The Rules
- The match begins with The Opening Bounce, where only four players from each team are allowed near the ball. If more than four players from one team are found by the umpire to be too close than the opposing team gets a free kick.
- The bounce is also used when every quarter starts, after every goal is scored and should the ball get trapped or misplaced
- There are only three ways of advancing the ball up and down the field: Kicking, Handballing and Running.
- Getting a goal: Shooting the ball through the opposite teams’ big posts (the ones in the center), gets you six points
- Getting a behind: Shooting the ball through the opposite teams’ smaller posts (one on either side of the big posts), gets you one point.
- Players that take control of the ball by catching it on the full are Taking a Mark (also known as a ‘screamer’, ‘specky’, ‘hanger’ or simply a ‘grab’). This can require players to jump through the air, hop on another player’s back or climb an opponents chest and is truly a highlight of the game
- Players may tackle by means of wrapping their arms around an opponents chest (like a hug, but painful) or by pinning the opponent to the ground, provided they do this without touching anything above the shoulder or below the knee. There is also the ‘gang tackle’, which involves a group of players ganging up on an individual and is about as comfortable as it sounds.
- Players mustn’t hold the ball for too long. If they do, the umpire (and likely will yell “BALL!” and will have to give it over to the other team
- Players can get a Free Kick awarded against them by:
- Tackling a player above the shoulder or below the knee
- Shoving an opponent in the back
- Tackling an opponent who doesn’t have the ball
- Tripping an opponent
- Punches an opponent
- Being unnecessarily rough
- Hitting the posts head-on
- Kicking the ball out of bounds
- Throwing the ball instead of handballing
- Dropping the ball while being tackled
- Using threatening or obscene language on an umpire
- Shaking the goal post
Fast Fact
Unlike almost any other sport, with the exception of Cricket, the size of the field can vary. For example, the oval at the Sydney ...
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loving this website, its terrific. can you please explain the holding the ball rule. how long are they allowed to hold it for? or do they have to dispose of it immediately? also, sometimes when they run, they bounce the ball. how far are they allowed to run before they have to bounce it?
@ clueless...Technically, you aren't allowed to hold it at all but if you can dispose of it during the tackle before the unpire blows the whistle you get away with it. A free kick is also avoided if the ball carrier has no opportunity to dispose of the ball before they are taken down... this is pretty fluid and usually a matterof heated argument in the crowd.
The bounce is 15m, if desired the player can just touch it to the ground rather than bounce butthis was used more often in adverse conditions where the ball would be more likely to hit the mud and skid off in an unknown direction.
Also...
◦Punches an opponent, almost a garaunteed suspension rather than a free kick.
◦Hitting the posts head-on???????
◦Kicking the ball out of bounds (on the full), if the ball bounces beforeit goes out of play and was not deliberate it is usually a ball up.
◦Using threatening or obscene language on an umpire - No freekick, usually you will get suspended for this...