Rules of Australian Rules Trivia Quiz

Answer: 9

There are three field umpires, four boundary umpires (but only two are on duty at any given time), and my personal favourites, two goal umpires. The field umps control most of the general play, the boundary umpires return the ball to play when it goes out of play, and the goal umpires with their long white coats, white floppy hats, white flags and sense of theatre are a source of mirth for many footy fans. Just imagine a penguin playing Hamlet...

Answer: Ball!

The spontaneous eruption of 50,000 people yelling is one of the most awe-inspiring sounds in Australian sport. 'Ball' is short for 'Holding the Ball', and relates to one of the more contentious laws of footy. A player must get rid of the ball, by handpassing or kicking it, before he is tackled. If he does not do so, the umpire has two options. Firstly, he will award a free kick to the tackler, or if he considers that the player had no opportunity to dispose of the ball, he will bounce the ball. It seems whatever he decides to do, half of the crowd will disagree with with him, and question his eyesight and the marital status of his parents.

Answer: Full Forward

Full forwards are the blokes directly in front of the 'big sticks' (goalposts), and are generally a more accurate kick than players in the 'back' of the ground, whose main task is to stop the opposition scoring. A point guard belongs on a basketball court, and a fly-half plays Rugby Union.

Answer: No

There are no provisions in the rules of footy regarding sendoffs. The player concerned would have his number written in the umpires notebook, and would be required to front the Tribunal during the week to face the music. The opposing team would be awarded a free kick, and often the player would be dragged from the field by the coach, for a stern talking-to.

Answer: 15 metres

The spectacular high-flying mark, popularly known as a 'speccy', is a sight to behold, and is guaranteed to bring the crowd to its feet. Some renowned exponents of soaring over the pack include John Coleman, the Essendon superstar of the 1950s, Jeff White from Melbourne, Alex Jesaulenko, the Ukrainian-born Carlton star, and the late Trevor Barker from my beloved St Kilda team.

Answer: One point

If the ball is punched, kicked or carried through the goals by a defender, only one point is scored. A goal can only be scored via a kick from a member of the attacking team (unlike soccer, a defender cannot "score" an own-goal). In addition, if the ball hits one of the outer posts (known as behind posts), no score is registered, and the ball is deemed as 'out of bounds'.

Answer: The defending team kick the ball back into play from the goal square (an area in front of the goalposts)

The ball is returned to play by the defending team from the goal 'square' (actually a 9 metre by 6 metre rectangle). However, if a goal is scored, the ball is bounced by the umpire in the centre of the ground.

Answer: 50 metres

The penalty was increased from 15 metres to 50 metres in the early 1980s, as the original penalty was not considered 'harsh' enough. A 'fifty' is measured from the scene of the incident towards the centre of the goalposts, and can turn a long-range attempt into a 'gimme' goal.

Answer: No

Players are assigned a position on the field by their coach, but there is nothing in the rules that restricts a player's actual location on the ground. In fact, if a team is clinging to a slender lead towards the end of a game, it is not unusual to see them 'flood' the backline, leaving only one or two players anywhere near their own goals.

Answer: A free kick against the player

A player cannot deliberately put the ball out of play, either by kicking, handpassing or carrying it over the line. Also, if a player kicks the ball out on the full, either deliberately or accidentally, it is also a free kick against him.