Hi, can someone explain to me the rules of Australian Rules Football?

I've heard a lot of praise for the sport and want to know what its all about. Is it in any way similar to association football (or "soccer" as some call it) cos I'm a huge football fan.|||You can read the laws of the game at http://www.afl.com.au/aflhq/aflfocus/com鈥?/a>





It's completely different to other football codes. The most significant differences are:





- it's played on an oval (cricket field), significantly bigger than a soccer, rugby, American football etc field;





- there is no offside and players can move freely in any direction;





Players kick or pass the ball, and rules are generally designed to keep the ball moving. Hence, you can't just run with the ball (you have to bounce it or touch it on the ground at regular intervals if you do), and if you are tackled with the ball in your possession when you could have disposed of it, you turn it over to the other team.





There are four posts at each end - between the centre two posts is a goal (6 points), and inside either of the two outer posts is a point.





You can probably find some clips on Youtube, and it might be worth looking at afl.com.au to see if you can watch some of the highlight videos there (I don't know if they work outside Australia).|||have you ever heard of irish gaelic football, its alot like that. there are alot of rules to it. the basics 18 men a team on an oval field. you have to kick the ball or punch it with your fist called a handball. when the ball is caught from a kick it is called a mark and the player can take a free kick without being tackled. there are 4 posts at the end of each field 2 big ones in the middle and 2 small ones on either side, if the ball is kicked through the big ones it is a goal (6 points), if it is kicked between a big one and a little one it is one point.





my best advice look it up on youtube and wikipedia. please tell us what you think of it.|||any code of footy is easy to understand the rules of. if you watch enough games of it.


but i have been watching AFL for about 45 years now. and there are still a lot of umpiring decisions that are made out on the field. that still mistify me.


so do me a favour.


if you do pick it up and become good at understanding the game,and some of these umpiring decisions. can you please let me,and some of the comontators on telly know. as it would sure help us all know what these umpires are thinking out on the ground sometimes.


cheers mate.|||The team with the highest score wins