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This page is a glossary of Australian rules football.

Australian Rules Football is a team sport played between two teams of twenty-two. Some terms are often thought to be humorous or invented for comic purposes by many.

This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of Australian Rules. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics.

0-9

1-2 

(pronounced one-two) an action where a player handpasses to a teammate, who immediately handpasses back.

12-10 Rule 

A rule in the VFL concerning the selection of AFL-listed players in teams with an AFL affiliate team. When a team which is affiliated with an AFL team plays against a team which is not affiliated with an AFL team, the affiliated team must play at least 12 VFL-listed players and no more than 10 AFL-listed players. The 12-10 rule does not apply when two AFL-affiliated teams play each other, and in those games, teams may play as many AFL-listed players as they wish.

19th man 

at a time in the game before the interchange bench was introduced, one reserve player was named in addition to the 18 players who started the game on the ground. These players could enter the game only if one of the original 18 left the field and did not return. This was also extended to the 20th man with a second reserve introduced in the 1970s. ^[1]

A

AFL 

Australian Football League. This acronym is used colloquially as an alternative name for the sport when distinguishing it from other football codes, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales.

All-Australian 

a player who has been chosen in the best team of the AFL competition each year, the All-Australian Team; or, prior to the nationalisation of the competition or in lower age groups where the game is not nationalised, the best composite team from all states. ^[2]

Angle 

the geometric angle formed by an imaginary line between a player taking a set shot and the centre of the goals (on the goal line), and another imaginary line perpendicular to the goal line. So, a player with "no angle" is taking a kick from directly in front; a player on a "wide angle" is taking a shot from near a boundary line.

Arena 

the playing surface. ^[3]

Assist 

to kick or handpass to a player who then scores either a goal (for a goal assist) or a behind (for a score assist). The term is common across many world sports.

Australian Football 

name officially used by the AFL to describe the sport.

B

Bag 

colloquialism for a large number of goals scored by one player.^[4]

Ball! 

usually yelled by spectators when an opposition player is tackled in possession of the ball. Short for "holding the ball". ^[3]

Ball burster 

colloquialism for a massive kick, usually a torpedo punt which travels over 70 metres.^[5]

Ball-up 

the act of a field umpire putting the ball back into play, either by throwing it vertically upwards into the air, or by bouncing the ball in such a way that it mimics the throwing action. See bounce-down. A ball-up is required at the start of each quarter, after a goal is scored or to restart the game from neutral situations in the field of play.^{[3] [6]}

Banana 

a kick which causes the ball to swing in the air in the opposite direction to the usual. See checkside. ^[7]

Barrel 

a "torpedo punt" kick. See also screwie.^[8]

Baulk 

a manoeuvre where a player holds the ball out to the side in one hand, then runs in the other direction to evade a defender.^[9]

Behind 

a score worth one point, earned by putting the ball between a goal post and a behind post, or by the ball hitting a goal post, or by the ball being touched prior to passing between the goalposts. ^[3]

Behind posts 

two shorter vertical posts 19.8m apart on the goal line at each end of the ground, centred about the taller goal posts.

Bench 

the interchange area. The "bench" refers to the seat used by the players in this area.^[10]

Best on ground 

player judged the best player taking part in any game. Sometimes also referred to as BOG, pronounced "bee-oh-gee". ^[11]

Bounce-down 

(or simply bounce) the act of a field umpire putting the ball back into play by bouncing the ball in such a way that it mimics a vertical throw. See ball-up. ^[12]

Boundary line 

the line drawn on the ground to delimit the field of play. ^[3]

Boundary throw-in 

the act of throwing the ball back into play by the boundary umpire. The boundary umpire stands with his back to the arena and throws the ball backwards over his head. This is used to restart play from neutral situations whenever the ball goes out of bounds.

Boundary umpire 

an official who patrols the boundary line, indicating when it has fully crossed the line, and who then executes a boundary throw-in to return the ball to play. There are typically two of these umpires per game, one on each side of the oval, but there will be four in top grade games. ^[3]

Break 

short term for "break in play"; e.g. quarter-time, half-time, or three-quarter-time. ^[13]

Bump 

a contact between players using the hip and/or shoulder. See hip-and-shoulder.

C

Central umpire 

an official who patrols the field of play, awarding free kicks, indicating time-on and time-off, and restarting the game after stoppages, goals etc.

Centre 

the middle of the ground, also the name given to a player who starts the game in that position.

