New players
Come have a Kick!
The Seattle Grizzlies are always excited to welcome new players! No experience is necessary and we invite you to come out to a practice to see if footy is for you. Just bring some cleats if you have them and come dressed for a workout.
Please reach out on our contact us page if you have questions or want more information. We’re excited to meet you!
What is AFL?
Australian Rules Football, also known as AFL, Aussie Rules or Footy, is a fast and skilful contact sport indigenous to Australia and now played all over the world. It is a form of football with roots traceable from early forms of Rugby and Gaelic football. The AFL recently put together this short video to help you understand our great game!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMZYZcoAcU0
How to Play Footy:
The Main Concepts
The key to understanding what is happening on the field is to be aware of a few concepts. The in-depth details of the sport are apparent to only experienced watchers and players, however, knowing a few basics can help you successfully engage with the locals.
The Playing Sides
The field is enormous and roughly the size of two regular football fields. Due to the sheer amount of space, each team fields 18 players at a time, with four additional players available on the interchange bench. These extra players can be used tactically to influence certain periods of play, to replace injured players, or to keep the team fresh and rested throughout the match.
The Match
Each AFL game consists of four 20-minute periods (depending on grade) and the umpire starts each quarter by bouncing the ball in the center circle. Once the ball is bounced, it is considered ‘in play’ and the players can contest possession.
Scoring
A player can score either a goal or a behind, with six points and one point awarded respectively. To score a goal, a player must kick the ball between the two middle posts, without it being ‘touched’ by another player. A behind is scored if the ball is kicked between the inside and outside posts, hits the two taller posts, or is carried behind or handballed across the goal line by a player, between any of the posts. The score is then presented to reflect the number of goals (six pointers) and the number of behinds (one pointers), with the combined score in brackets.
General Play
The ball is moved around the field by a combination of kicking, handballing and running. When the ball is kicked, the players contest the ball in the air and if it is caught cleanly by a player on the same team as the kicker, it is called a mark. The player who marks the ball can then take a shot at goal or kick the ball to a teammate in a better position who, provided they also catch it cleanly for a mark, can then make the same decision.
When running with the ball, the player must bounce and catch it every 15 metres or so to avoid being penalised, or pass the ball either through kicking or handballing it to a teammate. A handball is performed by punching the ball in the desired direction.
Skills
Rules
For more information about AFL, please visit the USAFL site.