Stats Glossary - Australian Football

• Baulk

  The ball carrier uses deception to beat an opponent, by sidestepping or feigning disposal.

• Behind

  A minor score, as judged by the goal umpire to have gone between the goal and behind posts, or touched by a player before going between the goal posts. Behinds are worth one point to the team’s total score.

• Block

  Effectively shepherding an opponent out of a contest to the benefit of a teammate.

• Broken Tackle

  Evading a tackle attempt by an opponent.

• Clanger

  An error made by a player resulting in a negative result for their side. Disposal clangers are any kick or handball that directly turns the ball over to the opposition. Frees and 50-metre penalties against, No Pressure Errors, Dropped Marks are all included in clangers.

• Clanger Handball

  Handballs that give possession directly to the opposition.

• Clanger Kick

  Kicks that give possession directly to the opposition.

• Clearance

  Credited to the player who has the first effective disposal in a chain that clears the stoppage area, or an ineffective kick or clanger kick that clears the stoppage area.

• Contested Knock on

  Using the hand to knock the ball to a teammate's advantage rather than attempting to take possession from a contested situation.

• Contested Mark

  When a player takes a mark under physical pressure of an opponent or in a pack.

• Contested Intercept Mark

  When a player takes a mark under physical pressure of an opponent or in a pack from an opposition kick.

• Contested Mark From Team

  When a player takes a mark under physical pressure of an opponent or in a pack from a teammate’s kick.

• Contested Possession

  A possession which has been won when the ball is in dispute. Includes looseball-gets, hardball-gets, contested marks, gathers from a hit-out and frees for.

• Crumb

  A type of groundball-get that is won by a player at ground level after a marking contest. The player must not be involved in the original contest. Crumbing Possessions can be either hardball or looseball-gets.

• Disposal

  Legally getting rid of the ball, via a handball or kick.

• Dispossessed

  Losing possession of the ball due to a tackle without recording a disposal.

• Effective Handball

  A handball to a teammate that hits the intended target.

• Effective Kick

  A kick of more than 40 metres to a 50/50 contest or better for the team or a kick of less than 40 metres that results in the intended target retaining possession.

• 50-metre penalty

  Awarded to a team/player if an infringement occurs after a mark, free-kick or during a behind kick-in.

• First Possession

  The initial possession that follows a stoppage, including a looseball-get, hardball-get, intended ball-get (gather), free kick or ground kick.

• Free against

  When an infringement occurs resulting in the opposition receiving a free kick from the umpires.

• Free for

  When a player is interfered with and is awarded a free kick by the umpires.

• Gather

  Possessions that were a result of a teammate deliberately directing the ball in the player's direction, via a hit-out, disposal or knock-on, excluding marks and handball receives. Gathers from a hit-out are contested possessions, the rest are uncontested.

• Gather from hit-out

  A possession gained from a teammate's hit-out to advantage. Counted as a contested possession.

• Goal

  A major score, as judged by the goal umpire to have travelled between the goal posts via foot without being touched. Worth six points to a team's total score.

• Goal assist

  Creating a goal by getting the ball to a teammate either via a disposal, knock-on, ground kick or hitout, or by winning a free kick before the advantage is paid to the goal scorer.

• Goal conceded

  Goals kicked by a player’s direct opponent.

• Ground ball get

  Contested possessions won at ground level, excluding free kicks. Groundball gets can either be hardball gets or looseball gets.

• Ground Kick

  A deliberate kick without taking possession that gains either significant distance from the point of contact or an uncontested possession for a teammate.

• Handball

  Disposing of the ball by hand.

• Handball recieve

  An uncontested possession that is the result of a teammate’s handball.

• Hardball get

  A disputed ball at ground level under direct physical pressure or out of a ruck contest, resulting in an opportunity to affect a legal disposal.

• Hit-out

  Knocking the ball out of a ruck contest following a stoppage with clear control, regardless of which side wins the following contest at ground level.

• Hit-out shark

  Winning clear possession of the ball from the opposition ruck's hit-out.

• Hit-out sharked

  A hit-out that directly results in an opponent's possession.

• Hit-out to advantage

  A hit-out that reaches an intended teammate.

• Hold

  Holding the ball in when the umpire calls for a ball up.

• Ineffective ground kick

  Ground kicks that are not advantageous to the team, but do not directly turn the ball over to the opposition.

