Beginner’s guide to AFL

By Will Dempsey

On Friday night the Sydney Swans will take on the AFL’s largest supported club the Collingwood Magpies for a place in the Grand Final.

Regardless of your sporting preference, it’s going to be hard not to tune in to Sydney’s biggest game of the season.

Now Sydney fans have copped it fair share of criticism regarding their AFL knowledge over the past years.

In the light of this, we have decided to offer new red and white supporters a crash course on the game of AFL.

So if you’re out at the game at ANZ stadium on Friday night or at home watching it on 7Mate, have a quick look at this to brush up on your AFL knowledge.

Teams
–          There are 22 players a side.
–          18 players on the field
–          3 players on interchange with 1 substitute.

Game time
–          Game goes for 4 quarters.
–          20 minutes a quarter, with the clock stopping when the ball is out of play.  

Scoring
–          6 points for a GOAL and 1 point for a BEHIND
–          Goal; kicked through the middle posts
–          Behind; kicked through the side posts, hits the middle posts or rushed through the posts

Umpires: there are 4 on field umpires, 2 boundary umpires and 2 goal umpires 

10 MUST KNOW RULES

1.     When a player catches a kick greater than 15 metres it’s called a ‘mark’ and results in a free kick.

2.     Player can only pass the ball with their hands using a handball – punching the ball from one hand with the alternate fist.

3.     Tackling must be lower than the shoulders and higher than the waist.

4.     If a player is tackled with the football and has had chance for prior disposal that’s ‘holding the ball’ and it’s a free kick to the other team.

5.     If the ball goes out of bounds it’s a throw in.

6.     If the ball is kicked out of bounds on the full it’s a free kick to the other team.

7.     When a goal is scored the ball is returned to middle for the centre bounce and the two ruckman tap for it.

8.     When a player is running with the ball they have to bounce every 15 metres.

9.     A player can shepherd another player using their body if they’re within 5 metres of the ball.

10.  Free kick is awarded against a player if they: throw, trip, push in the back, hold the man, run too far, hold the ball, high tackle, kick in danger or kick out on the full.

Now whether you have watched hundreds of AFL games or just a handful, there are always new terminologies that you will hear from the commentators.

Contested possession: a possession achieved as result of winning a contest

Clearance: clearing of the ball out of a stoppage situation.

Disposal: a statistical term indicating that a player disposed the ball legally by hand or foot.

Fat side: an imaginary area of the ground that indicates the greatest space occupied by the least number of players.

Hit-out: a tap by the ruckman to a team’s advantage.

Inside-50: the act of running, marking or passing the ball inside the 50-metre arc.

Touched: a term to indicate that a ball was touched by another player after been kicked and therefore can’t be marked.

Smother: the act of stopping of a kick immediately after it leaves the boot.

Speccy: short for an amazing mark.

That’s as precise as it gets in explaining the game of AFL and might save you a few questions whilst watching the game.

Tickets are still on sale for this Friday night at ANZ Stadium in which history can be witnessed in seeing the Sydney Swans march into the Grandfinal.

For tickets visit: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=PRELI12