A mark in Australian rules football is the catch of a kicked ball which earns the catching player a free kick. The catch must be cleanly taken, or deemed by the umpire to have involved control of the ball for sufficient time. A tipped ball, or one that has touched the ground cannot be marked. Since 2002, in most Australian competitions, the minimum distance for a mark is 15 metres (16 yards or 49 feet).
Marking is one of the most important skills in Australian football. Aiming for a teammate who can mark their kick is the primary focus of any kicking player not kicking for goal. Marking can also be one of the most spectacular and distinctive aspects of the game, and the best mark of the AFL season is awarded with the Mark of the Year, with similar competitions running across smaller leagues.
The most prolific markers in the history of the Australian Football League, Nick Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson, Stewart Loewe and Gary Dempsey took an average of around eight marks per game.[1] An AFL match between St Kilda and Port Adelaide in 2006 set a record of 303 marks in a single game.
Upon taking a mark, the umpire will blow the whistle to signify the mark and a player is entitled to an unimpeded kick of the ball. The nearest opposition player stands on the spot where the player marked the ball, which is also known as 'the mark' and he becomes 'the man on the mark.' When awarded the free kick, the player can choose to forego their kick to play-on and run into space, with the defending players then allowed to tackle as normal. The player has 10 seconds to move the ball on after a mark unless they are taking a shot on goal in which case they have 30 seconds to take their kick. If the player takes too long to complete their free kick, the umpire will call play-on, rescinding the award of the free kick, which also allows the defenders to tackle as normal.
A mark must be caught cleanly, with the player having complete control of the ball, even if only for a short time. As such, if the ball is punched out from between the player's hands after it is caught, or the ball is dislodged upon hitting the ground, a mark is still paid, even if the ball was held for only an instant.
Although the rules make no provision for two players marking the ball simultaneously,[2] by convention the umpire will award the mark to the man in front, i.e. the player who has the front position in the marking contest. If he cannot determine which player is in front, then a ball-up will result.
The mark has been included in the compromise rules used in the International Rules Football series between teams from Australia and Ireland since 1984.
The current minimum distance the ball must travel for a mark to be awarded is 15 metres in any direction; a cleanly caught ball which travels a shorter distance is called 'play on'. This has been the case since 2002; for more than a century before that, the minimum distance was ten metres or ten yards.[3] There are very few ground markings on an Australian rules football field which could be used to measure this distance precisely, leaving the decision on distance up to the best judgement of the umpire; a kick which is too short will typically be met with shouts of 'play on' or 'not fifteen' by the umpire.
In the early decades of Australian rules football, the minimum distance was substantially shorter, resulting in a type of play called a "little mark", in which a team could earn a mark by kicking the ball a short distance into the hands of a team-mate standing almost immediately adjacent. Little marks were polarising: they were considered by supporters as one of the game's best features and an effective way for teams to clear scrimmages; and considered by detractors as too difficult to accurately adjudicate and sometimes exploited by crafty players who would disguise a hand-off as a little mark.[4][5] The minimum distance for a mark changed many times over the early years: until 1877, no minimum; in 1877, six yards;[6] in 1886, five yards;[5] in 1887, two yards[7] – but in practice by the start of the 1890s it was reported that most umpires would pay little marks over only a few inches.[8][9] Little marking was effectively abolished with the introduction of the ten yard minimum distance in 1897.
Only one player may stand the mark; this restriction was introduced in 1924. Since 2021, a player standing the mark must remain stationary upon taking up the mark until the kicker has disposed of the ball or played on; prior to this, the man on the mark was free to leave the mark or move laterally, provided he did not move over the mark towards the kicker. Breaking this rule is punishable by a 50-metre penalty. If the team chooses not to put a man on the mark, then players may defend the kick from five metres behind the mark; these players are allowed to move.[10]
There is a protected area around the kicker, which is a corridor which extends ten metres either side of the line between the man on the mark and the kicker, five metres behind the kicker, and five metres behind the mark. Opposing players may not enter the protected area unless following their direct opponent within two metres; and player who find themselves within the area need to make best endeavours to leave it. Breaking the rule is also punishable by 50-metre penalty.[10]
The combination of kick and mark as the primary means for advancing the ball has been a distinctive feature of Australian football ever since the first rules were created in 1859. The original rules of the game, which were published in The Footballer newspaper in 1859, included the phrase "A mark shall be considered to be a clean catch of the ball, on the full, without it touching the ground". This rule was included in the Victorian Football Association's rules in 1866, and was included in the Australian National Football Council's rules in 1897.
