The Australian Football League, or for short the AFL, is the professional league for Australian Rules football in Australia. It ranks among the most attended and popular sporting leagues in the country and so ensures a rich history and that a loyal fan base is developed. The AFL comprises 18 clubs that challenge one another through a competition of home and away matches before a finals series to claim the championship for the year. It is played in an oval field where two 18-player team members dare each other by scoring levels with a point after halting the ball through the goalpost of the other team.
History and Origins of the AFL
In 1858, Melbourne Football Club was founded, and the first set of rules about how to conduct the game were devised. The game continued evolving for the next couple of decades as local leagues and other kinds of competition began developing all over Victoria and several other parts of Australia. The Victorian Football League was formed in 1896 and became the premier competition of Australian Rules football in the country.
Rules and Regulations of AFL
A special sport like Australian rules football is bound to have some special set of rules and regulations. Some of the key rules and regulations in the AFL include the following:
- Field of Play – The game is played on an oval-shaped field, which is approximately 160 meters in length by 130 meters in width; the field has two goal posts at each end, with a center line and several other markings.
- Players and Team Composition – At any time, there are 18 players of each team on the ground, while on the bench, there can be up to 4 interchange players who replace players at any point in the game.
- Scoring – Points are scored by kicking the ball through the goalposts of the opposing team. A goal, worth 6 points, is scored when the ball is kicked through the centre posts; a behind, worth 1 point, is scored when the ball passes through the sides.
Conclusion
The AFL is a truly one-of-a-kind and exciting sport that now holds an integral place in Australian culture, even identity. From its very humble beginnings in the 1850s to one of the biggest and most well-patronized leagues in the country, the AFL will have a rich history and an avid fan base without parallel.