by Woody Woodhouse

Created on: February 21, 2009   Last Updated: March 01, 2009

Australian Football (commonly known as AFL) poses a unique and at times complicated scoring method! Ultimately the aim is to score more points than your opponents.

An AFL oval consists of eight posts in total, with four at each end. They are aligned in a straight line 6.4 meters apart from each other. The two middle posts are commonly referred to as the 'goal posts' and are taller in stature than the outside posts which are known as the 'behind posts'. The varying height is so players and umpires can easily identify the different posts.

The highest scoring shot is worth six points, this is known as a goal! To achieve this the attacking player must kick the ball off any part of their lower extremities (ie. there legs) and the ball must go between the two goal posts, either on the full or rolling/bouncing.

Another way to add points to the teams score is by kicking a behind. This is achieved in the same way as a six pointer however the ball doesn't go in between the goal posts but rather the behind posts on either of the two sides.

The complicated section of the scoring occurs when neither of the two objectives above occur. Other ways to score include:

The defending team gets the ball over the goal line (by any means such as handball or kicking). This scores one point and is commonly known as a 'rushed' behind. This often occurs in pressure situations where instead of risking the attacker getting six points they opt for conceding the smaller one point.

Hitting the goal posts (either of the two central posts) also contributes one point to the scoreline for the attacking team. However, if the ball hits either of the outside posts then the ball is deemed out of play and no points are added. If it hits the post on the full from a kick then its a freekick beside the post to the opposing team or if it hit the post after bouncing or using a hand then its a boundary throw in by the boundary umpire.

To signal a goal, the goal umpire points both index fingers in front of his body followed by waving two white flags above his head to indicate to the other goal umpire. A behind is signalled by pointing one index finger and waving one white flag above his head.

There is also a new rule system being trialled in the NAB Cup (pre-season tournament) that also includes a nine pointer known as a super goal. This is achieved in the same way as a normal goal but occurs when the player kicks the ball from outside the fifty metre arc. This is not an official rule yet but may soon come into play after the trial period is evaluated.

Finally, the score is shown in the following manner: The first number is the amount of goals, the second is the amount of behinds and the final number is the total score. The following is an example of how its displayed.

Sydney 18.7 (115) vs Hawthorn 11.23 (89)

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