Tri-side AFL :: The Idea

Imagine a game of Aussie Rules Footy with 3 sides going up for a screamer. Three different teams contesting for the ball whilst still applying the usual man on man scenario.

Tri-side AFL proposes to make this possible.

How does it work?

Stretching from Wing to Wing on any AFL Football Oval it is relatively easy to set up with the method listed below. Basically utilizing the standard rules (with a couple of minor changes), the game would add an interesting variance to the traditional favourite enjoyed by half the nation. Different strategies would be adapted from players and coaches alike.

With 13 players per side, it puts 39 players on the field instead of the usual 36. For each 30 minute ‘Third’ of game time, each Team Goals will rotate in an anti-clockwise direction.

The Game is played in an anti-clockwise direction to favour the ‘right foot around the boundary’.  Hopefully this will help to keep the ball from getting congested in the centre too often.

In reality, the goals are only about 120 metres apart from each other.  Basically 2/3 the distance of most Footy Ovals.  But considering 13 players against a combined 26, it may prove to be far enough for 90 minutes.

Played at a club level as an end of year fundraiser, it could bring 1 ½  times the usual crowd to support the 3 teams.  A single club could play it using Colts, Reserves and Top Side alone, as is, or in a mixed combination.  Red, Blue and Yellow T-Shirts would probably do for the day (with a couple of extras for the ripping).

The emphasis should be on a bit of fun whilst contributing to keep the heart of Aussie Rules alive – The Local Clubs.

As far as I know, no other team sport in the world has 3 sides playing at once.  This in itself would make it a unique sight to behold.

 

Changes to the Standard Rules

• 13  Players per Team
• 5 Interchange Players per Team
• 3 Field Umpires
• 3 Boundary Umpires
• 3 Goal Umpires

• Instead of ‘Tossing the coin’, write Red, Blue and Yellow on 3 pieces of paper and draw from a hat.  The 1st Team drawn chooses a Goal, as with the 2nd.
• The ball will be ‘thrown up’ instead of ‘bounced down’ to encourage a shorter run-up by the Ruckmen.  This will hopefully avoid a serious injury from 3 Ruckmen ‘going up’ for the ball at the same time.
• If a Player infringes the ‘Centre Bounce Down (Throw Up) Rule’ by entering the Centre Triangle before the Ball is Thrown Up, then the Opposing Side to the infringing Players Forward Line will receive a Free Kick.
• If a player runs too far without bouncing the ball, the Field Umpire should award the Free Kick to the closest player to challenge.  If the Umpire is in doubt as to which side this should be, he should use his discretion and ‘Ball it up’, as with any Free Kick in a normal game. 
• The “Umpires Discretion” also applies to an ‘Out of Bounds on the Full’ with a possible ‘Boundary Throw In’ rather than a Free Kick.
• With this version of the Game it is possible for a Player from each Opposing Side to stand on the mark when a Free Kick is taken.
• A 35-metre penalty replaces the 50 metre penalty.  This is proportionate to the shorter distance between Goals.
• The Exclusion Zone (I think this will be the most debatable change – apart from the game itself!)
  
  The Exclusion Zone is the 35 metre Arc from each Goal. In each Goal Square is a Full Forward and a Full Back representing 2 Teams. The ‘Third’ Team is not permitted to enter the Exclusion Zone at any time for any reason.  This will result in an immediate Free Kick to the Full Forward, to be taken directly in front of the Goal Square.  (The usual ‘Advantage Paid’ Rule will still apply).
  
  Even a player in pursuit must abandon the chase before entering ‘his’ Exclusion Zone.
  
  A Boundary Umpire also has the right to appoint this infringement as he normally does with the Centre Square Bounce Down (Centre Triangle Throw Up with this version!)
  
  The reason for the Exclusion Zone is:
  a.  To avoid congestion around the Goal Square.
  b.  To allow the usual ‘One on One’ Goal Square Contest.
  c.   (and most importantly) So that the ‘Excluded’ Team cannot simply ‘Force a Behind’ or purposely give away a ‘Clearing Free Kick’ to a Backline Player.
• To promote “Fair Play’ with this version of Aussie Rules, a Field Umpire can send a Player off the field for the remainder of the Game.  The Player can be replaced immediately by an Interchange Player to keep the Game flowing evenly.
• The 1st Break between Play should be a maximum of 10 minutes.   The 2nd Break is 15 minutes.

How to Create the Playing Field for a Day

As you will alter the Oval to a ‘Round’, let’s just call it a Playing Field.

You will need the following items:

a.         1 x   12mm x 250 metre roll of  plain coloured rope
b.         Something to safely cut the rope (Side-cutters will do)
c.         1 x   100 metre Open Reel Fibreglass (measuring) Tape
            (from any major Hardware Store)
d.         3 x   Fat Marker Pens (Red, Blue & Black)
e.         1 x   Post Hole Digger (Manual or Powered)
f.          6 x   White Goal Posts
g.         6 x   White Point Posts
h.         Padding for the Goal & Point Posts to 2.5 metres high
i.          6’x9’ Trailer full of ‘Yellow Sand’ or any non permanent,
            non toxic material to mark the lines (preferably not white,
            as the original lines on the Oval will likely be white)
j.          Star Picket or a metre of  Metal Pipe
k.         3 x  Wooden Stakes (Wickets)
l.          Gympie Hammer
m.        Wheelbarrow and Shovel
n.         Half a dozen people to help

Important: Please read the following instructions thoroughly before putting into
                 practice

1. Rounding the Oval

To mark the boundary of the Round Playing Field, you need a radius from the Centre. Easily done with a Star Picket and a Hammer to create a pivot point in the Centre of the Oval. 

