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NO!!!  This is NOT Rugby - This is Footy!!!

I will forgive those who have never heard of Australian Football, however, there are few things that infuriate me more than suggesting the sport of Footy is nothing more than Rugby!  Australian Football is a great, unique football sport that possesses similarities to Soccer, Rugby, and American Football.  When you throw in its unique Aussie flavor and style, the sport of Footy stands out as one of a kind!  

I suppose I could sit and jot down every rule of the sport, but I am not going to do that.  There are many great websites that do just that and some of those can be found throughout this website.  I thought about it and decided to something a little different.  I drew up a research paper in my Freshman year of college (1987) at Saint Rose in Albany, New York that introduced Australian Rules Football to an American newcomer to the sport.  In the paper, I used relations to other sports my audience already understood to introduce footy to them.  The paper received an "A" and those that read it agreed they could understand the concept of footy through its relations to other sports.  Here, then, is the paper that introduces the sport of footy.

Research Paper
Christian M. Kartanowicz
07 December 1987
"Australian Football - A Sport You Can Relate To"

Australian Rules Football, as viewed by a newcomer to the sport, is nothing more than disorganized madness.  The average American Football fan, who, in most cases, will compare both styles of football, will conclude that Australian Football is more difficult to understand.  What they can only see are 36 madmen in sleeveless jumpers wearing no pads in what they figure to be nothing more than a war.  This is most common among those people who have no background information on the game.  However, despite the absurdity of the appearance of Australian Football, the sport is relatively easy to follow.  The primary reason behind the ignorance of these people is nothing but an unfamiliarity towards the sport.  Through the basic rules and strategies, plus its relation to other more common sports, I will prove that Australian Football is a sport that can not only be easily understood, but related to as well.

Australian Rules Football, or "Footy," as it is known by Australians, is no different than any other sport in that there are very technical, tough-to-comprehend rules that make a menace of the game.  Fortunately, these rules are at a bare minimum.  It might be said that there is just one set of rules.  In fact, it is just one rule - PLAY ON (Marsano 49).  Now that means exactly what it says.  The philosophy behind this is to play the game and not to hold it up - which is common in sports like American Football.  There are no timeouts, intentional delaying, or huddles.  The game is played through four non-stop quarters with short breaks after the first and third quarters and a longer break at halftime.  If any player attempts to delay the game, his team is penalized fifteen meters and loses possession of the ball.  What is more is that any time that is wasted is added on after the twenty-five minute quarter.

In short, if nothing else, the basic rules at first make the game seem like mayhem.  However, as one gets acquainted with them, the person can see that they are not as difficult as they seem.  It is the appearance that leads people to feel they are tough.  For example, most new viewers would probably have the strangest look on their faces when they see a referee bounce the ball to the ground and see two big guys attempt to knock the ball to a teammate.  As these people learn the rules, they will realize that when a stalemate occurs, a goal has been scored, or to start play, the referee performs a "ball-up" which is like a contest for possession of the ball.

In Australian Football, to get a sense of familiarity with the game, one needs to know four main points:

• Method of Moving the Ball

• The Mark

• The Tackle

• Method of Scoring

For the most part, this is Australian Football.

In footy, one can move the ball in three different ways.  The kick, usually in the form of the punt, is the most used method of advancing the ball.  The handball, or handpass, is the second method of advancement.  This is done by hitting the ball with a clenched fist.  Used primarily for short, quick passing, handball tends to make the game go at a fast pace.  Finally, there is the run.  One can run with the ball as far as he wants - providing the ball carrier bounces or touches the ball to the ground every fifteen meters.

If a kick goes more than ten meters, whoever catches it takes a mark, which is a big key to understanding this game.  The player who takes the mark is allowed to go behind his mark, or spot where he caught the ball, and make an effective disposal or shot at goal without the worry of being tackled.  If he runs over his mark, then it no longer exists and he is subject to being tackled.  The mark is one of the most exciting aspects of the game.  The thrill of having a player jump onto an opponent's back (or teammate's for that matter) and thrusting himself almost six feet in the air is, by far, the most attractive part of Australian Football.

If a player goes over his mark, as I have already mentioned, he is subject to being tackled.  The tackle is an important, albeit physical, aspect of the game.  It is the main form of body contact as well as the main cause of rule infractions.  A player can only be tackled if he has possession of the ball.  The player with the ball can be tackled only between the area of the chest and the knees.  If he tackled above the chest or below the knees, he is awarded a free kick.  If correctly tackled, he must get rid of the ball or will have possession taken away from him and given to the tackler.

When a team moves the ball downfield, their objective is to kick the ball towards goal - which is four upright posts at either end of the field.  The goal consists of two inner, taller goal posts flanked by two smaller, behind posts. The player's task is to kick the ball between the two goal posts without it being touched by another player or hitting a goal post.  If done so, the team is awarded a goal - which is worth six points.  From there, the ball is brought back to the center of the field and play is resumed through a "ball-up."  If the ball is touched by another player, hits a goal post or passes between a goal post and a behind post, a behind is scored - worth one point.  From there, a defender from the team scored against kicks the ball back into play within the goal square located by each goal.

Although there are technical aspects of footy, it is through these four important aspects of play that one can fully understand how Australian Football is played and know what the 18 players from each team are doing on the strange, oval pitch kicking and punching a watermelon-shaped football.  What helps the newcomer understand the philosophy of the game is its relation to other sports.  Through this, one can see that the game really is organized despite its war-like background.  As put by Mike Fitzpatrick, a former player of the Carlton Blues team, "In a way it's not as chaotic as people might think.  It's a bit like playing basketball in a one-on-one situation where one man is responsible for another for the whole game (Fitzpatrick & Ley).  This is quite true as, wherever one player goes, so too does his opponent.  Rarely, if ever, do they split apart.  Footy does have that relation to basketball, but it also has a relation to soccer with regards to the positional play in relation to the field.  Each player is given a position whereby he is expected to work that section of the field - although he is not restricted and can move around the field.  These relations, plus a special Aussie touch, make footy a real, unique and exciting game.

To sum it all up, the sport of Australian Football is not a disorganized group of men in war but, instead, a real exciting and unique football game that people can relate to.  Through these relations can newcomers to the game begin to understand and finally realize that Australian Football, despite the technical aspects that come with every sport, is not all that hard to follow.

Marsano, William.  Hey Mates, This Game Makes U.S. Football Seem Prissy.  TV Guide 03 November 1984: 48-51.

Fitzpatrick, Mike, and Bob Ley.  Australian Football 1985 Grand Final.  ESPN 28 September 1985.

Publications Division of International Public Relations for the Victorian Football League.  Australian Football   ed. McLagan, John.  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Progress Press Group, 1984.

National Football League of Australia.  Laws of Australian Football.  Jolimont, Victoria, Australia: Victorian Football League, 1984.


"Very well done.  Clear and helpful - with style as well.  Good Job! - A"
Dr. Debra Young, Professor of English, the College of Saint Rose, Albany, New York - 1987

A Final Postlude to this Footy Research Paper

Keep in mind that this was written back in 1987 - before the AFL and all the rule changes such as the 50 meter penalty.   I did not intend this research paper to be a full breakdown of the sport of footy - only an introduction to those newcomers to the sport.  Whether you are new to the sport, or a veteran barracker, I hope you found my research paper informative and entertaining.  One thing I didn't mention was that there was just no substitute to sitting down and watching the sport.  That's how I learned the basic rules and I still feel a newcomer can do just that today.  I welcome your feedback and sincerely thank you for taking the time to read "Australian Football - A Sport You Can Relate To."