This page is a glossary of Australian rules football. Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 is a team sport played between two teams of twenty-two players. The sport has several different names

Names of Australian rules football

Australian rules football has had a number of different names throughout its history. The official name according to the sport's governing body, the Australian Football League, is Australian football...

, including football, footy and Aussie rules. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics.

0-9

1-2 : an action where a player handpasses to a teammate, who immediately handpasses back.

12-10 Rule : A rule in the VFL

Victorian Football League

The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...

 concerning the selection of AFL-listed players in teams with an AFL

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 affiliate team. When a team which is affiliated with an AFL team plays against a team which is not affiliated with an AFL team, the affiliated team must play at least 12 VFL-listed players and no more than 10 AFL-listed players. The 12-10 rule does not apply when two AFL-affiliated teams play each other, and in those games, teams may play as many AFL-listed players as they wish.

19th man : at a time in the game before the interchange bench was introduced in 1930, one reserve player was named in addition to the 18 players who started the game on the ground. These players could enter the game only if one of the original 18 left the field and did not return. This was also extended to the 20th man when a second reserve was introduced in 1946. Free interchange of the 19th and 20th players has been allowed in the VFL since 1978. This can also refer to the philosophy of the South Australian crowd being the 19th man for the Adelaide Crows

Adelaide Crows

The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....

, who have retired the number 19 guernsey, and sell sporting merchandise with the number 19 on it.

A

AFL : Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

. This acronym is used colloquially as an alternative name for the sport when distinguishing it from other football codes, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales.

All-Australian : a player who has been chosen in the best team of the AFL competition each year, the All-Australian Team; or, prior to the nationalisation of the competition or in lower age groups where the game is not nationalised, the best composite team from all states.

Angle : the geometric angle formed by an imaginary line between a player taking a set shot and the centre of the goals (on the goal line), and another imaginary line perpendicular to the goal line. So, a player with "no angle" is taking a kick from directly in front; a player on a "wide angle" is taking a shot from near a boundary line.

Arena : the playing surface.

Assist : to kick or handpass to a player who then scores either a goal (for a goal assist) or a behind (for a score assist). The term is common across many world sports.

Australian Football : name officially used by the AFL to describe the sport.

B

Bag : colloquialism for a large number of goals scored by one player.

Ball! : usually yelled by spectators when an opposition player is tackled in possession of the ball. Short for "holding the ball

Holding the ball

Holding the ball is a law in Australian Rules Football. It is necessary to prevent players from slowing down play. Instead of the umpire having to bounce the ball , it allows the defence a way to take possession directly from the attacking team.-Main Interpretation:The most basic description of...

".

Ball burster : colloquialism for a massive kick, usually a torpedo punt which travels over 70 metres.

Ball-up

Ball-up

A ball-up in Australian rules football describes a method of restarting play at a neutral contest after a stoppage within the field of play. It is not to be confused with a boundary throw-in which occurs in most cases when the ball is forced out of bounds...

: the act of a field umpire putting the ball back into play, either by throwing it vertically upwards into the air, or by bouncing the ball in such a way that it mimics the throwing action. See bounce-down. A ball-up is required at the start of each quarter, after a goal is scored or to restart the game from neutral situations in the field of play.

Banana : a kick which causes the ball to swing in the air in the opposite direction to the usual. See checkside.

Barrel : a "torpedo punt" kick. See also screwie.

Baulk : a manoeuvre where a player holds the ball out to the side in one hand, then runs in the other direction to evade a defender.

Behind : a score worth one point, earned by putting the ball between a goal post and a behind post, or by the ball hitting a goal post, or by the ball being touched prior to passing between the goalposts.

Behind posts : two shorter vertical posts 19.8m apart on the goal line at each end of the ground, centred about the taller goal posts.

Bench : the interchange area. The "bench" refers to the seat used by the players in this area.

Best on ground : player judged the best player taking part in any game. Sometimes also referred to as BOG, pronounced "bee-oh-gee".

Bounce-down

Ball-up

A ball-up in Australian rules football describes a method of restarting play at a neutral contest after a stoppage within the field of play. It is not to be confused with a boundary throw-in which occurs in most cases when the ball is forced out of bounds...

: (or simply bounce) the act of a field umpire putting the ball back into play by bouncing the ball in such a way that it mimics a vertical throw. See ball-up.

Boundary line : the line drawn on the ground to delimit the field of play.