• Ineffective handball

  Handballs that are not advantageous to the team, but do not directly turn the ball over to the opposition.

• Ineffective Kick

  Kicks that are not advantageous to the team, but do not directly turn the ball over to the opposition.

• Inside 50

  Moving the ball from the midfield into the forward zone. Excludes multiple entries within the same chain of possession.

• Inside 50 target

  Recorded when a player inside the forward 50 is clearly the sole target of a teammate's kick into the forward 50. The inside 50 target player will be recorded regardless of the outcome of the kick.

• Kick

  Disposing of the ball by foot. Includes kicks off the ground.

• Kick backwards

  A kick that travels sideways or backwards in the midfield or defensive zones, that results in an uncontested possession to a teammate.

• Kick-in

  When a player kicks the ball back into play after an opposition behind. Kick-ins are regarded as a function of the team and do not count as kicks, although they are similarly graded for quality.

• Kick inside 50

  When a player records an inside 50 for their team by kicking the ball from the midfield zone into the forward line.

• Kick long advantage

  A long kick that results in an uncontested possession by a teammate. If an error is made by the player 'receiving' the kick, a 'kick long to advantage' is still recorded for the player kicking the ball.

• Knock on

  When a player uses his hand to knock the ball to a teammate's advantage rather than attempting to take possession within the team's chain of play.

• Long kick

  A kick of more than 40 metres to a 50/50 contest or better for the team.

• Looseball get

  A disputed ball at ground level not under direct physical pressure that results in an opportunity to record a legal disposal.

• Mark

  When a player cleanly catches (is deemed to have controlled the ball for sufficient time) a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground.

• Mark from opp kick

  Mark from an opposition kick.

• Mark fumbled

  When the player attempting to mark the ball drops it before taking proper possession.

• Mark on lead

  An uncontested mark taken after outsprinting an opponent.

• Mark play on

  Playing on immediately without retreating behind the mark.

• missed tackles

  Attempted tackles that fail to stop the opposing player from disposing of the ball or allowing the ball carrier to break into space.

• One-on-one contest defender

  Being isolated in a one-on-one contest as the defender.

• One-on-one contest target

  Being isolated in a one-on-one contest as the target of the kick.

• Possession

  When a player grabs the ball with a reasonable amount of time to dispose of it. Includes groundball-gets, marks, handball receives, effective contested knock-ons and frees for.

• Pressure act (corralling)

  The lowest form of pressure a player can apply, where they are simply occupying space in front of the ball carrier to prevent them moving forward, or have a run at them, but not quickly enough to record ‘closing’ pressure.

• Pressure act

  Where a player applies pressure from behind an opponent by chasing. They must be gaining ground or applying pressure significant enough to hurry the ball carrier to dispose of the ball. If the chasing player is on the verge of making physical contact from behind, then closing pressure will be imminent.

• Rebound 50

  Moving the ball from the defensive zone into the midfield.

• Ruck hardball get

  Taking possession of the ball directly out of the ruck.

• Running bounce

  Touching the ball to the ground, either directly or via a bounce, to allow a player to avoid being penalised for running too far.

• Score assist

  Creating a score by getting the ball to a teammate either via a disposal, knock-on, ground kick or hitout, or by winning a free kick before the advantage is paid to the goal scorer.

• Short kick

  A kick of less than 40 metres that results in the intended target retaining possession. Does not include kicks that are spoiled by the opposition.

• Smother

  Suppressing an opposition disposal by either changing the trajectory of the ball immediately after the disposal or by blocking the disposal altogether.

• Spoil

  Knocking the ball away from a marking contest preventing an opponent from taking a mark.

• Spoil gaining possession

  Spoils directed straight to a teammate.

• Spoil ineffective

  Spoils directed straight to an opposition player.

• Tackle

  Using physical contact to prevent an opponent in possession of the ball from getting an effective disposal.

• Uncontested gather

  Winning possession of the ball uncontested at ground level.

• Uncontested mark

  Marks taken under no physical pressure from an opponent. Includes marks taken on a lead and from opposition kicks.

• Uncontested possession

  Possessions gained whilst under no physical pressure, either from a teammate's disposal or an opposition's clanger kick. Includes handball receives, uncontested marks (including lead marks) and intended ball gets from a disposal.