What does AFL mean in FOOTBALL

The AFL, or Australian Football League, is a professional men's football league in Australia. It consists of 18 teams who compete in a regular season spanning over 25 rounds. The top 8 teams advance to the finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final where one team is crowned champions for that year.

Matches are broadcast on Fox Sports and Seven TV networks throughout Australia each week. You can also follow along with live streaming options available through the official AFL app and website. Additionally, some games may be played in stadiums where spectators are allowed depending on local restrictions and regulations.

The Australian Football League has developed its own set of rules which governs play on and off the field. These rules include both game laws and administrative regulations which all teams must adhere to in order to participate in the league.

The length of each match depends on how many quarters are being played but usually lasts around two hours total including stoppage time for injuries or other special circumstances. Regular season matches consist of four 20-minute quarters while finals can sometimes have five 20-minute quarters depending on the situation or type of match being contested.

At each match there will be several umpires who are responsible for officiating play and making discretionary calls when necessary. These umpires have authority over both players and coaches during a game, as well as the ability to issue penalties should they witness any violations of league or game regulations.

If a team makes it into the finals series they will face off against either another team from their conference or from another conference if they are seeded higher than any other team within their division at tournament end-of-season standings time. Depending how far they progress through the playoffs, this could lead them to competing in up to three games during finals week against other contenders vying for championship honours at Grand Final day.

There is no promotion or relegation system between leagues within Australian Football League structure as all teams compete independently from each other on an equal footing with regards to club standings and points tallies throughout any particular season.

Attendances vary significantly based on location, weather conditions, opposing teams that are playing and various other situational factors but generally speaking attendance numbers range anywhere from 15000 spectators right up to 60000 - depending mostly on what City/Stadium the particular event is taking place at.

Players who achieve success throughout their careers may be honoured by receiving awards such as Brownlow Medals (awarded annually by votes cast by umpires during home & away matches), Best & Fairest Awards (voted by fellow players from opposing teams) or even All Australian honours (chosen in recognition of exceptional talent by expert panels).