AFLS - Social Aussie Rules Football Game Rules.

Most of game rules follow those of the real elite Aussie Rules Football matches in Australia and the USA with a few variations primarily for the safety of all players. The rules are designed to ensure everyone has fun at all times, and it is a safe game for all players to play regardless of age, skill or athletic ability.

The Field & Set up

The field is divided into three thirds with small flat cones with the boundary lines marked with cones every 10 yards minimum. At the restarting of play each team must have at least two players in each third.

Goals are 4 posts at each end of the field set 5 yards (15 ft) apart, it is preferable two taller posts are used for the center two posts.

A team can only score from inside their offensive third. The game can be played 6 on 6, up to 11 on 11 players, however field sizes should increase as the teams sizes increase. A field 60-80 yards in length and 50 yards across is suitable for games up to 8 on 8.

Rules for Safety

There is strictly no contact between players permitted so all players will be as valuable to the team as each other and will be free to move about the field as they like after the start of play.

When the ball is kicked high in the air and there is imminent danger that any two players will collide, the umpire shall call ‘safety’ and award a free kick to the team that did not kick the ball.

Players can spoil a player attempting to ‘mark’ by tapping the ball away but must not contact the other players hands or arms when doing so or a free kick will be awarded against them for 'contact' .

To ensure total safety there is to be no contact, bumping, blocking or wrestling when the ball is up for grabs, eg on the ground, or in the air to be caught, players also cannot:

• Hold an opponent at any time
• Tap the ball out of an opponent’s hands
• Push a player in the side, back or front
• Take the ball from another player who has possession
• Deliberately bump another player
• Block an opponent’s progress who doesnt have the ball, as in basketball screening

General Playing Rules

You can only kick the ball or handball. Handball is like an underhanded volleyball serve, however it must be with a clenched fist. Players will have 3 seconds (counted silently by the umpire) to move to ball on with a kick or handball. Players can only run with the ball 15 yards in that time before they must deliver the ball to another player or down the field, or shoot to score.

When the ball is kicked 10 yards through the air it can be caught, (called a mark) and the player can choose to 'play on' immediately or stop and take an unimpeded kick. The player has 20 seconds to take this unimpeded kick. The umpire shall blow the whistle for all marks regardless of if the player stops to take a kick or not, but will call 'play on' if deemed to be doing just that. An opposition player is permitted to stand on the spot where the mark was taken to try and block the kick, can move sideways on 'the mark' but not forwards, till the ball is kicked or the player has been deemed as ‘playing on’ by the umpire by moving 2 yards to their left or right.

AFLS - Social Aussie Rules Football Game Rules.

Players shall not at anytime kick the ball deliberately along the ground for safety reasons. If kicked along the ground the umpire shall blow the whistle and give a free kick to the opposition from the place of the foul.

When the ball goes out of play the team which did not touch it last is awarded a free kick to bring the ball back into play. Players can not score from a kick in from an out of bounds ruling. If players do kick it through the scoring goals, the opposition team shall get a free kick from the goal line and no score will be counted. If the umpire cannot determine who last touched the ball he/she shall designate two players of his/her choice to contest a 'jump ball' nearby to where it went out of play.

After a point is scored the opposition shall bring the ball back into play from the goal line. The opposing player may not be closer than 10 yards back from the goal line.

The Ball & Scoring

The ball used is a Sherin rubber synthetic ball Size 4, softer and slightly smaller than a regular leather football the Aussie teams use, so easier to catch, softer on the foot for kicking and hands for hand-balling to a teammate. Size 4 is used for Co-ed men’s & women’s games, Size 3 for kids games 12-14 years and Size 2 for games where ages are 10-12 years.

Scoring is like in a regular game, through 4 posts at each end of the field set 5 yards (15 ft) apart. Teams get 6 points for kicking it through the two taller middle posts and one point for missing to either side, called a behind. If the ball hits a main goal post it shall be scored as 1 point, if the ball hits an outer point post, it shall be deemed out of play and the opposition shall bring the ball back into to play with no score recorded.

For adult co-ed games women players score 9 points for kicking a goal. So one team might have 2-2-6 Which is, 2 super women’s goals x 9 (18), 2 regular goals x 6 (12) and 6 behinds = 36

Otherwise regular scores for all male or all female games or kids games could look like this, 4 goals 3 behinds = 27 points. Or 4.3.27

Game Time

The game time can be flexible depending on the limitations, but generally it is recommended to be played over 4 x 10 or 4 x 12 minute quarters, with 3-5 minutes of breaks for drinks etc. Teams switch ends after each quarter.

At each quarter start and after each goal the umpire will have two players compete for a no contact jump ball in the center of the field. At this time the rules for 2 players from each team, in each third, shall be applied till the umpire tosses the ball in the air to recommence play

Teams can up to three reserve players who can sub onto the field at any time during the game, when another player comes off. Players can rotate like this even when game is being played and do not have to wait for a stoppage to occur to rotate “off the bench”.

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