[ivcs]
Type: article
Parent page: AFL Rules and Regulations
[/ivcs]
The Australian Football League, simply AFL, is a professional football league with teams from all over the country. This completion is run as a single division with 18 teams playing up to 22 games throughout the year. Only the top eight teams after the home and away season get a chance to participate in the finals.
The AFL Field
The playing surface assumes a unique ovoid shape measuring between 135-185 and 110-155 meters in length and width, respectively. The pitch has a clear outer boundary, a centre circle, a central square, and goal squares at either end. On the goal end, there are some distinct set of tall posts, which are flanked by two smaller posts. Also, there are a pair of 50-meter arcs from either wing. These arcs are mainly used to show the distances involved, especially from the goal line.
Match Duration
The modern AFL match lasts approximately 80 minutes, which are divided into four 20-minute quarters of active play. It is worth noting that the clock is stopped after every score until the game is restarted to take care of time-wasting. Other instances that require stoppage include when the ball goes out of bounds or when play stagnates. These time-off periods, thus, often make the quarters to last slightly over 30 minutes.
Players
An AFL team consists of 22 players from either side. Only 18 are allowed into the pitch, with the remaining four taking their place on the bench. On the field of play, players are often grouped into either backs, rucks, midfielders, or forwards. Players on the bench can substitute any in-field player. Each time is allowed to make a maximum of 90 interchanges.
Officiating
An AFL game is officiated by three central umpires, four bounder umpires, and two goal umpires. In a coordinated approach, these officials are responsible for adjusting the contest and ensuring fair play.