Footy 9s is a version of

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

created by

Australian Football International Australian Football International (AFI), is a world development body for the sport of Australian rules football. The organisation has developed a version of the sport known as Footy 9s that it claims will support global expansion of Australi ...

Background

The traditional 18-a-side version of

provides significant participatory barriers to entry outside of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, including a lack of access to suitably sized fields, significant infrastructure in the form of the goal and behind posts, line marking, and the fact that 36 players required to field two teams for a match. Footy 9s was created by

to allow

to be played on smaller playing fields, both in Australia and internationally.

Rules

The rules of Footy 9s differ from traditional

in some significant ways. The game is played on a rectangular field, allowing matches to be hosted by stadiums that usually lack the suitable field dimensions: * The game is played on a rectangular field, which can be either a soccer, rugby or American football field. * Each team consists of nine players – three forwards, three midfielders and three backs. * The game starts with a jump ball in the middle of the field, and this is repeated after each goal. * A goal is scored when the ball is kicked into the net (using soccer fields) or through the posts (using rugby and American football fields): there are no behind posts. * The ball is moved around the field by either a kick or handball: no kicking off the ground is permitted. * Players can go anywhere on the field, and there is no off-side rule. * As per basketball, players must bounce the ball when they run.

World 9s

The inaugural AFI World 9s tournament was held at Lakeside Stadium in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia on 16 February 2019. The second World 9s was held at Box Hill Rugby Club in Melbourne, Australia on 6 February 2021, and the third World 9s was also held at Box Hill Rugby Club on 19 February 2022. The next World 9s will be held again at the Box Hill Rugby Club, on 4 February 2023.

References

External links

{{Portal, , Sports, Australia
Australian Football International Website

Footy 9s website

Footy 9s Video

World 9s Video

Darwin 9s Video
Australian rules football