Boundary throw-in : (or simply Throw-in) the act of throwing the ball back into play by the boundary umpire. The boundary umpire stands with his back to the arena and throws the ball backwards over his head. This is used to restart play from neutral situations whenever the ball goes out of bounds.

Boundary umpire : an official who patrols the boundary line, indicating when it has fully crossed the line, and who then executes a boundary throw-in to return the ball to play. There are typically two of these umpires per game, one on each side of the oval, but there will be four in top grade games.

Break : short term for "break in play"; e.g. quarter-time, half-time, or three-quarter-time.

Bump : a contact between players using the hip and/or shoulder. See hip-and-shoulder.

C

Centimetre perfect : a phrase commonly used by commentator Dennis Cometti

Dennis Cometti

Dennis Cometti is a former Australian rules football player and coach for West Perth in the West Australian Football League and Footscray in the Victorian Football League but is best known as a commentator. In a career spanning almost 40 years, his dry humour and smooth voice have become his...

 to describe a kick that could not have been placed any better.

Central umpire : an official who patrols the field of play, awarding free kicks, indicating time-on and time-off, and restarting the game after stoppages, goals etc.

Centre : the middle of the ground, also the name given to a player who starts the game in that position.

Centre bounce : the bounce of the ball in the centre of the ground to start a quarter, or after a goal.

Centre square : a fifty metre square drawn around the centre of the ground. Only four players from each team may stand inside the centre square prior to a centre bounce, but the square otherwise has no significance.

Checkside : a kick which causes the ball to swing in the air in the opposite direction to the usual. See banana.

Chicken wing tackle : a tackle that locks in an opponent's arm so that he cannot legally dispose of the ball. This term originated in Rugby League.

Clanger : a blatant, unforced error. Most typically, this will be either conceding a free kick, or kicking or handpassing the ball directly to an opponent.

Clearance : the clearing of the ball out of a stoppage situation, to the advantage of one team or the other.

Cluster : a type of zone defense consisting of a grid-like arrangement of fifteen or more players, particularly used to oppose a kick-in.

Coach : the manager of the team who controls the team's tactics during a match.

Contest : an in-game scenario where two or more players have an opportunity to win the ball.

Contested possession : a possession achieved as a result of winning a contest.

Corkie : colloquialism for a corked muscle, which is a deep bruise, usually in the leg.

Corridor : a term used to describe the imaginary strip of the ground that runs through the centre from goal to goal; a team who moves the ball in this area is said to "play through the corridor".

Crumber : a player who waits at the base of a marking pack in order to gather the loose ball if no mark is taken and the ball spills to ground. Similarly, gathering the ball in this manner is described as "getting the crumbs".

D

Daisy cutter : a kick that runs along the ground rather than through the air. See grubber. Also may to refer to a drop punt in which the ball travels through the air, but low to the ground.

Designated kicker : a player who is given the ball by another player who has a set shot for goal, so that the receiving player may have a shot on the run for a long-distance goal or a supergoal. Typically done when the designated kicker is known to have a better likelihood of scoring the goal than the player taking the set shot.

Disposal

Disposal

A disposal occurs in Australian rules football when a player either kicks or handballs the football. A disposal is not counted if a player fumbles or illegally disposes the ball...

: a statistical term indicating that a player disposed of the ball legally by either hand or foot. Synonymous with possession or touch.

Don't argue : colloquial term for a stiff-arm fend

Stiff-arm fend

The stiff-arm fend is a tactic employed by the ball-carrier in many forms of contact football....

.

Drop kick : a kick that is executed in such a way that the foot contacts the ball at the same time as, or immediately after, it has been dropped to the ground on its end. No longer in common use in AFL due to its perceived inaccuracy. See stab pass.

Drop punt

Drop punt

A drop punt is a type of kick in various codes of football.It is the primary method of disposing the ball by foot in Australian rules football and the name describes its technique. The ball is held vertically, and dropped and kicked before it hits the ground, resulting in the ball spinning...

: a kick that is executed by contacting the ball on its end, so that it rotates around its mid-point end over end. Usually considered the most accurate of kicks, and is by far the most commonly used kicking style in Australian rules football.

Dropping the ball : see holding the ball.

E

Emergency umpire : a qualified field umpire who sits on the interchange bench during a game. He can pay free kicks only for interchange infringements and may report players, and can replace an injured or fatigued umpire.

