Some features about Australian Football League (Part 3)
Rules
To move the football onto the field players are allowed to kick, pitch or run with it, allowing them to toss it every 15 meters.
Free kick is awarded when the referee thinks a player has handled the ball incorrectly, pushed a player in the back, tackled on the shoulder, organized or pulled another player, kicked the ball across the boundary, or was too hung pungent.
Settlement in AFL, similar to American football, shows that players try to prevent other teams from progressing by contacting them under their shoulders and on their knees. When a player is dealt, they must drop the ball by kicking or throwing the ball. If the umpire considers the player to have a chance to drop the ball but no, a free kick is awarded to the settlement team, if the ball is not called.
A ball rises up similar to a tip-off in basketball, where two ruckmen try to hit the ball after the referee throws it up to restart play.
A sign is when a player kicks the ball over 15 meters to another player and it has been successfully caught. The player who catches the ball is then given space and time to play the next game without pressure.
A handball, different to throw, is when the ball is punched using alternate fists to launch the ball from the opposite hand (think of an underhand serving in volleyball). A handball is used to move the ball between teammates without having to kick it.
Competition time
The length of Australian football matches can vary from tournament to tournament, but generally from 15 to 20p per quarter. At AFL, every quarter takes 20 minutes plus additional time to compensate for the period of suspension, such as balls out of bounds, injuries, goal goals (or behind behinds) being kicked, or when the referee or when the umpire sets the corner of the free-kick into a goal. The time is decided by two off-field officials, called “time managers,” who hear the sirens at the beginning and end of each quarter. A typical AFL can take anywhere from 27 to 33 minutes, but it can be longer if, for example, injury causes a delay. The AFL break time after the first and third quarter is six minutes, with a 20-minute half-time break. Therefore, a match with the quarter takes an average of 30 minutes to last about two and a half hours.