Women's Australian rules football

The first ball-up in the first ever match of the AFL Women's, which began in 2017.

Women's Australian rules football, also called women's football or women's footy, is the female version of Australian rules football. There are a few differences between the rules in the women's game to the rules of the men's game.

The main national competition is the AFL Women's (AFLW), and there are also several state and territory leagues for women, as well as some women's leagues overseas. The Women's Australian Football International Cup is the main international competition, which is played in Australia but Australia does not compete in it.

Rules

Further information: Laws of Australian rules football

Usually, women's Australian rules football matches have a few different rules to the men's game, but the rules are still very similar.

These are some of the rule changes used in the AFLW:

• The ball is a bit smaller
• Each quarter lasts 17 minutes instead of 20 minutes
• Each team has 16 players on the field instead of 18, with five interchange players and 60 player rotations instead of four interchange players and 75 player rotations
• Throw-ins are taken 10 metres in from the boundary line (except within 50-metre arcs), instead of on the boundary line
• A "last touch" out-of-bounds rule applies (except within 50-metre arcs)