27 November 2011

Understanding AFL's Elimination Rules

By Nia Lawrence


You'll have to be a hardcore football fan first before you become familiar with all of the leagues and football trophies in Australia. There are a handful of national leagues and numerous local leagues to consider, not mentioning the tendency of franchise leagues to change management or integrate with other leagues. Australian football is a thrilling sport nonetheless, so investing your interest in the stats and intricacies will pay off once you manage to follow the pace during the games. In case you've just found the sport interesting, you'll have a better understanding of the rules if you initially stick to one league, particularly the AFL (Australian Football League). The AFL is the drafting ground for international football cups like FIFA.

The final eliminations are always more intense than the regular seasons, since you'll be watching the season's best teams vie for championship and consolation football trophies here. There are set elimination rules in the AFL, but the basic elimination layout remains intact. Eight of the highest-ranking teams during the regular season are faced against each other during the month-long elimination finals. This eight is divided into two four-team groups; the first half includes the top four performers of the season, and they're given more matchup privileges to ensure that they'll progress to the Grand Final easier.

Teams on the top four will make it to the Grand Final with at least two wins, and the rest of the top eight have to perform better; they'll have to win at least three elimination matches to qualify for the football trophies. Furthermore, two of the top four teams earn a 'bye' during the first two weeks of the elimination month. This means that they'll have one free pass during the eliminations, and they can skip a matchup and advance to the next round without breaking a sweat. These teams get time off and face their next matchup on the third week. Because of the biased layout of the eliminations, the championship cup is usually won by a team from the top four. This doesn't stop teams in the bottom four from pushing through to the Grand Final and managing an upset, though.

The teams on the bottom four will find it hard to win any of the football trophies, with the exception of the consolation awards (the Wooden Spoon and the Wok are hardly worth boasting about). Accumulating wins throughout the elimination month will increase a team's chances of playing on their home field at the Grand Final, especially if they've racked up the wins from the very start of the eliminations. They'll also have the opportunity to earn a 'double-chance' if they win at each matchup, and their first-week loss will not be factored into their elimination stats.

Extra playtime is allotted in the event of matchup draws throughout the season, with the exception of the Grand Final. A rematch is usually scheduled on the following week for a draw match on the Grand Final, but if this still ends with a deadlock, the game is extended until a champion emerges. Matches are scheduled on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, and back-to-back games are scheduled on Saturday afternoons and evenings.




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