Other forms of football descended from English public school football games of the 19th century have featured a fair catch, with similar rules to the mark. It was abolished early in the development of soccer and is only used occasionally in rugby union and American football.
The origin of the term has a few possible sources. In rugby and the early days of soccer, a player would shout 'mark' and mark the ground with their foot. It was formerly a requirement in the Australian game to make such a mark but this is no longer the case. Sometimes a cap which formed part of the uniform was used to show where the fair catch was taken.
Another source of the term may have been from the traditional Aboriginal game of Marn Grook, which is said to have influenced founder Tom Wills' development of the early forms of Australian football.[11] It is claimed that in Marn Grook, jumping to catch the ball, called "mumarki", an Aboriginal word meaning "to catch", results in a free kick.[11]
These early influences may be limited in their relevance, as the term "catching the ball" was more commonly used throughout the early 20th century. The term "mark" only became widely used in the 1940s, and used by players and commentators alike by the 1950s.
Early forms of Australian football were characterised by low, short kicks and scrimmages. Marks were taken on the chest as all other marks were seen as dangerous or risky. One of the first players to attempt an overhead mark and high mark was Jack Kerley in 1883. Jack Worrall popularised the high mark between 1885 and 1887 and others followed, ushering in a new era of overhead marking in the sport.[12] However players who leapt for the ball could be pushed in mid air, risking immediate dispossession, if not injury.
At a meeting of the Australasian Football Council (AFC) in 1890 a motion was passed banning pushing in the back in a marking contest which was agreed to by its member leagues including Victoria.[13] It was adopted by the newly formed VFL in 1897. While the rule encouraged high marking, players marking from behind were still often penalised.
In 1907 the AFC introduced the concept of unintentional interference in a marking contest.[14] Spectacular marks subsequently became more common.
In Australian football, marks are often described in combination of the following ways.
While the Mark of the Year competition has identified many famous marks, other marks include:
In the 1970 Grand Final before a record crowd of 121,696, Carlton full forward, and giant of the game, Alex Jesaulenko, took one of the most inspirational marks in the history of 'the Australian game.' Leaping high for a specky over Collingwood's Graeme Jenkin just before half time, the mark inspired a Carlton side that was behind by 44 points at the half. It was retroactively classified as the Mark of the Year.
Sydney's Leo Barry leapt into history with his match-saving mark in the final seconds of the 2005 grand final against the West Coast Eagles to seal the game. His contested overhead mark was taken in a congested pack of three teammates and three opposition players.
Shaun Smith's and Gary Ablett's marks share the title of Mark of the Century.
St Kilda/South Melbourne player Roy Cazaly was renowned for his high marks, giving rise to the catchphrase and song "Up There Cazaly".
Spoiling is the technique typically employed by opposition defenders to legally stop a player from catching the ball. It is performed as a punching action by hand or fist just before the opposing player has caught the ball in their hands.
The rules are quite strict on defensive spoiling methods. Players are not allowed to push other players out of marking contests or make forceful front on contact with an opponent in a marking contest, if they are not simultaneously attempting to mark or spoil the ball. Also, no high contact is allowed unless such contact is incidental to attempting to mark or spoil the ball.
Deliberately taking, hacking or chopping the arms is an infringement committed by players which will result in a free kick.
The arm interference free kick was introduced as a specific free kick in the AFL and its affiliates in 2005, although it was paid as a blocking, striking or holding free kick previously. The free kick was designed predominately to make it easier for forwards to take contested marks by not allowing defending player to punch or pull a marking player's outstretched arms in a marking contest.[19]
The rule was introduced by the AFL amidst on-going calls from fans and commentators to take action against the defensive tactic of flooding. The rule does directly limit the effectiveness of defenders, but the AFL has never stated whether or not flooding was the reason for the change.[19]