Australian rules football
"Australian rules" and "Australian football" redirect here. For other uses, see Australian rules (disambiguation) and Football in Australia. Australian football Ruckmen contesting a ball-up Highest governing body AFL Commission Nicknames Football, footy, Aussie rules, AFL First played May 1859 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered players 1,404,176 (2016) [1] Clubs 25,770 (2016) [1] Characteristics Contact Full contact Team members 22 (18 onfield) Mixed gender Up to age 14 Type Outdoor Equipment Football Glossary Glossary of Australian rules football Presence Olympic Demonstration sport, 1956 Melbourne Olympics Australian rules football , officially known as Australian football , [2] or simply called Aussie rules , football or footy , is a contact sport played between two teams of eighteen players on an oval-shaped field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by kicking the oval-shaped ball between the opposing goal posts (worth six points) or ...