Variations of Australian rules football
Variations of Australian rules football are games or activities based on or similar to the game of Australian rules football, in which the player uses common Australian rules football skills. They range in player numbers from 2 (in the case of kick-to-kick) up to the minimum 38 required for a full Australian rules football.
Some are essentially identical to Australian rules football, with only minor rule changes, while others are more distant and arguably not simple variations but distinct games. Others still have adapted to the unavailability of full-sized cricket fields. Other variations include children's games, contests or activities intended to help the player practice or reinforce skills, which may or may not have a competitive aspect.
Most of the variations are played in informal settings, without the presence of umpires and sometimes without strict adherence to official game rules.
Participatory varieties
Auskick
Auskick is a program developed in Australia in the 1980s and promote participation in
Auskick has its roots in the Little League which began to be played at half time during VFL matches in the 1960s
Women's Australian rules football
Women's Australian rules football is a fast-growing variation played by all-female teams that dates back to the 1910s. Since 2010, it has also been governed by the AFL Commission. Its highest levels of competition are the professional AFL Women's club competition in Australia and the Australian Football International Cup (women's division) worldwide representative competition.
The women's game is also a contact sport, however over the course of its history it is sometimes played with modified rules including different player numbers (16 a side + 5 interchange), a smaller ball, and increased tackling restrictions. The women's variation is strongest in Australia (there are strong second level competitions in all Australian states), Ireland, Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Japan and is also played at junior level in these and many other countries.
Amateurs
The Amateur version of the game is mostly similar though its main differences are that it strictly forbids player payments and has some rule variations which encourage participation for amateur players. Amateurs is strongest in the heartland states of the sport in Australia: Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, though there are competitions in most Australian states. The Amateur version is governed by the
Masters Australian Football
Masters Australian Football (also known as "Superules" or derisively as "Superfools") is an amateur social variation for players aged 35 years and over. The sport first commenced officially on 21 September 1980 in
The game varies from open age football particular in modifications aimed at reduce the physical impact of the game on older players and reduce the volunteer burden on officials. Umpires do not bounce the ball and there are often no boundary umpires. There are less interchange restrictions and players are not permitted to raise their knees in aerial contests, or make contact with the knee or boot, which could potentially damage the weaker backs of older players.[6]
Some Masters competitions add bonus points for a long range Super goal (9 points 6 plus 3 behinds).
It is played by over 119 teams throughout Australia and around the world. There is also an Australian National Championships, while internationally, Masters is more often be played in the Nines (9-a-side) format.
Lightning football
Lightning football is a generic term to describe variations of the game played over a shortened length, usually about half of the length of a full match. Lightning football may be played under otherwise unchanged rules, but in recent lightning matches staged by the AFL, experimental rules such as awarding a free kick against the last player to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds have been trialled.
Lightning matches are often used, particularly at junior or amateur level, to play an entire tournament inside a single day or weekend. These tournaments are typically known as "lightning premierships" or "lightning carnivals".
During the COVID-19 pandemic the AFL significantly shortened premiership matches for the 2020 AFL season arguing it needed to for its pandemic fixture scheduling leading to some branding the 16 minute quarter format 'fast food footy'.[7] Some argued the AFL's move was an effort to make the game more appealing to the media and fans.[8] Nevertheless, the move was criticised[9] and the AFL reverted to the full length format for the 2021 AFL season.
Wheelchair
The wheelchair variation of AFL (known as "Wheelchair Aussie Rules" or "Wheelchair AFL") is a parasport designed to play in sports wheelchairs. Kicking is replaced by handballing (a mark is awarded for catching the ball within 3 metres), while handballing is replaced by throwing. Like other varieties tackling is replaced by touching and players are divided into zones. Goals and behinds are used for scoring, however with shorter distances between the posts. There are leagues operating in all states and territories of Australia, with Victorian clubs aligned with AFL clubs, operating since 2018.[10][11][12]
Modified field or player numbers
9-a-side
9-a-side Footy is played informally by Aussie Rules clubs but not yet an official sport in its own right. The AFL sanctioned version is known as "AFL 9s".
9-a-side games are sometimes played on half size fields that are typically rectangular with 9 players on the field at any one time, typically consisting of three forwards, three backs and three centre players. Often two games are played at the same time on a single Australian rules or cricket field. At other times, 9-a-side makes use of the full space of the field when a full complement of players is not available. This variety is a more open and running variety of Australian rules.
