Australian Rules Football Tours & Experience 2026

Australian Rules Football is the contact sport itself – the actual game where each team consists of 18 players, field umpires award free kicks, and goal umpires signal scores at goal posts. The AFL (Australian Football League) is the premier professional competition featuring 18 elite teams competing in this sport. Think of it this way: soccer is the sport, Premier League is the competition; similarly, Australian Rules Football is the contact sport, AFL is the top league.

The sport is also played at community, amateur, and junior levels nationwide with the same fundamental rules including prohibitions on throwing the ball, holding the ball violations, and the three-umpire system of field umpires, boundary umpires, and goal umpires.

In Australian Rules Football, each team consists of 18 players on the oval field at any given time, plus 4 interchange players on the bench who can rotate throughout the match unlimited times. This differs significantly from rugby league (13 players), rugby union (15 players), and soccer (11 players), making AFL one of the larger team contact sports.

The 18 players per team are strategically positioned across the vast oval field in formations including forwards (who attack toward goal posts), defenders (who protect their own goal posts), midfielders (who contest the center), and rovers. This large team size across such an expansive field creates the sport's characteristic fast-paced, end-to-end action as the attacking team rapidly changes!

Absolutely not! Throwing the ball is completely illegal and strictly prohibited in Australian Rules Football. This is one of the sport's most fundamental rules that distinguishes it as a unique contact sport. Players must either kick the ball with their foot or handball it by punching the ball off one open palm with a closed fist.

When field umpires observe players throwing the ball (using an open-handed throwing motion rather than the legal punching handball), they immediately blow their whistle and award a free kick to the opposing team. This rule ensures the skill-based nature of the sport where handballing technique, not simply throwing accuracy, determines success. The attacking team must master legal disposal methods to advance toward the goal posts effectively!

Holding the ball is a crucial rule violation in this contact sport that occurs when a player with prior opportunity to dispose of the ball is tackled and fails to legally kick or handball it. Field umpires award free kicks against players caught holding the ball because it prevents unfair play where players simply hold onto the ball when tackled rather than skillfully disposing of it.

However, the holding the ball interpretation has important nuances: if a player is tackled immediately upon gaining possession with no prior opportunity to dispose of it legally (no time to kick or handball before being grabbed), field umpires call a "ball up" instead of awarding a free kick – this creates a neutral restart. Understanding when field umpires penalize holding the ball versus calling ball-ups is part of appreciating this complex contact sport! The attacking team must dispose of the ball quickly under defensive pressure.

Goal umpires are specialized officials who stand behind the goal posts at each end of the oval field (2 per end, 4 total per match). Their critical role in this contact sport is judging whether the ball passes between the two tall goal posts for a goal (6 points – signaled by waving both white flags overhead), hits a post, or passes between a goal post and the shorter behind post for a behind (1 point – signaled by waving one flag).

Goal umpires also determine if the ball was touched by a defender before crossing the line (changing a potential goal into a behind), or if the attacking team player's kick hit the post. In high-scoring matches, goal umpires stationed at the goal posts make dozens of crucial decisions that directly impact final scores. Their white coats and distinctive flag signals are iconic images of Australian Rules Football as the ultimate contact sport spectacle!

Field umpires award free kicks in this contact sport for numerous rule violations designed to ensure fair play and player safety. Major infractions include: high tackles (contact above shoulders), pushing opponents in the back, holding the ball violations when players fail to dispose under tackles, throwing the ball instead of legal handballing, deliberately forcing the ball out of bounds, blocking opponents off the ball (shepherding beyond 5 meters), tripping, holding opponents without the ball, and unrealistic attempts to keep the ball in play.

Free kicks give the attacking team significant advantages – the player receiving the free kick can take their time, assess options toward the goal posts, and dispose without immediate defensive pressure. Field umpires must make split-second decisions on free kick awards while managing 36 players (18 per team) competing at high intensity across the massive oval field. Some free kicks near the goal posts can directly result in scores, making field umpire decisions critically important in this high-stakes contact sport!

Boundary umpires (4 per match wearing distinctive orange vests) patrol the perimeter of the oval field in this fast-paced contact sport. When the ball crosses the boundary line – either from a kick, handball, or contested play – boundary umpires must quickly retrieve it and throw it back into play over their heads toward the center of the field, creating a contest between opponents. Importantly, boundary umpires throw the ball overhead, not inward – they don't violate the no throwing the ball rule because they're officials, not players!

Boundary umpires also make important decisions: they judge whether players deliberately forced the ball out of bounds (resulting in free kicks awarded by field umpires to the opposition) or if it legitimately went out during genuine play. They manage player positioning near boundaries and ensure quick ball returns to maintain the contact sport's characteristic fast pace. Watch how efficiently boundary umpires keep play flowing as each team consists of 18 players battles across the expansive oval!

In Australian Rules Football, when a player cleanly catches the ball directly from another player's kick that has traveled at least 15 meters without being touched by anyone else, it's called a "mark." Field umpires immediately award the marking player a free kick, allowing them uncontested possession to assess their next move – whether kicking toward the goal posts as part of the attacking team, passing to a teammate, or playing strategically.

