prevent unlimited fresh-legs rotations.
Scoring
Goal = 6 points; behind = 1 point. Scoreline is written 'goals.behinds (total)' — e.g. 15.10 (100).
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Goal (between the two centre posts) | 6 pts |
| Behind (between a centre and behind post) | 1 pt |
Win condition · Highest total after 4 quarters wins.
An AFL oval
The largest playing surface in team sport — usually a cricket ground during winter. Four vertical posts at each end: the tall centre two frame the 6-point goal; the shorter outer two mark the 1-point behinds.
Playing area
Called
oval
Dimensions
135–185 m long × 110–155 m wide — the largest playing surface of any team sport.
An oval grass field, usually a cricket ground during winter. Four vertical goal posts at each end — the tall centre two are the goal posts, the shorter outer two are the behind posts.
Equipment
Sherrin ball
Prolate spheroid red leather ball, 720–735 mm circumference at the long axis.
Four goal posts per end
Two tall centre posts (~11 m) and two behind posts (~6.4 m).
Guernsey, shorts, boots
Sleeveless jersey ('guernsey'), studded boots — no helmets or padding at senior level.
Positions & roles
Full-forward
×1The primary goal-scorer, deep in the attacking 50.
Ruckman
×1The tallest player — contests centre bounces and stoppages.
Midfielders
×88 rotating around the ground; the sport's engine room.
Full-back
×1Anchors the defensive 50 against the opposition full-forward.
Interchange
×44-strong bench that rotates on and off through the game.
Officiating
Multiple umpires enforce rules across the enormous oval. The goal umpire, in a white coat, signals scores with two flags overhead.
- 3 field umpires
- 2 boundary umpires
- 2 goal umpires
- 1 emergency
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Free kick
For high tackles, holding, in-the-back, deliberate out-of-bounds, chopping the arms.
Yellow / red cards
Introduced in the AFLW; yellow = 15-minute sin bin, red = send-off.
Terminology
- Mark
- A clean catch from a kick travelling 15+ metres.
- Goal
- A kick through the tall centre posts — 6 points.
- Behind
- A kick between a centre post and behind post, or off a defender — 1 point.
- Sherrin
- The Australian rules football — a prolate spheroid, made by the Sherrin brand since 1880.
- Speccy
- A 'spectacular' mark taken by leaping off another player's back.
- Handpass
- Punching the ball off the open palm with a closed fist.
Major competitions
AFL Grand Final
annual · Australia · since 1897
AFLW Grand Final
annual · Australia · since 2017
AFL International Cup
triennial · worldwide · since 2002
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Australian Football LeagueAFL
Founded 1897 · Melbourne, Australia
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Ted Whitten
- Ron Barassi
- Leigh Matthews
- Chris Judd
- Gary Ablett Jr
- Erin Phillips
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1What is Aussie rules?
An 18-a-side football code on a huge oval, using a red leather ball and vertical goal posts.
- 2How scoring works
6 points for a goal (between the tall posts), 1 for a behind.
- 3Kicking, handballing & marking
You can kick, punch (handball) or run with the ball (bouncing every 15 m).
- 4The mark
Catch a kick clean from 15+ metres → unimpeded kick.
Frequently asked
How is AFL different from rugby?+
AFL uses no scrums, no rucks, no offside — and you score by kicking through vertical goal posts, not by touching the ball down.
What is a 'speccy'?+
A spectacular mark — usually taken by launching off another player's back and catching the ball metres above the pack.
How long is an AFL game?+
4 × 20-minute quarters plus time-on for stoppages — roughly 2 hours of real time.