A minimum of 18 players are required in total, but many teams field unlimited interchange benches.
Generally 9-a-side rules are the same as Australian rules football though some 9s competitions, such as AFL 9s sometimes differ with modified rules including but not limited to:
- restricting the starting positions of players to their 3 zones
- no minimum distance for marks
- restrict running to one bounce only
- restrict picking the ball up off the ground
- restricting kicking the ball off the ground
- last-touch rule for out of bounds
- turnover rule if the ball hits the ground
- limiting the run up for ruck contests
- enforcing a drop-zone to protect marking players
Limited and non-contact versions of 9-a-side football are also played by both men's and women's leagues.
Examples of official tournaments held under these rules include the
AFLX
Another prominent variation of the game was
Samoa Rules
Samoa Rules is a game derived from Australian rules football that has also been played in Samoa. The game is played on rugby fields and each team consists of 15 players per side.
Unlike Australian rules football, player movement is restricted to zones (similarly to
The Vailima Six-Shooters' Championship began in Samoa in 1998 under these rules, becoming known as "Samoa Rules". A number of Samoa Rules players went on to represent Samoa in the
Metro Footy
Metro Footy (or Metro Rules Footy) is a modified version of Australian rules football rules played on
Teams typically consist of 9-a-side on a 110-by-50-metre (120 yd × 55 yd) field. The teams that play feed into larger 18-a-side Australian rules representative teams that participate in leagues such as the
Several clubs from the United States Australian Football League participate in Metro Footy.[citation needed]
Touchball
Touchball (or Touch Footy)—not to be confused with Touch Aussie Rules (a UK variant) or touch football—is an obscure 5-a-side version of Australian rules football rules that was trialled and televised for a limited time in the late 1960s on World of Sport.[14] The game uses a regular Australian rules football and is played on a confined square court with the goals on opposing diagonals. Players may take multiple steps while holding the ball, but only handballing (not kicking) is allowed. The game combines elements of handball and basketball, and it is not a contact sport. The goals are made up of a circle enclosed inside a square backboard. A single point is given if the ball hits the outer part of the square board; it is unclear how many points are scored for a goal.
Historical variations
VFA rules (1938–1949)
VFA rules (or "Association rules" or "throw-pass rules") variation of Australian rules football was a distinct set of rules which was played in the
Recreational varieties
AFL 9s
AFL 9s is the AFL's official touch nine-a-side footy variant since 2016[15][16] addressing many of the criticisms of the earlier Rec Footy, and later, AFLX. It varies from Australian Rules Football mainly in that it is played with 9 players on a smaller field with a smaller ball, rewards female players in mixed competition for example with a higher score for goals, the ball must not touch the ground, marking is protected by a drop-zone and only designated forwards can kick goals. It allows running with the ball (limited to one running bounce) and freedom of movement around the field giving athletes more opportunity to have an impact on the game and compensate for lower skill level of other players. AFL 9s offers mixed, as well as all-male and all-female, competitions to lower the barriers to entry for participation; according to official rules, mixed-gendered games award 9 points to goals scored by female forwards.[17] As a recreational game AFL 9s has proved popular with both new and established Australian rules players with 24,032 participants in Australia in 2019 at least a third of which are female.[18] Its popularity as a social game with Australian rules players is such that ex-professional players are sometimes seen participating in social competitions.[19]
Force Back
Force Back (also known as Force 'em back, Force Them Back, Forcing Back, Forcey Backs or Forcings Back) is a game played by school students usually in primary, middle or high school, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, at lunch or recess as a codified variant of kick-to-kick. It is played with football (typically oblique spheroid shaped or sometimes round). While not officially an Australian rules football variant it shares a significant skill set with Australian rules football including kicking, aim, distance control, running and catching and is often played with an Australian rules ball. The rules are usually modified by students themselves, depending on what environment they are playing on. While there are no standard rules, the game is increasingly codified and endorsed as a recreational school age game by various sports bodies including the Australian Football League and AFL New Zealand.[20][21][22][23]
Rec Footy
Recreational Football (also known as Rec Footy or Recreational Footy) was a non-contact version sanctioned by the AFL first codified in 2003. Rec Footy was played by 8 a side with players confined to 3 zones wearing bibs to signify their zone, the ball had to move through all 3 zones in order to score and only forwards could score. Tags were used to substitute tackling and players when marking were allocated a drop-zone which opponents could not enter. If the ball hit the ground, it would be a turnover to the opposite team of the player who last touched it. Players could take a maximum of 3 steps before disposing of the ball. Rec Footy was heavily criticised mainly by Australian rules players for appearing similar to netball, too restrictive on movement by enforcing strict zones and field positions, penalising athletes and reducing fitness benefits, lacking the ability for skilled footballers to use skills like bouncing and long kicking and play naturally whilst also penalising newer unskilled players with frequent turnovers. Falling participation rates and a large increase in Australian football female contact participation led to social competitions being restructured and rebranded as AFL 9s in 2011.[24]
Kick-to-Kick
Kick-to-kick is a
Although not a sport in itself, the term is used to describe a social exercise played in parks, fields, streets and back yards, and requires at least two people.
