Australian rules football can look like a mix of rugby and soccer at first: players kick an oval ball, carry it by hand and tackle opponents. But it is a distinct sport, with its own scoring system, field shape and ways to move the ball. The name “AFL” is often used for the game, though the AFL is the main professional league; the sport itself is Australian rules football, or “Aussie rules.”
If you are comparing it with related sports, the closest points of reference are Gaelic football and rugby codes. All involve contests for possession and moving a ball toward a scoring area, but their rules create very different styles of play. Here is what sets Australian rules apart—and where the similarities come from.
What makes Australian rules football different?
A standard senior Australian rules team has 18 players on the oval at a time. The game is played on a large oval field, often shared with cricket, and uses an oval-shaped ball. Players can advance by kicking or handballing: a handball is made by punching the ball with one hand while holding it in the other. Throwing it is not allowed.
Players may also run with the ball, but must bounce it or touch it to the ground at least once every 15 metres. Tackling is allowed, generally between the shoulders and knees, and there is no offside line restricting how far forward a player can stand. That freedom helps create the sport’s open, fast-moving feel: a turnover can quickly become a long kick forward or a chain of handballs through traffic.
Scoring is another clear difference. A kick through the two tall central posts, without being touched, is a goal worth six points. A behind is worth one point when the ball passes between a central goalpost and a shorter outer post, or reaches the scoring area in certain other ways. Teams have four quarters, and match time includes time added for stoppages, so the total time on the clock is longer than the nominal quarter length.
Australian rules football compared with related sports
| Sport | Key similarities | Main differences from Australian rules |
|---|---|---|
| Gaelic football | Uses an oval ball, features kicking and hand-passing, and rewards players for clean catches. | Usually has 15 players per side and uses a rounder ball. Its goals have a net and crossbar, allowing both goals and points over the bar. |
| Rugby union | Players carry, kick and contest possession of an oval ball, with physical tackling. | Has 15 players, a different scoring system and strict offside rules. Forward passes are not allowed, and play often restarts through set pieces such as scrums and lineouts. |
| Rugby league | Combines running with the ball, kicking, tackling and territorial play. | Has 13 players and a set of tackles that shapes each possession. Its rectangular field and scoring methods differ from the oval and goal-and-behind system in Australian rules. |
| Soccer | Both use kicking to move a ball into a scoring area and create space through team positioning. | Soccer uses a round ball, prohibits most use of the hands by outfield players, and has 11 players per side. Australian rules allows handballing, carrying and tackling. |
How it compares with Gaelic football
Gaelic football is often called the closest relative to Australian rules. The games share visible features: an oval ball, kicking, hand-passing and the value of catching a high ball. Both reward players who can read a flighted kick and win possession above an opponent.
The resemblance has a historical connection too. The International Rules series, played between Australian and Irish teams, uses a compromise set of rules that draws on both games. But the sports are not interchangeable. Gaelic football has 15 players per team and a scoring frame with a net and crossbar. Players can score a goal into the net or a point by sending the ball over the crossbar. Australian rules instead has four posts and no crossbar, with goals worth six and behinds worth one.
The handling rules also differ. Australian rules players punch a handpass and can run while bouncing the ball. Gaelic football has its own soloing and hand-passing rules, including limits on how players may carry and handle the ball. A player used to one code needs to adjust rather than assume the same technique will work in the other.
How it compares with rugby
Australian rules and rugby share contact, kicking and the contest for territory, but the flow of play is quite different. Rugby union and league are played on rectangular fields, with teams advancing through structured phases and rules governing offside and passing. Australian rules is played on an oval, has no offside rule, and allows players to kick in any direction.
That changes how teams attack. In Australian rules, a long kick toward a teammate can set up a mark: a clean catch from a kick that has travelled at least 15 metres. The player who takes the mark can stop play and take an unimpeded kick. Forwards may lead into space, while defenders try to spoil the catch or force a ground-ball contest. Rugby has its own aerial contests, but it does not use the Australian rules mark as a routine way to pause play and launch the next attack.
The tackle is also used differently. In Aussie rules, a player with the ball is under pressure to dispose of it legally, often by handball or kick. In rugby, tackles commonly lead to a breakdown or a new phase, with the next action governed by that code’s rules. In both sports, timing and body position matter—but the decision a player makes after contact is not the same.
Why the differences matter when watching
When you watch Australian rules for the first time, follow three things: space, possession and the posts. Because there is no offside line, players spread across the oval and try to create open lanes. Watch how a midfielder wins the ball at a stoppage, then looks up for a teammate running into space. A long kick may be aimed at a forward who can take a mark, while defenders position themselves to intercept or spoil.
Keep an eye on the scoreboard as well. A team can score more often but still lose if it kicks too many behinds instead of goals. That makes accuracy important, especially when a player has a set shot after taking a mark. Those small details—the catch, the decision to play on, and the finish between the posts—are part of what gives Australian rules its own rhythm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australian rules football the same as the AFL?
No. Australian rules football is the sport. The AFL is the main professional competition in Australia and also the sport’s governing body at the elite level. State, local and community competitions play the same code.
Which sport is most similar to Australian rules football?
Gaelic football is often considered the closest comparison because both use an oval ball, kicking, hand-passing and aerial contests. Their player numbers, scoring systems and handling rules are still different.
Is Australian rules football a type of rugby?
No. It shares features with rugby, including an oval ball, tackling and kicking, but it has separate rules, field markings and scoring. It is a distinct football code.
What is a mark in Australian rules football?
A mark is awarded when a player cleanly catches a kick that has travelled at least 15 metres and has not been touched by another player. The player can then take a set kick or choose to play on.
Final Thoughts
Australian rules football shares pieces of its game with Gaelic football, rugby and soccer, but its oval field, free-flowing movement, handball, mark and goal-and-behind scoring make it a code of its own. Once you understand those basics, the tactical picture becomes easier to follow: teams are constantly trying to win space, find a clean possession and turn it into an accurate score.
Aiden Cross is a sports writer and editor at BeliveSports, covering a broad range of sports with a focus on clear, accurate, and practical information. His work covers rules, techniques, player roles, competitions, equipment, statistics, and the details that help readers better understand how different sports are played. Aiden takes a research-driven approach to sports writing, using reliable sources and established sporting information to provide context rather than simply repeating surface-level facts. His goal is to make complex topics accessible while maintaining the accuracy and depth expected by knowledgeable sports fans. At BeliveSports, Aiden contributes to the site’s editorial standards by focusing on accuracy, clarity, useful context, and reader-first explanations.