Spectacular high-flying marks where players leap onto opponents' shoulders or backs to catch the ball are among the most thrilling moments in this athletic contact sport! These aerial contests require tremendous courage, timing, and athleticism as players risk heavy contact to catch the ball cleanly. When the attacking team marks near the goal posts, goal umpires prepare as the marking player can take a set shot for goal. The mark and free kick system rewards skill and spectacular play in Australian Rules Football!

Historically, Queensland and New South Wales strongly favored rugby league over Australian Rules Football, with rugby codes dominating grassroots participation and cultural identity. However, strategic AFL expansion has significantly grown this contact sport's presence in traditional rugby territories. The Brisbane Lions (established 1987) and Sydney Swans (relocated 1982) pioneered AFL in Queensland and New South Wales, introducing northern audiences to goal umpires signaling at goal posts, field umpires awarding free kicks, and matches where each team consists of 18 players.

The Gold Coast Suns (2011) and Greater Western Sydney Giants (2012) further expanded the contact sport in Queensland and New South Wales. While rugby league still dominates grassroots participation in these states, AFL has carved substantial supporter bases, especially in Brisbane and Sydney where watching the attacking team surge toward goal posts, seeing players catch the ball for marks, and experiencing this unique contact sport has become increasingly popular. Many visitors from Queensland and New South Wales now actively seek AFL experiences when visiting Melbourne!

Australian Rules Football is definitively classified as a contact sport because players can legally bump, shepherd, and tackle opponents as core gameplay elements. Physical contests are integral and unavoidable – players collide at high speed contesting marks when attempting to catch the ball, the attacking team faces aggressive tackling from defenders, and bumping opponents (when eyes are on the ball) is explicitly permitted within safety guidelines enforced by field umpires.

However, as a regulated contact sport, strict safety rules exist: tackles must be between shoulders and knees (high tackles earn free kicks), pushing in the back is prohibited, dangerous bumps to the head result in severe penalties, and field umpires award free kicks for any contact deemed dangerous or unreasonable. The physicality where 18 players per team compete across the vast oval creates a contact sport requiring exceptional athleticism, courage, and toughness while field umpires maintain player safety standards. It's this combination of skill, strategy, and controlled physical contact that makes Australian Rules Football such a compelling contact sport!

The attacking team in Australian Rules Football aims to move the ball toward their scoring end and kick it between the goal posts for 6 points (or behind posts for 1 point). They advance strategically through legal kicks and handballs – never throwing the ball which field umpires immediately penalize with free kicks to opponents. The attacking team uses various tactics: switching play across the wide oval field to find gaps, kicking long toward teammates who attempt to catch the ball for marks and free kicks, drawing free kicks from opponents' mistakes like holding the ball violations, and creating forward entries where their key forwards can score at the goal posts under the watchful eyes of goal umpires.

In this dynamic contact sport, the attacking team identity rapidly changes as possession turns over through interceptions, tackles forcing holding the ball decisions by field umpires, or errors. Teams where each team consists of 18 players must transition instantly between attacking and defending roles. Successful attacking teams combine precise kicking toward the goal posts, legal handballing under pressure (avoiding illegal throwing the ball), winning aerial contests to catch the ball for marks, and drawing free kicks from defensive infractions – all while boundary umpires manage sidelines and field umpires control the flow of this thrilling contact sport!

The AFL Finals series (September) offers the most excitement as field umpires control high-stakes elimination matches where every free kick decision matters critically. Goal umpires at the goal posts judge season-defining scores as teams where each team consists of 18 players battle with maximum intensity in this premier contact sport. The atmosphere is electric as the attacking team fights desperately toward finals glory!

Anzac Day (April 25) provides incredible emotional atmosphere as Collingwood and Essendon honor fallen soldiers through this passionate contact sport clash. Easter Monday delivers traditional blockbuster matches perfect for families. Queen's Birthday weekend (June) features the famous Collingwood vs Melbourne rivalry. Regular season action (May-August) offers weekly opportunities to watch field umpires award free kicks for holding the ball, see goal umpires signal at goal posts, observe boundary umpires managing sidelines, and experience why throwing the ball is strictly prohibited as 18 players per team compete in Australia's greatest contact sport!

As a first-time viewer of this exhilarating contact sport, focus on these key elements: Watch the three types of umpires – field umpires (green shirts controlling play and awarding free kicks), goal umpires (white coats behind goal posts signaling scores with flags), and boundary umpires (orange vests returning balls when they cross sidelines). Notice how each team consists of 18 players spread across the massive oval field in attacking and defensive formations.

Observe the fundamental rules: players cannot throw the ball (they must kick or handball by punching); the attacking team advances toward the tall goal posts for 6-point goals or shorter posts for 1-point behinds; field umpires blow whistles for free kicks when players commit infractions like holding the ball violations; and players who cleanly catch the ball from kicks earn marks (free kicks). Watch for spectacular high marks, bone-crunching tackles characteristic of this physical contact sport, and the roar when goal umpires wave both flags signaling goals! Our expert guides explain everything in real-time, making your first Australian Rules Football experience unforgettable!