Touch Aussie Rules
Touch Aussie Rules is a non-tackle variation played in
All skills are used in Touch Aussie Rules, including kicking, marking, handballing and bouncing.
Hybrid codes
International Rules Football
International rules football (
Austus
Austus is a sport which was started in Australia during World War II when United States soldiers wanted to play football against the Australians. The game combined features of Australian rules football and American football. The rules of the game were mostly the same as Australian rules football, except that the American-style forward pass was allowed and afforded the same benefits as an Australian rules football kick, meaning that a thrown ball could be marked or used to score goals.[25] The name comes from the first four letters of Australia (AUST) and the initials of the United States (US). The game has rarely, if ever, been played since the war.
Samoan rules
A hybrid of rugby union and Aussie rules.
Universal Football
Universal football was a proposed
There was some progress towards amalgamating the two sports in 1915, but these were halted by the escalation of World War I[28] and the new code was not revived after the war ended.[29] The concept was briefly revisited in 1933 with similar rules, and a private trial match was played at the Sydney Showground,[30] but it did not result in a lasting revival of the concept[31] which has not been seen since.
References
- ^ 'Father figure' of Auskick and Richmond Tiger, Ray Allsopp, dies aged 87 By Michael Doyle 28 October 2021]
- ^ "Little League plea". The Canberra Times. Vol. 43, no. 12, 105. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 September 1968. p. 20. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Parkin backs joint program to boost AFL". The Canberra Times. Vol. 70, no. 21, 769. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 23 November 1994. p. 35. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Amateur League represented on national council". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. 23 April 1948. p. 8.
- ^ AFL Masters
- ^ What to Expect: AFL Masters
- ^ ‘Fast food footy’ plan of shorter quarters would have flipped three AFL flags in last 10 years Max Laughton from Fox Sports 26 May 2020
- ^ Matthew Lloyd reveals the real reason AFL shortened quarters by Joey Riordan for 7NEWS 26 May 2020
- ^ Shorter games short-change footy by Greg Baum for The Age 13 July 2020]
- ^ Collingwood’s Wheelchair Football League team fighting for another premiership by Shannon Cill for Codesports 10 September 2022
- ^ Disability Sports Australia - Wheelchair Aussie Rules
- ^ Wheelchair Football SANFL
- ^ "AFLX revealed: Who your club plays". AFL.com.au. 17 November 2017.
- ^ Touch Footy, retrieved 3 January 2024
- ^ AFL 9s rules
- ^ Cairns AFL 9s
- ^ "AFLX RULES | Play AFL". Australian Football League. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Females lead big rise in football participation rate Mitch Cleary on 24 Feb 2019
- ^ Two Swans greats were social footy ring-ins. The other team was ‘understandably flat’ Fox Sports. 25 February 2020
- ^ NSW School Sport – Get active @ home
- ^ AFL Force Back AFL New Zealand
- ^ Play AFL Manual - chest marking
- ^ AFL Community Force Back Game for Grade 7s
- ^ AFL9s set to launch Brett Northey for World Footy News 13 October 2011]
- ^ "On play and players". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne, VIC. 21 July 1943. p. 13.
- ^ The Cynic (25 November 1914). "Suggested universal football game". Referee. Sydney, NSW. p. 16.
- ^ "Rival football games". Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW. 21 November 1914. p. 8.
- ^ "Annual meeting of the league – the proposed universal code". The Mercury. Hobart, TAS. 30 March 1915. p. 8.
- ^ "Australian Football Council". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 30 December 1919. p. 7.
- ^ "The new game – trial matches in Sydney". Advocate. Burnie, TAS. 12 August 1933. p. 7.
- ^ "To be dropped – proposed amalgamation – football codes". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. Newcastle, NSW. 15 August 1933. p. 8.