F

Fat side : an imaginary area of the ground that indicates the greatest space occupied by the least number of players. See thin side.

Field umpire : see central umpire.

Fifty : short term for "fifty-metre penalty".

Fifty, the : an arc drawn at each end of the ground indicating that the distance from the goal line is fifty metres. It is the only designated distance marker on an Australian rules football arena.

Final siren : the siren that sounds to signal the end of the game.

Finals : the post-season series of games that decide the premiership.

Flag, the : common expression for the Premiership, based upon the early practice of awarding a flag in lieu of a trophy for winning the premiership (analogous to the pennant

Pennant (sports)

A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...

 in American sports).

Flags : white flag waved by a goal umpire to signal a goal or behind.

Flank : an indicative area of the ground that lies between the wing and pocket on both sides of the centre. Also referred to as "half-forward flank" and "half-back flank".

Flick pass : the variant of a handball which propels the ball with a flick of an open hand, rather than a clenched fist. Once legal in South Australian leagues, but now uniformly outlawed. See throw.

Flight : a description of the way a ball travels through the air.

Flood : the act of getting as many players as possible between the ball carrier and the goal a team is defending.

Followers : an old term used to describe on-the-ball players, so named because they were the only players who followed the ball wherever it went. Specifically, the ruck, ruck rover and rover were considered followers. The term is less applicable in the modern game, where many more players will tend to move around the ground.

Four points, to get the : common parlance for winning a game. The "four points" refers to the number of premiership points awarded for a win in an AFL game and in many other leagues. "To get the two points" would be the South Australian equivalent.

Free kick

Free kick (Australian rules football)

A free kick in Australian rules football is a penalty awarded by a field umpire to a player who has been infringed by an opponent or is the nearest player to a player from the opposite team who has broken a rule.-Protocol:...

: an possession of the ball given to a player as a result of an infringement by an opposition player. These are only awarded by the central umpire.

Full-back : the area of the ground directly in front of the opposition's goals. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the full-forward.

Full-forward : the area of the ground directly in front of a team's goals. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the full-back.

Full-time : the end of the game. See final siren.

G

Goal : a maximum score (equivalent to 6 points) achieved by kicking the ball between the two goal-posts without it touching either post or any other player.

Goal line : a section of the boundary line that runs from one behind post to the other, at each end. All four posts (two goal posts and two behind posts) are set directly on this line.

Goal posts : two tall posts at each end of the ground indicating the major scoring zone, positioned 6.4m apart.

Goal square : the 6.4×9m rectangle drawn on the ground directly in front of each goal.

Goal umpire : an official who adjudicates the score, signals the score (out-of-bounds, point, or goal), waves flags to indicate the score to the crowd, and serves as official scorekeeper. There are two of these umpires per game, one at each end.

Gorilla : colloquially, a large, strong defender who plays body-on-body defence against the strongest forwards.

Grubber : a kick that runs along the ground rather than though the air. See daisy cutter.

Guernsey : the jersey worn by players.

Guts, the : colloquial term for the corridor.

H

Half-back : the area of the ground lying halfway between the centre and full-back. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the half-forward.

Half-forward : the area of the ground lying halfway between the centre and full-forward. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the half-back.

Half-time : the long break between the second and third quarters.

Hammy

Pulled hamstring

Straining of the hamstring, also known as a pulled hamstring, is defined as an excessive stretch or tear of muscle fibers and related tissues.-Grade 1:Sensation of cramp or tightness and a slight feeling of pain when the muscles are stretched or contracted....

: a severe hamstring injury (as in "pulled a hammy"). Also hammie.

Handball

Handball (Australian rules football)

Handball is a term in the sport of Australian rules football which describes a method of disposing of possession of the football by hand. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball...

: (or handpass) a legal disposal of the ball, executed by holding the ball on the flat palm of one hand and hitting it with the other clenched fist.

Handy point : colloquial term for a behind scored near the end of a close game which extends to one more than a multiple of six (i.e. from six points to seven points, from twelve points to thirteen points, or from eighteen points to nineteen points); so called because it means the opposition needs an extra scoring shot to tie or win the game.

Hanger : see specky.

Hard ball get : see contested possession.

High tackle : a tackle that results in contact to the opposition play over the top of his shoulders or to the neck or head. This will result in a free kick.

Hip-and-shoulder : See bump

Hitout : (or tapout, tap or knock-out) a tap by a ruckman to a team's advantage.

