What is AFL?

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It's got running. It's got kicking.

It's got bone on bone hits without pads.

No, it's not rugby. It's Australian football, although you might hear it called Aussie Rules or even Footy. This is Australia's biggest sport and is now played professionally by 18 teams in the AFL.

It has the 4th highest average attendance of any domestic sports league in the world. These are some serious fans. What do you say we talk basics? Aussie Rules is played on a football field, probably bigger than any you have ever seen,

with an egg-shaped ball that takes some crazy bounces. Each team consists of 18 players on the field and 4 on the bench. Tremendous athletes, these players are basketball-sized, with the hands and foot speed of an NFL wide receiver and stamina greater than a soccer player.

The game starts with a center bounce, a bit like a basketball jump ball. The basic object of the game, like American football, is to move the ball down the field and score.

You can move the ball three ways: Running, but you have to bounce it every 16 yards.

Using your fist to hit it forward. This is called a handball, another skill unique to Aussie Rules.

And of course, the most common way is kicking it.

Like a quarterback using feet instead of hands, these guys can hit a teammate on the run at 50 yards.

If the kick is a little high, a player may have to jump and make a spectacular catch. This is called a mark.

And believe it or not, you can use the opponent as a springboard for jumping. If you take a mark, you can keep going, or you can stop on the spot and take an unimpeded kick.

Once in scoring position, the idea is to kick the ball between the two large upright posts. That's a goal and worth six points.

If you hit the post, or send it between the big post and the outer lower post, it's worth one point and it's called a behind.

A final score line might be something like this.

By the way, there's no offside rule. Don't get us wrong, there are positions. Defenders defend, forwards go forward, and midfielders, yep, play in midfield.

Players come in all shapes and sizes. The Fremantle Dockers have 5 foot 8 Hayden Ballantyne, 6 foot 3 Nate Fyfe, and 7-footer Aaron Sandilands.

You can tackle hard, but not too high or low. It has to be between the shoulders and the knees.

There are four quarters of 20 minutes, but like soccer, time is added on for stoppages of play.

The extra time can be as much as 10 additional minutes. AFL teams play 22 regular season games. The top 8 teams make the playoffs, or as they're called in Australia, the finals.

Eventually, two teams meet in the championship game, or the Grand Final. It's Australia's Superbowl, and is played every year in the magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of 90,000 plus.

It's a big deal.

Any questions? Check us out at AFL.com.au. And on twitter, @AFL.

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It’s got running.
It’s got kicking.
It’s got bone on bone hits without pads.
No, it’s not rugby.
It’s Australian football, although you might hear it called Aussie Rules or even Footy.

This is Australia’s biggest sport and is now played professionally by 18 teams in the AFL.
It has the 4th highest average attendance of any domestic sports league in the world.
These are some serious fans.

What do you say we talk basics?
Aussie Rules is played on a football field, probably bigger than any you have ever seen, with an egg-shaped ball that takes some crazy bounces.
Each team consists of 18 players on the field and 4 on the bench.
Tremendous athletes, these players are basketball-sized, with the hands and foot speed of an NFL wide receiver and stamina greater than a soccer player.
The game starts with a center bounce, a bit like a basketball jump ball.
The basic object of the game, like American football, is to move the ball down the field and score.

You can move the ball three ways:
Running, but you have to bounce it every 16 yards (15 meters).
Using your fist to hit it forward. This is called a handball, another skill unique to Aussie Rules.
And of course, the most common way is kicking it.

Like a quarterback using feet instead of hands, these guys can hit a teammate on the run at 50 yards.
If the kick is a little high, a player may have to jump and make a spectacular catch.
This is called a mark.
And believe it or not, you can use the opponent as a springboard for jumping.
If you take a mark, you can keep going, or you can stop on the spot and take an unimpeded kick.

Once in scoring position, the idea is to kick the ball between the two large upright posts. That’s a goal and worth six points.
If you hit the post, or send it between the big post and the outer lower post, it’s worth one point and it’s called a behind.
A final score line might be something like this.
By the way, there’s no offside rule. Don’t get us wrong, there are positions. Defenders defend, forwards go forward, and midfielders, yep, play in midfield.

Players come in all shapes and sizes.
The Fremantle Dockers have 5 foot 8 Hayden Ballantyne, 6 foot 3 Nate Fyfe, and 7-footer Aaron Sandilands.
(172cm, 190cm, 213cm)

You can tackle hard, but not too high or low. It has to be between the shoulders and the knees.
There are four quarters of 20 minutes, but like soccer, time is added on for stoppages of play. The extra time can be as much as 10 additional minutes. AFL teams play 22 regular season games.
The top 8 teams make the playoffs, or as they’re called in Australia, the finals.

Eventually, two teams meet in the championship game, or the Grand Final.
It’s Australia’s Superbowl, and is played every year in the magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of 90,000 plus. It’s a big deal.

Any questions? Check us out at AFL.com.au. And on twitter, @AFL.

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bone on bone 骨と骨同士
It’s got bone on bone hits without pads.

serious 本気の
These are some serious fans.

egg-shaped 卵型の/卵の形をした
Aussie Rules is played with an egg-shaped ball that takes some crazy bounces.

consist of ～で構成される
Each team consists of 18 players on the field and 4 on the bench.

tremendous 巨大な
Tremendous athletes, these players are basketball-sized, with the hands and foot speed of an NFL wide receiver and stamina greater than a soccer player.

bounce バウンドさせる
The game starts with a center bounce.

fist こぶし
forward 前方へ
Using your fist to hit it forward.

spectacular 華々しい
If the kick is a little high, a player may have to jump and make a spectacular catch.

opponent 対戦相手
springboard 跳躍台
And believe it or not, you can use the opponent as a springboard for jumping.

unimpeded 妨げのない
If you take a mark, you can keep going, or you can stop on the spot and take an unimpeded kick.

come in 参加する
Players come in all shapes and sizes.

make the playoffs 決勝戦に進出する
The top 8 teams make the playoffs, or as they’re called in Australia, the finals.

eventually 最終的に
Eventually, two teams meet in the championship game, or the Grand Final.

It’s a big deal. 一大事なんだ。
It’s Australia’s Superbowl, and is played every year in the magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of 90,000 plus. It’s a big deal.