Australian rules football
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| Highest governing body | AFL Commission |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Football, footy, Aussie rules |
| First played | May 1859 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Registered players | 1,404,176 (2016) |
| Clubs | 25,770 (2016) |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Full contact |
| Team members | 22 (18 onfield) |
| Mixed gender | Single (at senior level) |
| Type | Outdoor |
| Equipment | Football |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | Demonstration sport, 1956 Melbourne Olympics |
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, but also called Aussie rules, football or footy (and in some regions marketed as AFL after the Australian Football League), is a contact sport played between two teams of eighteen players on an oval-shaped field, often a modified cricket ground. The main way to score points is by kicking the oval-shaped ball between the two tall goal posts. The team with the highest score by the end of the match wins unless a draw is declared.
During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move the ball. The primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled: for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground. Throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick (with specific conditions) are awarded possession. Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as pushing an opponent in the back), interference when marking and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties or suspension for a certain number of matches, depending on the seriousness of the infringement. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring.
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