A mark is a skill in Australian Rules Football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it. Upon taking a mark, a player is entitled to an unimpeded kick of the ball, to advance his team towards their goalposts. The nearest opposition player stands on the spot where the player marked the ball, which is also known as the mark, and becomes the man on the mark. When taking the free kick the player must either play on or kick the ball over the mark.

Although catching the ball is not unique to other codes of football, along with kicking the ball, it is one of the most prevalent skills in Australian Football. Marking is also one of the most spectacular and distinctive aspects of the game of "Aussie Rules". The best mark of the AFL season is awarded with the Mark of the Year.

Types of Marks

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In Australian Football, marks are often described in combination of the following ways.

• Chest Mark - catching the ball and drawing it in to the chest. This is considered the easiest mark to take, and is often used in wet weather.
• Overhead Mark - catching the ball with hands extended above the head
• Contested Mark - catching the ball against one or more opponents who are attempting to also mark or spoil the player attempting the mark.
• Pack Mark - catching the ball against one or more opponents and/or teammates all in close proximity to the fall of the ball.
• High Mark - catching the ball whilst jumping up in the air
• Spectacular Mark - sometimes called a ' spekkie', is a mark taken (sometimes contested) whilst jumping in the air. Additional elevation is achieved by using the legs to spring off the back or shoulders of one or more opponents and/or teammates. The movement of other players beneath a marking can cause them to lose balance in mid air and land or fall awkwardly, enhancing the spectacular nature of the mark.
• One handed Mark - catching the ball with only one hand
• Diving Mark - leaping horizontally to catch the ball before it hits the ground
• With the flight of the ball - a mark taken running in the direction that the ball is travelling. In order to do this, the player must take their eyes off opposition players sometimes running at fast pace in the opposite direction. This type of mark is often branded "courageous", because in attempting the mark, the player must ignore the danger of a high speed collision with oncoming players.
• Half Volley - technically not a mark. Sometimes players catch the ball so close to the ground that it is difficult to tell whether it hit or bounced off the ground. Sometimes a player is awarded a mark by an umpires benefit of the doubt.

Spoiling the Mark

Spoiling is the technique typically employed by opposition defenders to legally stop a player from catching the ball by hand or fist (as a punching action) either before or shortly after the player has caught the ball in their hands. In the past, spoiling the mark has been achieved by interfering with the arms or head of the player attempting to mark, however this is now strongly penalised by umpires with a free kick to the player attempting to mark and sometimes a 50-metre penalty for more severe infringements (or 15 metre in the past).

Origins of the Mark

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Various forms of football descended from English public school football games of the 19th century have featured a fair catch or mark. It was abolished early in the development of Association Football or soccer, though still features in Rugby union and American football.

The mark has been one of the most distinctive features of Australian Football since rules were drawn up in 1858.

The origin of the term 'mark' comes from the practice of a player who has just taken a mark physically marking the ground with his foot to show where he took the fair catch.

Some people claim that the origin of the mark comes from the traditional Aboriginal game of Marn Grook, which is said to possibly have influenced Tom Wills writing of the laws of the game. It is claimed that in Marn Grook, jumping to catch the ball, called "mumarki", an Aboriginal word meaning "to catch" results in a free kick.

Famous Marks

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While the Mark of the Year competition has produced many famous marks, other marks include:

In the 1970 Grand Final before a record crowd, Carlton full forward, and giant of the game, Alex Jesaulenko, took one of the most inspirational marks in the history of 'the Australian game' leaping high for a "spekkie" over Collingwood's Graeme Jenkin to inspire a Carlton side that was behind a record 44 points at the half.

Sydney's Leo Barry leapt into history with his match-saving mark in the final seconds of the 2005 grand final against the West Coast Eagles to seal the game. His contested overhead mark was taken in a congested pack of 3 teammates and 3 opposition players.

Shaun Smith's and Gary Ablett's shared title of Mark of the Century.

St Kilda/South Melbourne player Roy Cazaly was renowned for his high marks, giving rise to the catchphrase "Up There Cazaly".

External Links

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Australian rules football terminology