Before we get started, it is important to note that these terms will almost always come up on an official AFL Stats sheet, so it is imperative to master these terms to ensure that you have a firm grasp of AFL football.
Kicks
The act of kicking is simply using the ball by foot. A ‘drop punt’ is the most commonly-used type of kick. This occurs when the player guides the ball from his hand and kicks the ball end-under-end in an effort to spot up his desired target. Other types of kicks include snaps, banana kicks, helicopter punts, mongrel punts, torpedo punts, floaters, drop kicks and kicks off the ground, but the drop punt is the most effective and accurate kick in AFL football.
Handball/Handpass
The act of handpassing is a little bit trickier for those of you whom haven’t grown up with the game. To perform an effective handball, players place the ball in the palm of their ‘bad hand’ and punch the ball with the inside of their fist using their ‘good hand’. All AFL footballers are expected to be able to handpass with either hand. The terms ‘handball’ or ‘handpass’ are used interchangeably.
Possessions/Disposals/Touches
In layman’s terms, possessions, disposals or touches are the terms used to describe the amount of kicks and handballs a player has amassed in any given match. There are two types of possessions: contested and uncontested possessions. Contested possessions are possessions earned whilst under direct pressure from an opponent, whereas uncontested possessions occur whilst under no direct pressure at all. Again, the three terms are used interchangeably.
Goals
The primary objective in AFL football is to kick goals. Sounds fairly straightforward, right? So, the only way you can score a goal is from a kick which must travel between and through the two taller posts of the attacking team’s end without it being touched by any other player. A goal results in six points to the team who kicked it.
Behinds
A player from a team who kicks the ball in between the smaller post and taller post on either side of goals will be rewarded with a behind. Defending players can also dispose of the ball through any part of the opposition’s goals to concede a behind, but, legally, need to be under pressure when doing so. A behind constitutes only one point.
Goal Assists
Goal assists occur from when a player disposes the ball to a teammate who then directly kicks a goal. Goal assists, particularly from inside the forward 50 metre arc of the ground, are often seen as an unselfish act from the initial player disposing the ball.
Marks
A mark is when a player catches the ball, yet there are certain criteria for what constitutes a mark. A mark can only be awarded from any player’s kick; it must also travel at least 15 metres and cannot be touched by any other player between the kick and the mark itself.
Furthermore, there are two types of marks awarded in AFL football: uncontested and contested marks. The terminology, again, speaks for itself. Uncontested mark is when a player marks the ball without any other player placing pressure on him. Contested marks often occur when you outmuscle your direct opponent before taking the mark whilst under pressure. Contested marks are a valuable statistic in AFL football and are normally considered to be one of the spectacles of the game.
Spoils
Usually performed by the defending team, a player will prevent his opponent from marking the ball by punching, tapping or palming the ball away from danger. When the ball is kicked near the vicinity of the goals, defenders will often concede a behind by spoiling the ball through the goals. This will result in a behind to the attacking team.
Tackles
A player from the defending team can perform a rugby-style tackle, yet, again, there are certain criteria that constitute a legal tackle. Only a player who has possession of the ball can be tackled. Furthermore, a player can only be tackled above the knees and below the shoulders, and cannot be pushed in the back when being tackled.
If players are tackled illegally, they will receive a free kick. Also, if the umpire deems that the player in possession had prior opportunity in disposing of the ball before he was successfully tackled, then the tackler will be awarded a free kick.
Free Kicks
Similar to that of soccer, if a player performs an illegal act on the football field against a direct opponent, the direct opponent will receive a free kick from where the infringement took place.
Fifty Metre Penalties
A 50 metre penalty is generally awarded after a free kick or mark when the offending player from the opposing team prevents the player in possession from moving the ball on from where the free kick or mark took place. In this instance, the player in possession will be moved 50 metres towards goal, where he will then dispose the ball accordingly.
Hit-outs
Generally performed by the ruckman, a hit-out occurs from any stoppage in play when one of the opposing ruckmen taps the ball in the direction of a teammate, who will attempt to maintain possession. The ruckman is similar to a center in basketball and is pretty much always the tallest player in the team.
Inside 50s
An inside 50 is when a player from the attacking team disposes the ball inside the forward 50 arc of the field. Generally speaking, when a team wins the inside 50 count in any given match, it will win the game itself.
Clearances
When a player disposes the ball from any stoppage in play and clears the ball from where the stoppage took place, then they have completed a clearance. The best midfielders in the AFL are known for their ability to tally up clearances on a regular basis throughout a match.
Clangers
A mistake from any disposal which results in a direct turnover is known as a clanger. Avoid clangers at all costs.
For any terms that you are unsure of, this link will provide you with an in-depth look into AFL football: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Australian_rules_football_slang.
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