Australian Football vs American Football – What is the Difference?
Compare pitch sizes and supporting equipment
The shape of a field is the main distinction between the two sports. Teams compete on an oval-shaped pitch. Its size is between 135 and 185 meters long and 110 and 155 meters broad per Aussie rules. When compared to the typical American football field, which is 91.44 meters long and 48.8 meters wide, it is obvious that Australian rules have a far larger playing surface – roughly double the size.
In contrast to the spherical balls in soccer, the balls in Australian football vs American football are egg-shaped. Aussie rules players only wear a gum shield and some little padding, whereas American players have to wear helmets and substantial amounts of body armor. Australian players don’t appear to sustain greater injuries than their American counterparts despite this lack of protection. In addition, compared to Gridiron, Aussie one frequently takes place with a faster tempo and with fewer stops.
Players involved in Australian football vs American football
Regarding the number of players in 2 sports, unsurprisingly, an AFL team will always have 18 players on the field. In fact, Aussie rules pitches are twice as big as NFL pitches. Compared to that, an NFL team has only 11 players. In a complete game of Australian rules, there can be three players to substitute. One of the main distinctions between the NFL and this is that the latter allows for an unlimited amount of substitutes.
Compare scoring systems
If you’re wondering whether the two well-known sports vary in any way, take into account the following scoring system of these 2 sports. They are quite comparable. For touchdowns in both league and football games, points are awarded. Kicking the ball into the end zone between the goalposts is the objective in this American sport. As an alternative, the player can also score a try by kicking the ball in between the goalposts. A conversion in rugby is comparable to an extra point in Gridiron, the players can get a touchdown in this situation.
American football vs Australian football share several gameplay elements, but they also differ in some important ways. Players in the NFL are unable to interfere with a throw, be tripped, or dive for a high ball. They can also clamber up onto the back of an opponent and make a catch. The rules for Australian sport are also different from those of the NFL. However, certain athletes are regarded as legends, and their contributions to the game are frequently forgotten.
See more: Australian Football vs Rugby
How do the AFL and NFL compare?
Format
In five of the six states in Australia, there are 18 teams in the AFL. The 23-round regular season of the AFL features home and away games between teams. The minor premiership will belong to the group that finished this season with the best record. The top eight teams in the league advance to the finals, which are ultimately reduced to two in the AFL Grand Final.
The NFL, in comparison, consists of 32 clubs that represent various American towns and states. The NFC and the AFC are the two divisions into which these teams are evenly split. Additionally, each Conference is divided into regional sections. The NFL playoffs are open to the winners of each division and two wild card clubs from each conference.
Revenue
Now, look at the total profits of Australian football vs American football. It’s obvious that the NFL makes more money than the AFL. For instance, according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the NFL distributed 52 percent of the $16 billion in total national income it earned during the 2018 season to the owners and 48 percent to the players.
However, the AFL made $668 million in profit during that same season. That’s equal to an increase of $17.4 million brought on by the freshly negotiated TV rights agreement and a victorious 2018 finals series.
The allocation of TV money among all AFL clubs is uniform. Also, additional revenue streams are distributed to clubs to make up for any disparities.
Audience attendance
A total of 16.67 million people watched NFL regular-season games in 2019. This number is around normal in comparison with the previous seasons. That works out to around 65,100 spectators each game for the 256 NFL games that have occurred up to now.
With 207 games played in all, the AFL attracted a total of 7.5 million spectators or around 36,200 spectators per gameplay.
Although the NFL outweighs the AFL, we can’t deny that Australian football has been more and more popular considerably. To follow the development of these two sports, visit the website American football terms which constantly updates the latest news.
