The logo of the International Rules Series

International Rules Football is a hybrid sport developed in the 1980s as a mixture of Australian rules football and Gaelic football. It was created in order to facilitate international matches between the representative teams of the Australian Football League and the Gaelic Athletic Association, which have been played annually since 1998 but date back to 1984.

The rules are designed to provide a compromise between those of the two codes, with the Irish being advantaged by the use of a round ball and a rectangular field (Australian rules uses an oval ball and field), while the Australians benefit from the opportunity to tackle between the shoulders and thighs, something banned in Gaelic football. The game uses two large posts and two small posts, as in Australian rules, and a goal net as in Gaelic football. Points are scored as follows:

• in the goal net (a goal): 6 points,
• over the goal net and between the two large posts (an over): 3 points,
• between a large post and a small post or hitting a large post (a point):1 point.

An international rules match lasts for eighty minutes (divided into four quarters of twenty minutes each), the same duration as an Australian rules match but ten minutes longer than a Gaelic football one. Teams consist of fifteen players, just as in Gaelic football (eighteen are used in Australian rules).

In addition to the annual senior international series, Australia and Ireland play an under-19 contest, and international rules has been played in various locations throughout United States and Europe between fledgling Australian rules and Gaelic football clubs. Since the resumption of the senior international series in 1998, Australia and Ireland have won five matches each with a further two being drawn.

International Rules Series Results

1984 (in Ireland)

• First Test: Australia 70 (2-15-13) d Ireland 57 (4-8-9)
• Second Test: Ireland 80 (3-18-8) d Australia 76 (1-18-16)
• Third Test: Australia 76 (1-18-16) d Ireland 71 (5-11-8)

1986 (in Australia)

• First Test: Australia 64 (1-14-16) d Ireland 57 (5-5-12)
• Second Test: Ireland 62 (3-10-14) d Australia 46 (1-10-10)
• Third Test: Ireland 55 (4-8-7) d Australia 32 (0-7-11)

1987 (in Ireland)

• First Test: Ireland 53 (3-7-14) d Australia 51(1-11-12)
• Second Test: Australia 72 (3-14-12) d Ireland 47 (3-6-11)
• Third Test: Australia 59 (0-14-17) d Ireland 55 (1-13-10)

1990 (in Australia)

• First Test: Ireland 47 (0-12-11) d Australia 38 (0-10-8)
• Second Test: Ireland 52 (3-9-7) d Australia 31(0-7-10)
• Third Test: Australia 50 (0-13-11) d Ireland 44 (0-12-8)

1998 (in Ireland)

• First Test: Australia 62 (2-13-11) d Ireland 61 (2-13-10)
• Second Test: Ireland 67 (4-12-7) d Australia 56 (2-10-14)

1999 (in Australia)

• First Test: Ireland 70 (2-16-10) d Australia 62 (0-16-14) (at the Melbourne Cricket Ground)
• Second Test: Australia 52 (2-12-4) drew with Ireland 52 (1-11-13) (at Football Park, Adelaide)

2000 (in Ireland)

• First Test: Australia 55 (0-14-13) d Ireland 47 (1-11-8)
• Second Test: Australia 68 (2-15-11) d Ireland 51 (1-12-9) (both matches at Croke Park, Dublin)

2001 (in Australia)

• First Test: Ireland 59 (2-13-8) d Australia 53 (1-13-9) (at the Melbourne Cricket Ground)
• Second Test: Ireland 71 (2-17-8) d Australia 52 (1-13-7) (at Football Park, Adelaide)

2002 (in Ireland)

• First Test: Australia 65 (2-15-8) d Ireland 58 (1-14-10)
• Second Test: Ireland 42 (1-8-12) drew with Australia 42 (1-11-3) (both matches at Croke Park, Dublin)

2003 (in Australia)

• First Test: Australia 56 (3-10-8) d Ireland 46 (1-10-10) (at Subiaco Oval, Perth)
• Second Test: Ireland 48 (2-9-9) d Australia 45 (1-10-9) (at the Melbourne Cricket Ground)

External Links

• Australian Football League page on International Rules: http://afl.com.au/?pg=pastintrules
• A site with information about International Rules: http://www.tarik.com.au/intrules.html