Australian rules football
Enable an agent to recognise Australian rules football, assess a playing situation under the applicable rules, and identify permitted actions and unresolved decisions.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise Australian rules football, assess a playing situation under the applicable rules, and identify permitted actions and unresolved decisions.
Australian rules football is a team invasion sport developed in Australia, played with an oval ball on an oval field, in which players advance the ball by kicking, handballing or carrying it and score by sending it between goal or behind posts.
It can be Identify the code and select the applicable competition rules and modifications.; Reconstruct possession sequences through kicks, handballs, marks and contested ball events.; Assess candidate actions against disposal, movement, contact and positioning restrictions.; Explain an umpire ruling using the observed event and applicable rule.; Determine the next restart or protected disposal opportunity from the current match state.; Reconcile goals, behinds, clock status and official decisions when interpreting a score or result..
Distinguishing features
Recognise the combination of an oval playing area, an oval ball and four scoring posts at each end; equipment alone is insufficient to identify the code.
Distinguish its kick and handball disposal mechanisms from the throwing permitted in rugby codes.
Check for a mark mechanism that can reward a qualifying caught kick with a protected opportunity to dispose of the ball.
Distinguish goals and behinds, including passage between different posts and the significance of touches or post contact.
Recognise movement and attacking play without the general offside line characteristic of rugby or association football.
Scope
+ Code identity and boundaries between standard and modified forms
+ Playing area, ball, goals and on-field participant configuration
+ Possession, legal disposal, marks and movement with the ball
+ Contests, contact, infringements and umpire-directed restarts
+ Scoring, time, match phases and result determination
- The AFL or other leagues as organisations
- Clubs, teams and individual players as independently managed entities
- Stadium ownership, construction and venue operations
- Medical diagnosis, rehabilitation and injury treatment
- Broadcasting, wagering and commercial rights
- Rugby, association football and international rules football as separate codes
Characteristics
- Applicable rules
- Governing laws, edition, competition regulations and local modifications An action cannot be judged reliably without knowing which rules govern the activity.
- Playing format
- Standard field format or identified junior, community, reduced-player or modified-contact format Participant numbers, contact permissions and playing conditions may differ by format.
- Playing configuration
- Active players, interchange availability, ends defended and applicable positioning restrictions Determines who may participate and where players may stand during particular phases.
- Field geometry
- Metres; boundary, scoring posts and rule-relevant markings Ball location and player positioning affect scores, boundary decisions and restarts.
- Ball and possession state
- Loose, controlled, in flight, disputed, out of bounds or awaiting restart Different states permit different disposal, contact and restart actions.
- Disposal or contest event
- Kick, handball, attempted disposal, catch, spoil, tackle or ruck contest The event type determines which legality and entitlement questions must be answered.
- Protected disposal entitlement
- None, claimed, awarded after a mark or free kick, or ended by play-on Controls the opponent's ability to contest and the ball carrier's available actions.
- Score
- Goals, behinds and total points under the governing rules Preserves the scoring components needed to interpret the scoreboard and determine the result.
- Match phase and clock
- Period, elapsed or remaining time, clock status, live play, stoppage or interval Determines whether play may proceed and whether a scoring attempt can still affect the result.
- Decision evidence
- Observed event, umpire ruling, rule reference and any authorised review Separates an agent's interpretation from the decision that governs play.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 31 questions.
Code and rules Identify Australian rules football and the precise rules governing an instance of play.
The code must remain distinct from its leagues, while allowing documented variations in how it is played.
Code boundary
Establish which activity the model recognises.
Recognising the code
Recognition combines disposal methods, marks, scoring architecture and contest structure rather than relying on the word football or an AFL label.
- Which combination of observed rules identifies this activity as Australian rules football? definition
- Is this a modified Australian rules format or a separate code such as international rules football? boundary
Governing rule context
Connect decisions to the laws and modifications that actually apply.
Applicable law and variation
Rule editions and competition provisions establish the operative conditions for a particular playing context.
- Which published laws, edition and competition regulations govern this activity? provenance
- Which provisions modify player numbers, contact, positioning, timing or scoring for this format? boundary
Field and playing configuration Represent the spatial and participant conditions that make play interpretable.
Australian rules decisions depend on an oval boundary, differentiated scoring posts, marked areas and phase-specific player arrangements.
Oval and scoring geometry
Locate events against the boundary, scoring lines and relevant field markings.
Rule-relevant field locations
Record where the ball and players are relative to goal posts, behind posts, the goal square, centre markings and other operative lines.
- What are the measured field dimensions and locations of markings used by the applicable rules? measurement
- Where did the ball cross a boundary or scoring line, and what evidence establishes that location? measurement
Players and interchange
Track participation and positioning as conditions for valid play.
Valid on-field configuration
Record active players, interchange events and any required positional arrangement at the current phase.
- How many players may be on the field, and what interchange or replacement conditions apply? definition
- Must players change position or complete an interchange procedure before the next restart? action
Possession and ball progression Represent gaining possession, moving the ball and earning a mark.
Kicking, handballing, running requirements and marks define the code's distinctive progression of play.
Control, movement and disposal
Track possession and the method by which a player advances or releases the ball.
Legal ball progression
Distinguish possession from a loose-ball touch and assess kicking, handballing and movement while carrying the ball.