Centre bounce 

the bounce of the ball in the centre of the ground to start a quarter, or after a goal. ^[6]

Centre square 

a fifty metre square drawn around the centre of the ground. Only four players from each team may stand inside the centre square prior to a centre bounce, but the square otherwise has no significance. ^[3]

Checkside 

a kick which causes the ball to swing in the air in the opposite direction to the usual. See banana.

Chicken wing tackle 

a tackle that locks in an opponent's arm so that he cannot legally dispose of the ball. This term originated in Rugby League.

Clanger 

a blatant, unforced error. Most typically, this will be either conceding a free kick, or kicking or handpassing the ball directly to an opponent.

Cluster 

a type of zone defense consisting of a grid-like arrangement of fifteen or more players, particularly used to oppose a kick-in. ^[14]

Coach 

the manager of the team who controls the team's tactics during a match. ^[6]

Contest 

an in-game scenario where two or more players have an opportunity to win the ball.

Contested possession 

a possession achieved as a result of winning a contest.

Corkie 

colloquialism for a corked muscle, which is a deep bruise, usually in the leg. ^[15]

Corridor 

a term used to describe the imaginary strip of the ground that runs through the centre from goal to goal; a team who moves the ball in this area is said to "play through the corridor". ^[14]

Crumber 

a player who waits at the base of a marking pack in order to gather the loose ball if no mark is taken and the ball spills to ground. Similarly, gathering the ball in this manner is described as "getting the crumbs". ^[16]

D

Daisy cutter 

a kick that runs along the ground rather than through the air. See grubber. Also may to refer to a drop punt in which the ball travels through the air, but low to the ground.

Designated kicker 

a player who is given the ball by another player who has a set shot for goal, so that the receiving player may have a shot on the run for a long-distance goal or a supergoal. Typically done when the designated kicker is known to have a better likelihood of scoring the goal than the player taking the set shot.

Disposal 

a statistical term indicating that a player disposed of the ball legally by either hand or foot. Synonymous with possession or touch. ^[6]

Don't argue 

colloquial term for a stiff-arm fend.

Drop kick 

a kick that is executed in such a way that the foot contacts the ball at the same time as, or immediately after, it has been dropped to the ground on its end. No longer in common use in AFL due to its perceived inaccuracy. See stab pass.

Drop punt 

a kick that is executed by contacting the ball on its end, so that it rotates around its mid-point end over end. Usually considered the most accurate of kicks, and is by far the most commonly used kicking style in Australian rules football.

Dropping the ball 

see holding the ball.

E

Emergency umpire 

a qualified field umpire who sits on the interchange bench during a game. He can pay free kicks only for interchange infringements and may report players, and can replace an injured or fatigued umpire.

F

Fat side 

an imaginary area of the ground that indicates the greatest space occupied by the least number of players. See thin side.

Field umpire 

see central umpire.

Fifty 

short term for "fifty-metre penalty".

Fifty, the 

an arc drawn at each end of the ground indicating that the distance from the goal line is fifty metres. It is the only designated distance marker on an Australian rules football arena.

Final siren 

the siren that sounds to signal the end of the game.

Finals 

the post-season series of games that decide the premiership.

Flag, the 

common expression for the Premiership, based upon the early practice of awarding a flag in lieu of a trophy for winning the premiership (analogous to the pennant in American sports).

Flags 

white flag waved by a goal umpire to signal a goal or behind. ^[3]

Flank 

an indicative area of the ground that lies between the wing and pocket on both sides of the centre. Also referred to as "half-forward flank" and "half-back flank".

Flick pass 

the variant of a handball which propels the ball with a flick of an open hand, rather than a clenched fist. Once legal in South Australian leagues, but now uniformly outlawed. See throw. ^[17]

Flight 

a description of the way a ball travels through the air.

Flood 

the act of getting as many players as possible between the ball carrier and the goal a team is defending. ^[14]

Followers 

an old term used to describe on-the-ball players, so named because they were the only players who followed the ball wherever it went. Specifically, the ruck, ruck rover and rover were considered followers. The term is less applicable in the modern game, where many more players will tend to move around the ground.

Four points, to get the 

common parlance for winning a game. The "four points" refers to the number of premiership points awarded for a win in an AFL game and in many other leagues.

Free kick 

an possession of the ball given to a player as a result of an infringement by an opposition player. These are only awarded by the central umpire.

Full-back 

the area of the ground directly in front of the opposition's goals. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the full-forward.

Full-forward 

the area of the ground directly in front of a team's goals. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the full-back.

Full-time 

the end of the game. See final siren.

