ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League, or AFL for short, is a popular sport in Australia that people love to play and watch. It's a bit like soccer but also a bit like rugby, and it's played with an oval-shaped ball instead of a round one.

In a game of AFL, there are two teams with 18 players each. The players try to kick the ball through the tall goalposts to score points. If they kick it through the middle posts, they get six points, and if they kick it between the middle and outer posts, they get one point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Each team has different jobs for its players. There are forwards whose job is to kick the ball towards the goals, defenders who try to stop the other team from scoring, and midfielders who are in the middle of the field and try to help both the forwards and defenders.

The game is played on a big oval field, which has boundary lines to show the players where they can go. They can run, bounce the ball, or kick it to move it towards the goals. But they have to be careful not to get tackled by players from the other team. If they get tackled, they have to give the ball to the other team and they lose their turn to try to score.

The AFL season is usually played from March to September, and there are lots of different teams from different cities in Australia. Each team has its own colors and a mascot. People love to support their favorite team by wearing their colors and going to the games to cheer them on.

The AFL is a very exciting game to watch because it's fast-paced and there are lots of goals scored. It's also a great way for players to stay fit and have fun with their friends. So if you ever get a chance to watch or play AFL, give it a try because it's a lot of fun!