Is Australian rules football really “aerial ping pong”?

Growing up in Queensland after the Second World War, I only learned about “Australian Rules” when I was in primary school in fourth grade. My school offered both Rugby League and Australian Rules as winter sports. I’d like to play our Aussie game. I soon learned that fans of the other game called it “Air Ping Pong,” which was by far the most popular football played in the state.

In retrospect, in the middle of the 20th century, I can see the justification for this belief. The soccer ball was often kicked high in the air to catch it overhead or away from the scoring player. Each mark or free throw often resulted in a stoppage in which the attacking player kicked the ball from behind a mark indicated by the referee. So the game was kind of static.

After each scrimmage/stoppage, the soccer ball was bounced into the air for a ruck contest like a tip in basketball. The soccer ball can be kicked by hand or pushed forward; he kicked from the ground and the team scored by kicking the ball through all four goal posts. There were tackles but within certain rules. All in all, football spent a lot of time in the air.

However, the term “Ping Pong” implies a smooth game. This is where our national game’s nickname was so misleading. Australian rules football is a 360 degree game. There is no offside. Players can be tackled, pushed, or hit from any direction. In those other football games, the tackler is in front of the player. Then the players see the tackler coming. Added to that, there are 18 opposition players ready to tackle, push or hit instead of 13 or 15 in those Rugby games.

The ridiculous modern game of Australian rules football that nicknames it.

it’s the game you have

• The largest oval;
• It has the most players involved of any football game on the oval playing;
• It is played for a longer time.

The modern version sees players constantly running from one end of the field to the other. (The oval is an ellipse about 160 meters long with a width of 120 meters in the center of the oval. The rugby game ovals are rectangular and only 100 meters long.)

Tackling has become a feature of the game. The tackle seen in the game is just as strong as that seen in rugby games, except it tends to be one on one. The goal of the tackler is to strip the player of the ball and put it on the ground.

Because the game is so fast with lots of ferocious running and tackling as well as high marking, the number of injuries has increased, from basically soft tissue injuries to knee reconstructions, concussions, broken bones to name just a few injuries. .

The game has gotten so fast that it is now refereed by two, three, or even four field umpires, depending on the particular competition at the open level.

A player in our Australian game must master many more skills than in the games of Rugby. The player must be able to kick with both feet with a variety of kicking styles; handball in different ways with both hands; spoil a brand; be able to hit and drive an opponent; dodge players; run fast bouncing a ball; Pick up a ball off the ground running at a good pace and kick goals from all angles.

Finally, the game at the highest level has turned professional with almost daily training and games taking up nearly 4 weeks of the year.