G

Goal 

a maximum score (equivalent to 6 points) achieved by kicking the ball between the two goal-posts without it touching either post or any other player. ^[3]

Goal line 

a section of the boundary line that runs from one behind post to the other, at each end. All four posts (two goal posts and two behind posts) are set directly on this line. ^[3]

Goal posts 

two tall posts at each end of the ground indicating the major scoring zone, positioned 6.4m apart. ^[3]

Goal square 

the 6.4×9m rectangle drawn on the ground directly in front of each goal. ^[3]

Goal umpire 

an official who adjudicates the score, signals the score (out-of-bounds, point, or goal), waves flags to indicate the score to the crowd, and serves as official scorekeeper. There are two of these umpires per game, one at each end. ^[3]

Gorilla 

colloquially, a large, strong defender who plays body-on-body defence against the strongest forwards.

Grubber 

a kick that runs along the ground rather than though the air. See daisy cutter.

Guernsey 

the jersey worn by players.

Guts, the 

colloquial term for the corridor.

H

Half-back 

the area of the ground lying halfway between the centre and full-back. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the half-forward.

Half-forward 

the area of the ground lying halfway between the centre and full-forward. Also the name given to the player placed in that position. Usually opposed by the half-back.

Half-time 

the long break between the second and third quarters. ^[13]

Handball 

(or handpass) a legal disposal of the ball, executed by holding the ball on the flat palm of one hand and hitting it with the other clenched fist. ^[3]

Handy point 

colloquial term for a behind scored near the end of a close game which extends to one more than a multiple of six (i.e. from six points to seven points, from twelve points to thirteen points, or from eighteen points to nineteen points); so called because it means the opposition needs an extra scoring shot to tie or win the game.

Hanger 

see specky.

Hard ball get 

see contested possession.

High tackle 

a tackle that results in contact to the opposition play over the top of his shoulders or to the neck or head. This will result in a free kick.

Hip-and-shoulder 

See bump

Hitout 

(or tapout, tap or knock-out) a tap by a ruckman to a team's advantage.

Holding the ball 

a free kick awarded to a defensive player who tackles an opponent and prevents him from legally disposing of the football.

Huddle 

the grouping of players on the ground at quarter-time and three-quarter-time breaks^[18], and a tactic used at kick-ins after a behind where players group together at center-half-back before breaking to the flanks^[19].

I

In-and-under player 

(or inside midfielder) a player who tries to win hard ball gets by forcing the ball out of packs.

Inside-50 

the act of running or passing the ball inside the 50m arc. A statistic that is used to evaluate the effectiveness of midfield players who may not score many goals themselves, but set them up for teammates.^[20]

Interchange 

the designated area of the ground where players wait to be allowed onto the field after another player has left, i.e. one player is interchanged for another. ^[3]

Interchange gate 

a 20m zone marked on the boundary line through which players being interchanged must run.

J

K

Key position 

the centre half-forward and the centre half-back are collectively known as the key positions, and are considered the most difficult roles to play.

Kick 

a legal disposal of the ball by foot. ^[3]

Kick-in 

(or sometimes kick-out) the return of the ball back into play after a behind has been scored. ^[14]

Kick-off line 

the line on the goal square which is parallel to the goal line.

King hit 

an illegal physical attack on a player behind play, generally to the head which leaves the victim in a dazed or unconscious state.

L

Ladder 

the position of teams on the Premiership list, determined by their win-loss ratio and percentage.

Lead 

for a forward to run into space and away from his direct opponent, hoping to attract a pass from his teammate.

Legging 

see low tackle.

Loose man in defence 

a player who typically spends an entire game without a direct opponent, who assists other defenders in the team when necessary, and is often heavily involved in rebounding.

Low tackle 

a tackle resulting in contact made to a player below his knees. Results in a free kick against the tackling player. This is more commonly referred to by the colloquial term of legging the opponent.

M

Major 

a goal. ^[13]

Man-on-man 

the "traditional" defensive style of a defender playing close to an opposition forward. See zone-off.

Man on the mark 

the defensive player who stands where his opponent took a mark or received a free kick. The man on the mark holds his arms in the air, in an attempt to block his opponent's kick, or at least force him to take the kick from several metres further back to prevent it from being blocked.

Mark 

a clean catch of the ball after it has been kicked by another player (either by a teammate or by the opposition), before it has touched the ground, or been touched by any other player, and after it has travelled a minimum of 15 metres. The term also refers to the spot on the ground where the mark or free kick took place.^[3]

Midfield 

an indicative area of the ground that covers half-forward to half-back down the centre, and out to the wings and flanks. ^[16]

Midfielder 

a player who roams and plays within the midfield.

N

O

Off the ball 

an incident that occurred away from the main contest. Note that off the ball is not the direct opposite of on the ball.

