International Rules Football
International rules football, which is also known inter rules in Australia and compromise rules in Ireland, is a contact sport which consist of hybrid football codes.
The sport invented so that Australian football players (Aussie Rules) can play games against Irish football players (Gaelic football).
Two teams play it with 15 members on each team. It can be played by both men and women, although at the elite level only men play it.
The rules are a compromise between the two football codes. A round ball as used in Gaelic football is used compared to the oval AFL ball. The games are played on a rectangular (Gaelic football) field, rather than the oval of AFL. In international rules football, a player must touch the ball on the ground once every one-meter or six steps. Two bounces per possession can be done. A free kick will be awarded if a player commits a foul.
An International Rules Football game at Subiaco Oval, Perth WA, in 2017The Aussies get to tackle, but only between the shoulders and thighs, which is otherwise banned in Gaelic football.
The goals are two large posts and two small posts, as in Australian rules, though a crossbar and goal net is incorporated as in Gaelic football. Passing the ball into the goal net receives 6 points, over the cross bar 3 points, and between a large post and a small post 1 point.
International rules football currently does not have any clubs or leagues. Games have been played since 1967, and since 1998 played annually except for the 2007 series which was canceled over concerns the Aussies were getting a bit too violent (they just did not grasp the no contact part of the rules).
Similar Sports
- Gaelic football —a type of football from Ireland with a goal similar to that used in rugby but having a net attached below the crossbar. The object is to kick or punch the round ball into the net (three points) or over the crossbar (one point).
- Australian Football — a fast-paced football code from Australia, played between two teams of eighteen players on a large oval field. Six points are scored by kicking the ball between two tall goalposts, or one point for passing the ball either side of these.
- Shinty-Hurling — a composite sport created to facilitate competitions between Shinty and Hurling players.
- International Game — a team sport that is played by striking a ball with hands, created so that players from similar handball sports could play against each other.
Related Pages
- About football (general)
- Football Decoder — what is called football around the world?
- Hybrid Sports — sports made up by combining the attributes of two or more current sports to create a new sport.
- Sport in Australia and Ireland
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
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