Holding the ball

Holding the ball

Holding the ball is a law in Australian Rules Football. It is necessary to prevent players from slowing down play. Instead of the umpire having to bounce the ball , it allows the defence a way to take possession directly from the attacking team.-Main Interpretation:The most basic description of...

: a free kick awarded to a defensive player who tackles an opponent and prevents him from legally disposing of the football.

Hospital Kick : a very high kick to a teammate, allowing opposition players to run in and crash into the person attempting to mark the kick. Can also be a hospital pass.

Hot Spot : the point at the top of the goal square where the contest for the ball is fierce.

Huddle

Huddle

In sport, a huddle is when a team gathers together, usually in a tight circle, to strategise, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulation when the level of noise in the venue is such that normal...

: the grouping of players on the ground at quarter-time and three-quarter-time breaks, and a tactic used at kick-ins after a behind where players group together at center-half-back before breaking to the flanks.

I

In-and-under player : (or inside midfielder) a player who tries to win hard ball gets by forcing the ball out of packs.

Inside-50 : the act of running or passing the ball inside the 50m arc. A statistic that is used to evaluate the effectiveness of midfield players who may not score many goals themselves, but set them up for teammates.

Interchange : the designated area of the ground where players wait to be allowed onto the field after another player has left, i.e. one player is interchanged for another.

Interchange gate : a 20m zone marked on the boundary line through which players being interchanged must run.

K

Key position : the centre half-forward and the centre half-back are collectively known as the key positions, and are considered the most difficult roles to play.

Kick : a legal disposal of the ball by foot.

Kick-in

Kick-in

In the sport of Australian rules football, a kick-in occurs when an opposition team scores a behind, with a defender kicking the ball out from the defensive goalsquare. The team kicking in may elect any one of its players to take the kick-in. The man on the mark stands five metres in front of the...

: (or sometimes kick-out) the return of the ball back into play after a behind has been scored.

Kick-off line : the line on the goal square which is parallel to the goal line.

King hit : an illegal physical attack on a player behind play, generally to the head which leaves the victim in a dazed or unconscious state.

L

Ladder : the position of teams on the Premiership list, determined by their win-loss ratio and percentage.

Lead : for a forward to run into space and away from his direct opponent, hoping to attract a pass from his teammate.

Legging : see low tackle.

Loose ball get : see uncontested possession

Loose man in defence : a player who typically spends an entire game without a direct opponent, who assists other defenders in the team when necessary, and is often heavily involved in rebounding.

Low tackle : a tackle resulting in contact made to a player below his knees. Results in a free kick against the tackling player. This is more commonly referred to by the colloquial term of legging the opponent.

M

Major : a goal.

Man-on-man : the "traditional" defensive style of a defender playing close to an opposition forward. See zone-off.

Man on the mark : the defensive player who stands where his opponent took a mark or received a free kick. The man on the mark holds his arms in the air, in an attempt to block his opponent's kick, or at least force him to take the kick from several metres further back to prevent it from being blocked.

Mark : a clean catch of the ball after it has been kicked by another player (either by a teammate or by the opposition), before it has touched the ground, or been touched by any other player, and after it has travelled a minimum of 15 metres. The term also refers to the spot on the ground where the mark or free kick took place.

Melee : an unacceptable gathering of players involved in deliberate physical contact. Can lead to suspensions and fines.

Midfield : an indicative area of the ground that covers half-forward to half-back down the centre, and out to the wings and flanks.

Midfielder : a player who roams and plays within the midfield.

O

Off the ball : an incident that occurred away from the main contest. Note that off the ball is not the direct opposite of on the ball.

On the ball : a player who is not in any set position but who follows the ball all over the ground; also known as a follower or onballer, and not the direct opposite of off the ball.

One-percenter : a defensive act such as a block, bump, shepherd, smother or chase; "one-percenters" very rarely show up in any typical statistical analysis of a game, but are generally highly-valued by coaches, supporters and spectators alike.

Out on the full : a kick that travels across the boundary line without first being touched by a player or hitting the ground. This will result in a free kick to the opposition team, taken by the player closest to the point at which the ball crossed the boundary line.

Outside midfielder : a midfielder who receives most of his possessions in an uncontested manner, and often gets to position to receive handpasses from inside midfielders.

Oval : the ground on which an Australian Rules Football game is played. Derived from the common shape of the ground.

