AFL FAQs - Playing Field & Equiptment

 

 

 

  
         
 
The Playing Surface
 
         
 

There are no set dimensions for the playing surface, although the recommended size is 150 to 185 metres (164 to 202 yards) in length and 130 to 150 metres (142 to 164 yards) in width. The ideal playing surface is 165 metres (180 yards) long by 150 metres (164 yards) wide.

The boundary line drawn around the edge of the oval-shaped ground defines the playing area. A circle three metres (10ft) in diameter drawn in the centre of the ground indicates where the ball must be bounced by the umpire to start play at the beginning of each quarter and after a goal has been scored.

A 45 metre (49 yard) square surrounds the bounce circle. Only four players from each side may be inside the square before the ball is bounced. A free kick is awarded against a side that infringes this rule.

 

  

If a behind is scored, the ball is put back into play by a defender who must kick from within the nine-metre goal square at each end of the ground.

The playing surface dimensions (goal to goal, boundary to boundary) of AFL venues, as confirmed by ground managers, are as follows:

Stadium
Goal
Boundary
Capacity
Subiaco 175m 122m 43,500
Shell Stadium 169m 115m 28,000
Football Park 165m 133m 47,000
Gabba 160m 139m 37,600
WACA 163m 127m 32,200
Waverley Park 165m 142m
Colonial Stadium 159m 130m 52,660
MCG 159m 138m 99,000
Optus Oval 160m 139m 32,000
SCG 147m 136m 46,200
 
         
 
Playing gear
 
         
 

Australian Football is largely a game without the protection of padding and helmets as worn by gridiron players in the United States.

Some AFL players wear leather head-gear, but this is usually on medical advice following heavy knocks.

Despite the fierceness of the game, Australian footballers generally use no more protective gear than shin guardsand tape on sore spots such as ankles, knees and shoulders.

  

Some players wear gloves, which help them mark the ball with greater surety, especially when conditions are damp and the ball is greasy.

The game is a contact sport played at breakneck speed. Many players suffer injuries, but these are seldom career-threatening.

  
         
 
The Ball
 
         
 

The ball is made of leather and is oval-shaped. The standard long and short circumferences are about 725mm (28 inches) and 550mm (21 inches). The ball is inflated to about 10 pounds per square inch.

      
         
 
Scoring
 
         
 

The essence of the game is to kick goals.

To score a goal, which is worth six points, the ball must be kicked between the goal posts, which are 6.4 metres apart and at least six metres high.

The shorter behind posts flank the goal posts. If the ball is touched by a player before it crosses the goal-scoring line, if it hits one of the goal posts or if it passes over the goal post only a point is registered. A point is also awarded whenever the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post.

A rushed behind is one where a player carries the ball over the goal line. Desperate defenders will often concede a behind this way rather than risk a goal being kicked against them.

  

As an example, a team that scores 10 goals 6 behinds has a total of 66 points:

10 goals x 6 points = 60
6 behinds x 1 point = 6
Total 66 points

The team with the highest total is the winner.

The AFL's record score is 37.17 (239) kicked by Geelong in 1992.

  

 

 

  
 
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