Cut a length of rope 92 metres long and tie it to the base of the Star Picket. Now stretch the rope out to the boundary of a Wing and mark the spot on the rope with the Red Marker Pen. 

As you move around the Oval, keep the tension on the rope, marking the new boundary as you go.

Someone should stay in the Centre to check the rope pivots freely and the Picket doesn’t come out.

2. Dividing the Field into thirds

To mark the First Goal Centre Spot on the new boundary, line up the centre of the original goals to the centre of the Oval.  Direct someone to that position and bang in a Wooden Stake (Wicket). Tie the Long Rope (158 metres) around the base of the Wicket.

This next measurement is based on an Oval stretching 140 metres from Wing to Wing:

Using the ‘Open Reel Tape’, measure 120 metres as you stretch the rope across the field to meet the boundary (this is 1/3 of the Field). Mark the rope with the Black Marker Pen. Bang another Wicket in to mark the spot of the Second Goal.  Hang on to the rope at this 120 metre spot while the First Goal person moves his end of the rope around the field to find the location for the centre of the Third Goal. Bang in the last Wicket.  Now you can test the accuracy of the division by measuring the distance between the 1st and 3rd Wicket.

Close enough is good enough as all 3 teams will get a shot at each Goal.

3. Positioning the Goals

The standard distance between the posts is 6.4 metres each.

Measure 5 metres around the boundary from a Wicket and place a pile of dirt to mark a Point Post position.  Do the same for the other side.

Now mark a straight line from Point Post to Point Post.  It should be close enough to 19.2 metres.

Erase the ‘old half circle’ as best you can.

Find the halfway spot for the Wicket and measure 3.2 metres either side of it.  ‘Pile of dirt’ these 2 spots for the Goal Post positions. Try to remove a circle of grass as best you can before using the Post Hole Digger. Place each patch of grass out of the way so it can be replaced when you return the Oval to normal. If you can get the Post Hole Digger down about a metre you will have a sturdy footing for the Post.

Put all the excess sand removed with the ‘grass divots’ so it can be replaced when you return the Oval to normal.

4. The Goal Square

The Goal Square (it's actually a rectangle) measures 9.0 metres by 6.4 metres.  It’s the standard size.

5. The 35 Metre Arc

Tie the short rope to the Wicket and mark an Arc 35 metres from boundary to boundary. Hang on to the top of the Wicket so it doesn’t spring out from tension on the rope.

Repeat Steps 3, 4 & 5 for each Goal Area.

6. The Centre Triangle

Please note: No matter the size of the Field, each side of the Triangle is 52 metres.

You need:

• 1 x length of rope 156 metres long (cut 2 metres off the 158 metre length of rope)
• 3 x    length of rope just over 30 metres long (divide the 92 metre length of rope into thirds and cut into 3 pieces)

Divide the 156m rope into thirds and mark the spot with Red Marker Pen. Then divide each third into half and mark the spot well with Blue Marker Pen. Now tie the ends of the 156m rope together. At the knot and the 2 Red Spots, tie each of the three 30m ropes.

With a person at each of these 3 junctions, pull the 156m rope into a triangular shape across the centre of the Field. Bring each loose end of the 30m ropes into the Centre of the Field to indicate how central the Triangle is (Each should meet equally in the Centre).

Now the tricky part. Rotate the Triangle until a Blue Marker Spot can be aligned (by eye) with the centre of the Field and a Wicket (Centre of Goal).  Each person on each corner of the Triangle can do this alignment at the same time to co-ordinate the right location for the Triangle to be set down. Mark the outside of the Triangle and remove the rope.

You now have The Centre Triangle of a complete Tri-side Footy Field.

7. The Finishing Touch

Create a Coloured ‘Banner’ behind each Goal. This will help the Players, Spectators and Umpires alike to easily recognise each Team’s direction of play.

You need:

o.	6 x	Star Pickets
p.	1 x	Gympie Hammer (again)
q.	3 x	Pairs of old woolly Socks
r.	1 x	Roll of Gaffer Tape
s.	1 x	1.0 x 3.0 metre Red Material
t.	1 x	1.0 x 3.0 metre Blue Material
u.	1 x	1.0 x 3.0 metre Yellow Material
v.	1 x	Sewing Machine

Fold each piece of coloured material in half (1.0 x 1.5 Metres) and sew the Top and the Side to make a ‘Pocket’.

Each Coloured ‘Pocket-Sleeve-Banner’ needs to be a safe distance behind the Goals.

Bang in 2 Star Pickets (1.5 metres apart) about 10 metres behind the Goal. Slip a woolly sock over each Star Picket (to stop the material from ripping) and Gaffer Tape it on. Slide the Material over the top.

If necessary, angle the Pickets into the wind to stop the Banner from flying off. Repeat the above for each Goal.

The Banners can easily be removed to rotate around the Field in an Anti-Clockwise Direction for each 3rd of Play.

The Goal Umpires should rotate in a Clockwise Direction every 3rd of play. In this way they will not ‘Score’ the same team twice.

The Closing Notes

"If anyone bothers to give it a go
I wouldn’t mind seeing the video!"

Go 'n have your say in the left-hand comments section.

And last but not least, I hope you have a bit of fun with it.