What is Australian Rules Football?

Australian Rules Football (also “Aussie Rules” or “ footy”) is a physical contact sport. It is a form of football with roots traceable from early forms of Rugby and Gaelic football, but it is uniquely Australian. Its rules were codified in 1858, and probably predate all other modern forms of football, such as American, Canadian, Rugby Union and League, Association (Soccer) and Gaelic football. Today it is a multi-million dollar business, with a National Competition and numerous smaller leagues. Interest in the game is generally at an all time high within and outside Australia, yet despite this, some parts of Australia are still lukewarm in support of their team in the AFL, and the game has yet to take a firm hold overseas.

Teams determine the initial choice of goal by coin toss. The field umpire starts play by blowing his whistle and bouncing the ball in the center circle so that it rebounds vertically to be contested by the players in the center square. If ground conditions won’t allow the ball to bounce, the umpire simply tosses the ball into the air as if it were a “jump ball.” 토토
At a center bounce, no player may enter the center circle or cross the center line into the opponent’s side of the ground, and only four players from each team are permitted in the center square, until after the ball has been bounced.