- Did the player control the ball, and did the release satisfy the applicable definition of a kick or handball? definition
- Has the player travelled far enough with the ball to trigger a bouncing or ground-touching requirement? measurement
- Which methods of advancing or disposing of the ball remain available in this situation? action
Marks and play-on
Represent the transition from a caught kick to an awarded entitlement and back to contested play.
Mark qualification and entitlement
Assess the kick, intervening touches and catch before recording a mark and the conditions governing subsequent disposal.
- Did the kick travel the required distance and reach a controlled catch without a disqualifying intervening touch? measurement
- What may the catcher and opponents do after the ruling, and what ends the protected disposal opportunity? action
Contests and adjudication Interpret physical contests, infringements and the mechanisms that return the ball to play.
Possession alone does not determine legality: contact circumstances, disposal opportunity and umpire decisions are central.
Contact and disposal pressure
Assess tackles and other contests using the circumstances of contact and possession.
Tackle and holding-the-ball assessment
Record tackle legality, possession, prior opportunity and disposal attempts as distinct inputs to a decision.
- Was the contact legal given its location, manner and the opponent's relationship to the ball? boundary
- What evidence establishes prior opportunity, a disposal attempt or another condition relevant to holding the ball? measurement
- Does the applicable rule support continuing play, a free kick or a stoppage? action
Stoppages and restarts
Resolve dead-ball situations into a specified next phase.
Restart selection
Differentiate boundary decisions, ball-ups or bounces, free kicks, kick-ins and other rule-defined returns to play.
- What event stopped play, including any distinction between out on the full and another boundary exit? definition
- Which restart, location, eligible participants and spacing requirements follow from the official ruling? action
Scoring and match progression Connect scoring events and timing decisions to the evolving match state.
Goals and behinds require different event tests, while period endings can affect whether an attempt remains live.
Goal and behind decisions
Classify scoring attempts using trajectory, disposal method, touches and post contact.
Scoring event classification
Preserve the evidence needed to distinguish a goal, behind, non-score or unresolved scoring decision.
- Between which posts did the ball pass, who last touched it, and was there relevant post contact? measurement
- What score and subsequent restart follow under the applicable rules and official decision? action
- Which umpire ruling or authorised review establishes the recorded outcome? provenance
Periods and result
Track time, interval transitions and the conditions for a final result.
Time-sensitive match resolution
Relate period signals, any continuing scoring entitlement and competition result procedures to the official score.
- What period and clock state apply, and does a mark or free kick permit a scoring attempt after the period-ending signal? boundary
- Does the confirmed score end the match, produce a draw or invoke a competition-specific resolution procedure? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- This describes the sport, not a particular league or governing organisation; it is recalled knowledge without source consultation.
- Researchers should verify current law editions, disciplinary provisions and anti-doping requirements before operational use.
- Team sizes, match duration, contact rules and ground dimensions vary by competition, age group and modified format.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Full-field Australian rules football
- Junior modified football
- Auskick introductory football
- AFL 9s modified football
- Masters football
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Laws of Australian Football, issued by the Australian Football League (AFL).
- Competition regulations issued by individual leagues govern eligibility, interchange arrangements and match administration.
- AFL Anti-Doping Code, administered within the Australian anti-doping framework.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Professional club competition and spectator entertainment.
- Community and amateur club competition.
- School sport and junior participation.
- Recreational physical activity and modified social competition.
- Player development, coaching and talent identification.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Players on the field per team in the full-field game - 18 - players
- Score awarded for a goal - 6 - points
- Score awarded for a behind - 1 - point
- Match score - Variable; total points equal six times goals plus behinds - points
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Concussion and other head injuries from collisions, tackles or falls.
- Knee and ankle injuries during turning, landing and contact.
- Muscle strains associated with sprinting and kicking.
- Dangerous tackles or prohibited contact causing injury and disciplinary penalties.
- Heat stress during training or matches in hot conditions.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The sport has especially strong historical roots in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, with substantial traditions in the Northern Territory.
- In New South Wales and Queensland, it shares the football landscape with prominent rugby league traditions.
- Outside Australia, competitions commonly operate at amateur level and may adapt team sizes and grounds to local facilities.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Rugby league - Rugby league uses tries, an offside line and a limited tackle count; Australian rules uses goals and behinds, marks and no general offside rule.
- Rugby union - Rugby union uses tries, scrums, rucks and offside laws; Australian rules has a different possession and scoring structure centred on kicking, handballing and marks.
- Gaelic football - Gaelic football uses a round ball and goals with a crossbar and net; Australian rules uses an oval ball and four scoring posts at each end.
- International rules football - International rules is a distinct hybrid drawing on Australian rules and Gaelic football, rather than another name for Australian rules.
- Australian Football League - The AFL is an organisation and the name of a particular elite competition; Australian rules football is the sport played across many competitions.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Australian rules football this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Which authoritative laws and competition regulations should supply the initial researched baseline, and how should later editions be tracked?
- Which junior, community and modified-contact forms belong within this registry entry, and which require links to separately registered activities?
- How should an agent represent contested interpretations of prior opportunity, dangerous tackles and insufficient intent to keep the ball in play?
- What minimum observational evidence is needed to distinguish a mark, legal handball, touched score and boundary outcome reliably?
- Which positioning, interchange, review and period-ending provisions vary sufficiently across competitions to require explicit contextual treatment?