Over the mark : a player from either team who crosses from his side of the mark when there is a free kick being taken is said to have gone over the mark. If the attacking player does this, he is called to play on; if the defending player does this, he is penalised with a fifty metre penalty.

P

Pack : a mass of players from both sides all attempting to get the ball at the same time. Can be used for players flying for a mark or scrambling for the ball at ground level.

Pass : a kick that ends with the ball in the possession of a teammate.

Percentage : an indication of the ratio of points scored for versus points scored against. The AFL uses the formula (points for / points against) × 100, meaning that percentages may exceed 100%; the SANFL uses the formula (points for / points for and against) × 100. It is used as a tiebreaker for ladder positions if teams are on equal premiership points.

Pill : colloquialism for the ball.

Playmaker : a player who directs a team play by action or deed during a game.

Play on : the call made by an umpire whenever a player who is taking a mark or a free kick runs or handpasses rather than kicking over the mark; or, the call made by an umpire to alert players that a mark or free kick will not be paid, when they may be expecting that one would be paid.

Possession : a description of the act of obtaining the ball. Also used synonymously with disposal.

Pocket : an indicative part of the ground, equivalent to the area proscribed by an imaginary arc running from the goal post to a point on the boundary line halfway to the fifty-metre arc. There are two pockets at each end of the ground, referred to as the left and right, forward and back pockets, e.g. left-forward pocket.

Point : the basic scoring unit.

Poster : common expression for a kicked ball which hits a goal post, resulting in a behind being scored rather than a goal.

Premiership : awarded to the winner of the Grand Final. See the flag.

Premiership quarter : A colloquialism for the third quarter of a match.

Prior opportunity : (sometimes shortened to prior) a player who has had the ball for long enough to make a reasonable attempt to dispose of it before being tackled is said to have had prior opportunity. This is important for holding the ball decisions, where a player who has had prior opportunity must dispose of the ball immediately, while a player who has had "no prior" has a few extra seconds to dispose of the ball.

Protected zone : an imaginary corridor 5m to either side of a player who is taking a free kick, into which no players from either team are permitted to be.

Q

Quarter : a period of play. Each game is divided into four quarters of equal length. Quarters in the AFL and other senior last 20 minutes plus time-on.

Quarter-time : the gap between the first and second quarters.

R

Rainmaker: a ball that is kicked very high up but not very far

Raking : a description of a kicking style that results in long kicks.

Rebound : the act of moving the ball forward after winning it as the result of a turnover in the defensive end of the ground.

Red time : the final few minutes of playing time in any quarter.

Reported : the state of a player after an umpire has written their name into a notebook, during play, for an act that may result in the player being suspended.

Rookie : a player who is on an AFL club's playing list, but who cannot play senior games unless replacing a long-term injured or retired player.

Roost : a long kick.

Rotation : a planned interchange designed to minimise fatigue of midfielders.

Rover : a small inside midfielder. Historically one of three distinct followers, but the term is now rarely used.

Rubbed out : colloquialism for being suspended.

Ruck : (or ruckman) a tall player who contests the ball-up or throw-in.

Ruck rover : a midfielder halfway between a ruck and a rover. Historically one of the three distinct followers, but now rarely used.

Run through the mark : (or run across the mark), when a player runs between the man on the mark and the player who is taking a free kick. If a defending player does this, and he is not immediately following his direct opponent, a fifty-metre penalty will be awarded.

Runner : a club official whose job is to run onto the ground to give the players messages from the coach during play.

Running bounce

Running bounce

A running bounce, or simply bounce, is a skill in the sport of Australian rules football when a player, while running, bounces the ball on the ground and back to himself.-The Skill:...

: (or simply bounce) the act of a player bouncing the football on the ground and back to himself while running, which must be done once every fifteen metres.

Rushed behind : the concession of a behind for the opposition team. A behind which is deemed to have been deliberately rushed by a player under no pressure is penalised by a free kick, but in all other circumstances it concedes one point.

S

Sausage roll : rhyming slang for "goal" (also called a snag, from the Australian slang term for a sausage).

Screamer : a spectacular high mark, usually in a contested situation. See specky.

Season : a year of a competition.

Set Shot : an attempt to kick a goal from a mark or a free kick. See shot.

Shark : obtaining possession of the ball, often in a difficult position, particularly from the hitout of the opposing ruck.

