Touch Aussie Rules
Due to the lack of fully sized grounds in many countries, ARI believes that 9-a-side non-contact version of Australian football is going to play a major role in the development of the game internationally.
Given this importance, it is vital that a more descriptive name than 9-a-side or recreational football is employed, as this can be misinterpreted as one of the other football codes. Although national bodies use different names to describe the sport, ARI has decided to refer to 9-a-side football as 'Aussie Rules'. Traditional 18-a-side football will be referred to as 'Australian football'.
From our experience in promoting and developing Australian football internationally it is readily apparent that traditional 18-a-side Australian football has a limited future in many countries. The physically demanding nature of Australian football creates barriers to participation. It is also resource intensive – much organisation is needed to make around 40 players available for a game. And facilities, particularly the large grounds needed, are very difficult to secure.
Touch Aussie Rules provides an alternative for those seeking a social involvement and provides an opportunity in school environments where traditional football is unavailable.
Further, in those countries where ground availability is limited to Soccer,
A major advantage of Aussie Rules is that it can be played almost anywhere. This is due to the fact that the entire field, from goalposts to footballs, can be stored in a specially designed equipment bag and easily carried over the shoulder. These packs contain the following:
§ Goal & Behind Posts
§ Field Markers
§ Footballs & Pump
§ Bibs to designate forwards
§ Umpire Whistle
§ Laminated Rules
- Forward to Aussie Rules Schools
- Up to Strategies
