It is played by teams of 18 on an oval field with an oval ball that can be kicked, caught, hit with the fist, or carried and bounced. The game is divided into quarters. Each quarter comprises 20 minutes plus time-on. Time-on is the extra time allocated by the timekeepers when play stops. At the end of each quarter the teams swap ends and kick in the other direction.
Teams start by determining the choice of goal by tossing a coin.
A goal is scored A ball kicked between the two larger goal posts without being touched is a goal and is worth six points. If the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post then it is a behind, and it scores 1 point. After a goal is scored, play is restarted in the centre of the ground. After a behind has scored. Any player of the defending team kicks the ball from within the kick-off 'square' in front of goal, but only after the goal umpire has finished waving his flags.