On the ball 

a player who is not in any set position but who follows the ball all over the ground; also known as a follower or onballer, and not the direct opposite of off the ball.

One-percenter 

a defensive act such as a block, bump, shepherd, smother or chase.

Out on the full 

a kick that travels across the boundary line without first being touched by a player or hitting the ground. This will result in a free kick to the opposition team, taken by the player closest to the point at which the ball crossed the boundary line.^[3]

Outside midfielder 

a midfielder who receives most of his possessions in an uncontested manner, and often gets to position to receive handpasses from inside midfielders.

Oval 

the ground on which an Australian Rules Football game is played. Derived from the common shape of the ground.

Over the mark 

a player from either team who crosses from his side of the mark when there is a free kick being taken is said to have gone over the mark. If the attacking player does this, he is called to play on; if the defending player does this, he is penalised with a fifty metre penalty.

P

Pack 

a mass of players from both sides all attempting to get the ball at the same time. Can be used for players flying for a mark or scrambling for the ball at ground level.

Pass 

a kick that ends with the ball in the possession of a teammate. ^[13]

Percentage 

an indication of the ratio of points scored for versus points scored against. The AFL uses the formula (points for / points against) × 100, meaning that percentages may exceed 100%; the SANFL uses the formula {points for / points for and against) × 100.

Pill 

colloquialism for the ball.

Playmaker 

a player who directs a team play by action or deed during a game.

Play on 

the call made by an umpire whenever a player who is taking a mark or a free kick runs or handpasses rather than kicking over the mark; or, the call made by an umpire to alert players that a mark or free kick will not be paid, when they may be expecting that one would be paid.

Possession 

a description of the act of obtaining the ball. Also used synonymously with disposal.

Pocket 

an indicative part of the ground, equivalent to the area proscribed by an imaginary arc running from the goal post to a point on the boundary line halfway to the fifty-metre arc. There are two pockets at each end of the ground, referred to as the left and right, forward and back pockets, e.g. left-forward pocket.

Point 

the basic scoring unit. ^[3]

Poster 

common expression for a kicked ball which hits a goal post, resulting in a behind being scored rather than a goal.

Premiership 

awarded to the winner of the Grand Final. See the flag.

Prior opportunity 

(sometimes shortened to prior) a player who has had the ball for long enough to make a reasonable attempt to dispose of it before being tackled is said to have had prior opportunity. This is important for holding the ball decisions, where a player who has had prior opportunity must dispose of the ball immediately, while a player who has had "no prior" has a few extra seconds to dispose of the ball.

Protected zone 

an imaginary corridor 5m to either side of a player who is taking a free kick, into which no players from either team are permitted to be.

Q

Quarter 

a period of play. Each game is divided into four quarters of equal length. Quarters in the AFL and other senior last 20 minutes plus time-on.

Quarter-time 

the gap between the first and second quarters.

R

Raking 

a description of a kicking style that results in long kicks.^[21]

Rebound 

the act of moving the ball forward after winning it as the result of a turnover in the defensive end of the ground.

Red time 

the final few minutes of playing time in any quarter.

Reported 

the state of a player after an umpire has written their name into a notebook, during play, for an act that may result in the player being suspended.

Rookie 

a player who is on an AFL club's playing list, but who cannot play senior games unless replacing a long-term injured or retired player.

Roost 

a long kick.^[22]

Rotation 

a planned interchange designed to minimise fatigue of midfielders.

Rover 

a small inside midfielder. Historically one of three distinct followers, but the term is now rarely used.^[23]

Rubbed out 

colloquialism for being suspended.

Ruck 

(or ruckman) a tall player who contests the ball-up or throw-in.

Ruck rover 

a midfielder halfway between a ruck and a rover. Historically one of the three distinct followers, but now rarely used.

Run through the mark 

(or run across the mark), when a player runs between the man on the mark and the player who is taking a free kick. If a defending player does this, and he is not immediately following his direct opponent, a fifty-metre penalty will be awarded.

Running bounce 

(or simply bounce) the act of a player bouncing the football on the ground and back to himself while running, which must be done once every fifteen metres.

Rushed behind 

the concession of a behind for the opposition team. A behind which is deemed to have been deliberately rushed by a player under no pressure is penalised by a free kick, but in all other circumstances it concedes one point.

S

Sausage roll 

rhyming slang for "goal" (also called a snag, from the Australian slang term for a sausage).

Screamer 

a spectacular high mark, usually in a contested situation. See specky.

