Ausball Rules
Field: 100 x 60 yards. Field can be shortened or lengthened accordingly upon coaches of both teams agreeing to a length before game
Players: 9-a-side on the field, with a minimum of 3 females. In the advent a team is short of players, they must have a minimum of 6 (3 females) to be able to play a game. The opposing team will be allowed to have one extra player on the field than the team that is short. More players can play on the field if both coaches agree before the game.
Field Positions: Players are divided into 3 areas, these being offense, midfield and defense. 3 players are in each area, one of which must be a female. Players must be in their areas at the commencement of each half and after a goal has been scored, but once the ball is in play, are free to run anywhere on the field.
Season Length: 7 weeks of round robin, 2 week of playoffs (recommended – allow a couple of weeks for rainouts). In the event of a rainout, that weeks games will be played at the end of the season. If there have been 2 rainouts, anymore rainouts will result in the canceling of that week’s games.
Passing: The ball can only be passed by either handballing or kicking it. The ball cannot be thrown!
An opposition player can stand on the “mark” where the ball was caught or free kick awarded. The player with the ball must back up and give themselves enough room to kick over the opposition player. If the opposition player moves over the “mark” before the player in possession has kicked or played on, a fifteen yard penalty is awarded.
Contact: Tackling is not allowed, but if you touch (called a tag) a player in possession of the ball, they must dispose of it immediately regardless of whether their 3 seconds is up or not. You can also block a handball or kick but you cannot knock the ball out of someone’s hands and must give them a chance to dispose of the ball by giving them enough room to do so. Intent must always be for the ball and not the player. Anything deemed too rough will be penalized with a free kick against the offending player.
Girls only rule: When the ball is kicked high in the air and there are any females already in position where the ball is estimated to land, the umpire is to call “girls only”. This means that no males are allowed into the contest to catch the ball. Once the ball hits the ground, they are then allowed to contest it.
Off Side - A a team MUST have a minimum of 3 players either side of the
center line at all times. This even applies if they have the ball on
one side and run over the center line to the other. Penalties will be a
free kick against the side infringing. The kick will be taken from the
center line if the ball is in the back half of the team awarded the
free or from the spot the ball was in if it is in their forward half.
Each side will also only be allowed to have 4 players within 30
yards of a ball up (tip off). The center circle will be marked with a line
and for ball ups around the field the umpire will look around before throwing it up
to tell anyone if they have to move back. A free will be awarded from
the spot against any team infringing.
Safety rule – in the event that the umpire anticipates what they think could be a potentially dangerous collision between players converging on the ball at the same time, they will blow the whistle and call “safety”. On hearing the whistle, players must halt their pursuit on the ball. Play will recommence by a tip-off at the position play was stopped.
Scoring: At either end of the field, there are 4 upright poles. 2 large ones in the center and two smaller ones on the outside. To score a goal you must KICK the ball between the taller, center poles. A goal is worth 6 points and it can sail through high in the air or bounce through, as long as no-one touches the ball after it has been kicked. If the ball is touched, or goes through between one of the taller poles and an outside smaller pole, it is called a behind and worth one point. A typical score could be:
Team A: 5 goals (30), 4 behinds (4) = 34 points
Team B: 4 goals (24), 7 behinds (7) = 31 points
Once the ball passes into a teams forward half, it must pass through a female before a goal can be scored (in other words, she must handball or kick). If a goal is kicked without a female gaining prior possession, a behind (1) will be awarded. If the ball is in a teams forward half and is taken out over the center line and into defense, but the team regains possession of the ball and brings it back into their forward half, it must again be possessed by a female before a goal can be scored.
After a goal is scored, play recommences in the center of the field with a tip off like in basketball (this is also how each half begins). If a behind is scored, the defensive team kicks the ball back into play 10 yards from their goal line. If the offensive team regains possession, they must again transition through a female before a goal can be scored.
Out of bounds: If the ball goes out of the playing area, a free kick is awarded against the team to last touch the ball. A tip off results if the umpire cannot determine who last touched the ball
Turnovers: Are not penalized. Therefore if a player hand passes or kicks the ball and it hits the ground, it is play on and whoever gathers the ball next wins possession of the ball and the game continues. Any “lock ups” between two opposing players grabbing the ball at the same time will result in a tip off. As a safety rule, you also cannot dive to gain possession of the ball and must gather it up in a crouching, upright position.
Game time: 2 x 15 minute halves.
Ball: Size 3 Rubber synthetic Australian football.
