What are the basic rules in Aussie football and the obvious differences to rugby?

Question

I am in no way being sarcastic, I really want to know.

I am a fan of American football first, but have always been facinated with the differences and the similarities between these sports.

Any real, non-sarcastic answers would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

AFL requires elite athletic skill whereas Rugby requires no-neck meat heads.

That ia the most obvious rule difference that I can think of at the moment...

I am honestly not being sarcastic. It is the truth, you see if you are able to watch the games and i am sure that you will agree that AFL (footy) can't be beaten.

Answer 2

Australian football is played on a cricket oval. The shortest ground in the Australian Football League is the Sydney Cricket Ground where the field is a touch under 150m long. 180m would be more normal but there is no defined size. The markings on the ground include a 50m square in the middle and a 50m arc from the centre of the goal at each end.

There are 18 men on the ground for each side with an interchange bench of four. There are three field umpires, two boundary umpires and two goal umpires.

At each end there are four goal posts, two big ones in the middle and a smaller one each side. A ball kicked between the big posts scores six points and is called a goal. A ball kicked between a big post and a small post, or a ball handballed through the goal or a ball touched by the opposing team before it goes through the goal or a ball that hits one of the big posts scores one point and is called a behind. The idea is to score more points than the opposition.

Tha game is free flowing with big kicking leading to the most spectacular event in the game - the high mark. If someone kicks the ball more than 15m and you catch it (called a mark), you get a free kick. The ball cannot be thrown by hand but can be handballed - held in one hand and punched away with the other. The ball can be passed backwards and forwards.

Tackling is allowed but it must be below the shoulder and above the knee. There are some other rules but it is easier to explain those while the game is under way.

Rugby lends itself to television as does American football. Everything is tight and onscreen on a field a mere 100m long. The wide open spaces of the Rules field mean it is much better at the ground than on TV but we can't all get to the ground so we have to make do. I was never interested in footy til I went to my first AFL game, Sydney against Essendon at the SCG in 1984. I have been going ever since.

Answer 3

in AFL you do not pass (considered a throw and are penalised) you handball. The ball may be handballed forward unlike in rugby where the ball may not travel forward unless it is kicked. No such thing as a knock-on in AFL. In AFL u can only tackle around the waist and cannot push the player in the back in an attempt to tackle them. That's all i can think of right now 'coz i'm being lazy!

Answer 4

1) Aussie rules, only men are allowed to play

2) Rugby, Women are also allowed to play and they do, every week

Answer 5

they have 18 from each team on the oval at the one time,  there are ruckman who contest the ball up at the start of the game and when a goal is scored the ball goes back to the centre, these players are usually the tallest in the team, then they have rovers who run a lot and kick it up to the forwards it is they who kick the goals each goal is worth 6pts through the behind posts it is called a point there are 3 players on the bench to cover injuries and to rest players

Answer 6

HO Hum... Australians national Sport is Aussie rules NOT RUGBY.  Rugby and rules are worlds apart and fronkly both are world apart from Gridiron (which si what we call american football).

1Neither AFL (ausie rules) or Rugby have all of that padding and nonsense that Gridiron have. Both sports are physically tough and brutal.

Rugby is about Brawn and they tend to get in packs and stick their heads up peoples rear end (like gridiron I suppose) then they all jump on the guy that got the ball. Most of us AFL fans refer to Rugby as a "Running wrestle" so I will leave it upto a Rugby offinado to explain how they go about it.

So far as AFL... that s played on a much bigger oval ground the players have areas of the field that they are generally assigned to but they can kick the ball any way they like, hand ball (punch it toward someone), run and bounce it as they go. Tackling players and sheparding (protecting your team mate in play, is also important but play doesnt generally stop for any of that  unless someones been a bit naughty. Really I dont think Grid Iron has anything in common with Aussie rules but would have some things in common with Rugby.