Season 

a year of a competition. ^[6]

Set Shot 

an attempt to kick a goal from a mark or a free kick. See shot. ^[13]

Shark 

obtaining possession of the ball, often in a difficult position, particularly from the hitout of the opposing ruck. ^[24]

Shepherd 

a block placed on an opposing player. This can be to stop him tackling a teammate in possession of the ball, or attempting to gather it; to stop him intercepting a ball heading for goal; or just to stop him possessing the ball himself.

Shot 

an attempt to kick a goal.

Siren 

a loud sound used to signal the start and end of the game, and the start and end of each quarter. ^[3]

Sit 

a description of the best position from which to take a mark.

Smother 

the act of stopping a kick immediately after it leaves the boot. Generally undertaken with the hands or body.

Snap 

a shot at goal, usually executed under pressure from an unlikely scoring position. ^[13]

Soccer 

(verb) to kick the ball off the ground, i.e. without first taking the ball in the hands, as is the primary means of disposal in the sport of soccer.

Specky 

(or screamer, hanger; also spelt speccie, speckie, etc.) short term for "spectacular mark". Generally refers to the act of leaping onto another player's back or shoulders to take a high mark, usually in a contested situation. ^[25]

Spell, to have a 

to be interchanged off the ground.

Spillage 

occurs when a ball comes off the top of a pack of players attempting to mark a ball.

Spoil 

a punch or slap of the ball which hinders an opposition player from talking a mark.

Stab pass 

a kick that travels very low to the ground to a teammate. Until the 1970s this was usually a drop kick.

Stacks on the mill 

a stand-alone statement made by commentators to indicate that the ball is covered by a large pack of players on the ground and is unable to move.

Stepladder 

colloquially, the player upon whose shoulders another player jumps to take a specky.

Supergoal 

a goal which scores nine points instead of six, earned by kicking a goal from beyond a set distance, usually 50m in AFL pre-season competitions. Seen only in practice and exhibition games.

Suspended 

the state of a player who has been refused permission to play by a legislated tribunal. See reported.`^[3]

Sweeper 

a player who plays loose across the half-back line in order to act as a link between the backline and midfield.^[16]

Switch 

to move the ball laterally across the ground, hoping to find an easier path to the forward-line.

T

Tackle 

the grabbing of an opposition player in possession of the ball, in order to impede his progress or to force him to dispose of the ball quickly. ^[6]

Tagger 

a defensive player whose task is to prevent an opposition midfielder from having an impact on the game.

Tap 

see hitout.

Tapout 

see hitout.

Term 

colloquialism for quarter. ^[13]

Thin side 

an imaginary area of the ground that indicates the least space occupied by the greatest number of players. See fat side.

Third man up 

(or simply third man) a player other than the nominal ruckman who unexpectedly enters a ruck contest to effect a hitout. Rules prevent third men at the centre bounce, but permit them at all other ball-ups.

Three-quarter-time 

the break between the third and fourth quarters.

Throw 

an illegal disposal of a ball by hand. Will result in a free kick to the opposition.

Time-on 

time added on to the end of each quarter to compensate for time lost during general play by stoppages. The amount of time to be added on is determined by independent time-keepers who stop the game clock when indicated by the central umpires. Lower grade and lower age-group competitions will often be played without time-on. ^[3]

Torpedo 

(colloq. screwie, torp or barrel) a punt kick that rotates the ball around its long axis, which is aligned with the direction the ball is travelling. Regarded as the type of kick with the longest distance, but the lowest chance of being accurate.^[26]

Touch 

colloquialism for possession or disposal.

Touched 

a term to indicate that a ball was touched by another player after being kicked; such a kick cannot result in a mark, a goal, or an out of bounds on the full free kick.

Trip 

a low tackle, which will result in a free kick to the opposition. Furthermore, tripping or attempting to trip an opponent with the foot or leg will lead to a player being reported. ^[3].

Turnover 

the loss of possession of the ball to the opposition.

Tunnelling 

bumping an airborne player attempting a mark with the intention of unbalancing them.

U

Utility 

a player adept at playing several non-key position roles.

W

Wing 

an indicative area of the ground that lies between the forward and back flanks on both sides of the centre. There are only two on the ground.

Wooden spoon 

the imaginary "award" said to be received by the team finished last on the ladder at the end of a season.

X

Y

Z

Zone 

a defensive arrangement of players on a section of the ground, designed to stifle the forward movement of the ball by the opposition^[19]. Probably borrowed from basketball.

Zone off 

the act of a defender leaving some space between himself and his opponent. This is contrary to the normal defensive style of man-on-man.^[10]

References

External links

• A dictionary of Aussie rules terms