Australian Rules Football: How They Do It Down Under
While most Americans might not pay attention to any sports other than the big three – football, basketball and baseball – there are hundreds of games that are immensely popular in other parts of the world. At the Healthy Life Network, we have created this series of articles to highlight some of the lesser-known sports played in other corners of the earth.
Australian Rules football – also known as Aussie rules or footy – is one of the quirkiest sports played today. Only played in Australia, the game is truly original, bearing few similarities between either soccer, which the rest of the world calls football, or American football.
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History
The first Australian rules football matches were played as early as 1841. The first official rules were established in 1858 as two Australian cricket players were looking for a way to stay conditioned during the winter. Over time, the game increased in popularity among Australia and its surrounding British colonies.
By 1978, a league was beginning to be assembled, and in 1980, the Australian Football League was established, rules were revised and the modern style of play was established.
Equipment
Australian Rules football is played with a large, elliptical ball similar to a rugby ball.
The game is played on an oval-shaped field. While there is no set size, most fields are roughly 150 meters long. The field is marked with several lines dictating where players are allowed to kick the ball
Goals on an Aussie Rules field consist of two sets of padded posts erected at the farthest ends of the oval. The inner set of posts serve as the goal posts and must be at least 6 meters tall, and are places 6.4 meters apart on the boundary line. Two smaller posts are slightly behind the first set of posts, 6.4 meters from either side of the goal posts on the boundary line, and at least 3 meters tall.
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Rules
Aussie Rules is played between two teams of 18 players in four 20-minutes quarters.
The rules state that the ball can be moved in any direction by any means but throwing. The ball can be kicked, hit with a clenched fist called a handball, or open-hand tap.
Players may run with the ball for up to 15 meters before they have to bounce or touch the ball to the ground. Other players try to tackle the player in possession of the ball, and players are required to release the ball as soon as they touch the ground.
Points are scored by kicking the ball between the goal posts at either end of the field. Getting the ball between the two main posts is worth 6 points, and getting the ball between the smaller posts is worth a single point.
Games are won by having more points than your opponent at the time of the game’s completion.
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