Rec Footy
Encyclopedia
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...
game sanctioned by the 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...
. It is a more accessible version of Australian rules football that people can pick up and play with some degree of skill and ability and it is directly aligned to the traditional game of Australian rules football.
It is a mixed competition, accessible to players of both sexes, all shapes and sizes and requires minimal equipment to play.
Field size, number of players and duration of play
Rec Footy teams are much smaller than Australian Rules Football, with two teams of 8. Unlike Australian Rules Football, unlimited number of interchange players are allowed.The field is also much smaller than an Australian Rules Football oval, consisting of a rectangular surface with a maximum length of 100 metres by 50 metres wide.
Games are much shorter and do not consist of quarters, with only two 20 minute halves.
Rule differences to encourage female participation
The game encourages female participation, with a minimum of 3 female players per mixed side. In addition, teams are encouraged to play females in the forward line, with a goal kicked by a female worth 3 more points (9) than a goal kicked by a male player (6).The game is played with a modified Australian rules ball, which is the same size but prevents it from being kicked long distances to reduce the kicking advantage of males over females.
Rule differences to prevent physical contact
Unlike Australian rules football, there is no contesting for possession with the exception of removing a player's tag, which substitutes for a tackleTackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and gives the player 3 seconds prior opportunity to dispose of the ball before the 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...
rule is applied. All one percenter
One percenter (Australian football)
A one percenter is a statistic kept in Australian football, and relates to a variety of actions which benefit the team, but are infrequent or defensive.-History:...
s, such as sheparding, blocking, spoiling or smothering are strictly penalised with a free kick. Marking
Mark (Australian football)
A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground....
contests are strictly enforced to avoid contact via a drop-zone rule. When any contact is made by an opposition player, a free kick is awarded to the opposition player that is infringed. For deliberate contact, an immediate send-off rule applies and red and yellow cards are shown as in soccer.
Other rule differences
There is no minimum kick distance for a markMark (Australian football)
A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground....
to be paid, although kicking off the ground (or "soccering") is strictly banned. A 15 metre penalty substitutes for a 50 metre penalty.
If the ball it disposed of by a player and hits the ground, it is a free kick to the nearest opposition player. Although there is no offside rule in Australian Football, Rec Footy restricts player movement to zones, similarly to netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, and players wear netball like bibs to identify their position on the ground. In order to score from a rebound, the ball must be possessed by a player from each of the three zones, otherwise a free kick is paid to the nearest defender when it reachers the forward line.
| Position Name | Abbreviation | Number of players | Areas permitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | F | 3 (at least one female for mixed) | Attacking goal third and centre third (can only score from within attacking goal third) |
| Centre | C | 2 (at least one female for mixed) | Anywhere on ground. Cannot score goal. |
| Back | B | 3 (at least one female for mixed) | Defending goal third and centre third. Cannot score goal |
History
The Carter Report titled “Investing in the Future of Australian Football (October 2001)”, identified segment gaps in Aussie Rules and its demographic reach. The research found that unlike codes such as rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
with the successful touch football (rugby league)
Touch football (rugby league)
Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
, Aussie Rules did not have a recreational version of the game to cater for the growing recreational participation market. In the past, the nearest recreational form of the game was the casual pastime of kick-to-kick
Kick-to-kick
Kick-to-kick is a pastime and well-known tradition of Australian rules football fans, and a recognised Australian term for kick and catch type games...
, rather than an organised team sport. AFL Recreational Football (Recreational Footy or Rec Footy) was developed by the 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...
to provide maximum involvement at all levels with a variation of the game that virtually anyone can play. It is often referred to as Auskick
Auskick
Auskick is a national program in Australia to develop and promote participation in Australian rules football by children. It has proven to be popular with both boys and girls....
for adults and aims to increase participation in women.
The game was originally trialled in Western Australia by the WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
in 2003.
By 2004, the game has grown to 592 players (Western Australia: 34 teams & 344 players; Victoria: 16 teams & 248 players)http://afl.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/article/187356cg.pdf.
In 2005, the game grew quickly, especially in Queensland.
In 2006 several new teams began. The sport is now played in all Australian states, with a heavy involvement at universities. A small number of Women's Footy teams in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
also began playing informal games of Recreational Football.
Future representative games are planned.
Local competitions
Competitions are typically held in the early summer months (October–February) so as not to clash with the main football season.Competitions are held in various regions of every state in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
External links
See also
- Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballAustralian 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...
- Kick-to-kickKick-to-kickKick-to-kick is a pastime and well-known tradition of Australian rules football fans, and a recognised Australian term for kick and catch type games...