Australian rules football
Australian Rules Football, sometimes called Aussie Rules, differs from most types of football in that it is played on an oval field instead of the usual rectangular field used by rugby and soccer. At its hightest point this type of football is overseen by the Australian Football Leaguewhich is a national competition of 16 teams. Aussie Rules is one of Australia's most popular sports, especially AFL as a spectator sport. The Grand Final can attract up to 100,000 at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground)each September. Australian rules football is the sport most attended by Australians; in 2006 2.5 million people had attended at least one Aussie Rules game in the preceding 12 months.[1]
Each Aussie Rules team consists of 18 players who remain on the field for the entirety of the game (with some interchange and injury times). The aim of the game is to kick a ball, shaped somewhat like a rugby ball, through two upright posts at either end of the oval. Each "goal" is worth six points. A miss of a "goal" is called a "behind" and is worth one point. If the ball is rushed through the goal posts by the opposition or is touched by any part of the body beyond the leg then one point is scored. This leads to score lines which indicate goals, points and totals such as 11.15(81). The game consists of large kicks (often over 60 metres) and spectacular jumps to catch the ball, resulting in a free kick (called a mark.)