Glossary of Australian rules football

This page is a glossary of Australian rules football. Australian rules football is a team sport played between two teams of twenty-two players. The sport has several different names, including football, footy and Aussie rules. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics.

Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZReferencesExternal links

0-9

1-2 
(pronounced one-two) an action where a player handpasses to a teammate, who immediately handpasses back.
12-10 Rule 
A rule in the VFL concerning the selection of AFL-listed players in teams with an AFL 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.[1] This can also refer to the philosophy of the South Australian crowd being the 19th man for the Adelaide Crows, who have retired the number 19 guernsey, and sell sporting merchandise with the number 19 on it.

A

AFL 
Australian Football League. 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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
Ball! 
usually yelled by spectators when an opposition player is tackled in possession of the ball. Short for "holding the ball".[3]
Ball burster 
colloquialism for a massive kick, usually a torpedo punt which travels over 70 metres.[5]
Ball-up 
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.[3][6]
Banana 
a kick which causes the ball to swing in the air in the opposite direction to the usual. See checkside.[7]
Barrel 
a "torpedo punt" kick. See also screwie.[8]
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.[9]
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.[3]
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.[10]
Best on ground 
player judged the best player taking part in any game. Sometimes also referred to as BOG, pronounced "bee-oh-gee".[11]
Bounce-down 
(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.[12]
Boundary line 
the line drawn on the ground to delimit the field of play.[3]
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.[3]
Break 
short term for "break in play"; e.g. quarter-time, half-time, or three-quarter-time.[13]
Brownlow 
the Brownlow Medal is awarded the week of the Grand Final to the player judged to be the best and fairest player in the the league for the season, based on accumulated points awarded by the field umpires at the conclusion of each match during the season.
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 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.[6]
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.[3]
Charlie 
colloquialism for the Brownlow Medal.
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.[14]
Coach 
the manager of the team who controls the team's tactics during a match.[6]
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.[15]
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".[14]
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".[16]

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 
a statistical term indicating that a player disposed of the ball legally by either hand or foot. Synonymous with possession or touch.[6]
Don't argue 
colloquial term for a stiff-arm fend.
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 
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 in American sports).
Flags 
white flag waved by a goal umpire to signal a goal or behind.[3]
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.[17]
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.[14]
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 
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.[3]
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.[3]
Goal posts 
two tall posts at each end of the ground indicating the major scoring zone, positioned 6.4m apart.[3]
Goal square 
the 6.4×9m rectangle drawn on the ground directly in front of each goal.[3]
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.[3]
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.[13]
Hammy 
a severe hamstring injury (as in "pulled a hammy"). Also hammie.
Handball 
(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.[3]
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 
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 
the grouping of players on the ground at quarter-time and three-quarter-time breaks,[18] and a tactic used at kick-ins after a behind where players group together at center-half-back before breaking to the flanks.[19]

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.[20]
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.[3]
Interchange gate 
a 20m zone marked on the boundary line through which players being interchanged must run.

J

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.[3]
Kick-in 
(or sometimes kick-out) the return of the ball back into play after a behind has been scored.[14]
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.[13]
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.[3]
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.[16]
Midfielder 
a player who roams and plays within the midfield.

N

Norm Smith 
The Norm Smith Medal is awarded at the end of the Grand Final to the player judged by a panel of five independent judges to be the best on ground for that game (often, but not always, awarded to a member of winning team).

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.[3]
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.[13]
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.[3]
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.[21]
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.[22]
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.[23]
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 
(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.[6]
Selling Candy 
a colloquial expression for a baulk.
Set Shot 
an attempt to kick a goal from a mark or a free kick. See shot.[13]
Shark 
obtaining possession of the ball, often in a difficult position, particularly from the hitout of the opposing ruck.[24]
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.
Shirtfront 
an aggressive front-on bump.
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.[3]
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.[13]
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.[25]
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.`[3]
Sweeper 
a player who plays loose across the half-back line in order to act as a link between the backline and midfield.[16]
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.[6]
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.[13]
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.[3]
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.[26]
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.[3]
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.

X

Y

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.[19] 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.[10]

References

External links