Shepherd : a block placed on an opposing player. This can be to stop him tackling a teammate in possession of the ball, or attempting to gather it; to stop him intercepting a ball heading for goal; or just to stop him possessing the ball himself.

Shot : an attempt to kick a goal.

Showdown: a game between Port Adelaide and Adelaide

Siren : a loud sound used to signal the start and end of the game, and the start and end of each quarter.

Sit : a description of the best position from which to take a mark.

Smother : the act of stopping a kick immediately after it leaves the boot. Generally undertaken with the hands or body.

Snap : a shot at goal, usually executed under pressure from an unlikely scoring position.

Soccer : (verb) to kick the ball off the ground, i.e. without first taking the ball in the hands, as is the primary means of disposal in the sport of soccer.

Specky : (or screamer, hanger; also spelt speccie, speckie, etc.) short term for "spectacular mark". Generally refers to the act of leaping onto another player's back or shoulders to take a high mark, usually in a contested situation.

Spell, to have a : to be interchanged off the ground.

Spillage : occurs when a ball comes off the top of a pack of players attempting to mark a ball.

Spoil : a punch or slap of the ball which hinders an opposition player from talking a mark.

Stab pass : a kick that travels very low to the ground to a teammate. Until the 1970s this was usually a drop kick.

Stacks on the mill : a stand-alone statement made by commentators to indicate that the ball is covered by a large pack of players on the ground and is unable to move.

Stepladder : colloquially, the player upon whose shoulders another player jumps to take a specky.

Substitute : an interchange player who cannot be freely interchanged, but may be brought onto the ground to replace a player for the rest of a game.

Supergoal : a goal which scores nine points instead of six, earned by kicking a goal from beyond a set distance, usually 50m in AFL pre-season competitions. Seen only in practice and exhibition games.

Suspended : the state of a player who has been refused permission to play by a legislated tribunal. See reported.`

Sweeper : a player who plays loose across the half-back line in order to act as a link between the backline and midfield.

Switch : to move the ball laterally across the ground, hoping to find an easier path to the forward-line.

T

Tackle : the grabbing of an opposition player in possession of the ball, in order to impede his progress or to force him to dispose of the ball quickly.

Tagger : a defensive player whose task is to prevent an opposition midfielder from having an impact on the game.

Tap : see hitout.

Tapout : see hitout.

Term : colloquialism for quarter.

Thin side : an imaginary area of the ground that indicates the least space occupied by the greatest number of players. See fat side.

Third man up : (or simply third man) a player other than the nominal ruckman who unexpectedly enters a ruck contest to effect a hitout. Rules prevent third men at the centre bounce, but permit them at all other ball-ups.

Three-quarter-time : the break between the third and fourth quarters.

Throw : an illegal disposal of a ball by hand. Will result in a free kick to the opposition.

Throw-in : see boundary throw-in.

Time-on : time added on to the end of each quarter to compensate for time lost during general play by stoppages. The amount of time to be added on is determined by independent time-keepers who stop the game clock when indicated by the central umpires. Lower grade and lower age-group competitions will often be played without time-on.

Torpedo : (colloq. screwie, torp or barrel) a punt kick that rotates the ball around its long axis, which is aligned with the direction the ball is travelling. Regarded as the type of kick with the longest distance, but the lowest chance of being accurate.

Touch : colloquialism for possession or disposal.

Touched : a term to indicate that a ball was touched by another player after being kicked; such a kick cannot result in a mark, a goal, or an out of bounds on the full free kick.

Trip : a low tackle, which will result in a free kick to the opposition. Furthermore, tripping or attempting to trip an opponent with the foot or leg will lead to a player being reported.

Turnover : the loss of possession of the ball to the opposition.

Tunnelling : bumping an airborne player attempting a mark with the intention of unbalancing them.

U

Uncontested possession : a possession achieved without having to engage in a contest.

Utility : a player adept at playing several non-key position roles.

Umpire: makes decisions

W

Wing : an indicative area of the ground that lies between the forward and back flanks on both sides of the centre. There are only two on the ground.

Wooden spoon : the imaginary "award" said to be received by the team finished last on the ladder at the end of a season.

Z

Zone : a defensive arrangement of players on a section of the ground, designed to stifle the forward movement of the ball by the opposition. Probably borrowed from basketball.

Zone off : the act of a defender leaving some space between himself and his opponent. This is contrary to the normal defensive style of man-on-man.

External links

• A dictionary of Aussie rules terms