If you’ve ever stood on the sideline wondering why the game looks so different to what you watched on TV last Friday night — you’re not imagining it. Junior AFL is deliberately, carefully different. And that’s a really good thing.
The AFL’s Junior Rules, updated in 2024 and backed by research from Deakin University, redesigned how the game is delivered for every age group from Under 8 upward. The goal: more touches for every player, less ball-chasing congestion, and a structure that actually matches how kids learn. When age-appropriate rules were applied, individual player involvement increased by more than 35%.
This guide breaks down what the rules look like at each age group, why they’re structured that way, and what your child should genuinely be focused on developing — whether they’re just kicking their first drop punt at eight years old or preparing to step up into youth football at thirteen.
Why Junior AFL Isn’t Just “Smaller Senior Footy”
Kids can’t kick as far, run as fast, or process the same match information as adults. Playing full-field, 18-a-side football at eight years old doesn’t help them learn — it overwhelms them and guarantees most kids touch the ball almost never.
The Junior Rules fix this by controlling three things at every age: the size of the field, the number of players on it, and the physical contact allowed. As kids get older, all three expand — progressively, deliberately, in line with how their bodies and brains are actually developing.
There’s also a principle built into every age group that’s worth knowing: every player must play a minimum of 50–75% of game time. This isn’t optional. It’s a rule. Your child is not supposed to be warming the bench.
Under 8: The “Just Touch the Ball” Stage
Field: 70m x 50m (max 80m x 60m), divided into three thirds — players are restricted to their third to prevent everyone chasing the ball
Players: 6-a-side (max 9 per team)
Game time: 4 x 10-minute quarters
Ball: Size 1 synthetic
At Under 8, the entire point is contact with the football. Lots of it. The field is tiny, the teams are tiny, and the ball never bounces because bouncing isn’t allowed. There’s no tackling, no contact at all — just handball, kick, mark, move.
The coach is on the field with the players. No scores are kept. No best player awards. No ladders.
What to encourage your child to work on:
The basics of ball movement — catching, handballing, and beginning to kick with both feet. At this age, “winning” isn’t the measure of a good session. The question to ask on the way home is: did you touch the ball a lot? If yes, it was a good game.
Don’t worry about positioning. Don’t ask whether they stuck to their third of the field. Just celebrate every time they got a kick.
Under 9: Learning That Marks Have Rules
Field: 85m x 65m (max 100m x 80m), divided into thirds with player position restrictions
Players: 9-a-side (max 12 per team)
Game time: 4 x 12-minute quarters
Ball: Size 2 synthetic
The game grows at Under 9. Teams expand, the oval gets bigger, and for the first time there’s a modified form of tackling — holding of an opponent is permitted, but no pushing, bumping, barging, smothering, or stealing the ball from hands. A mark is awarded to any player who shows control of the ball, at any distance. One bounce is now permitted.
Still no scores recorded. Still no individual awards. Coach remains on the ground.
What to encourage your child to work on:
Awareness. With 9 players a side and a bigger field, your child is starting to learn to look around before they receive the ball. Encourage them to notice where teammates are before the ball arrives. Talk about decision-making after the game, not just kicking.
Also: celebrate the mark. It’s now a genuine reward for skill. A clean chest mark at this age is a big deal.
Under 10: The First Real Challenge
Field: 85m x 65m (max 100m x 80m), divided into thirds with player position restrictions
Players: 12-a-side (max 15 per team)
Game time: 4 x 12-minute quarters
Ball: Size 2 synthetic
Under 10 is where the game starts to feel like football to a watching parent. Twelve players a side is a proper team. The tackling rules are the same as Under 9 — modified, controlled — but the coach moves off the field and onto the sideline. The players are starting to self-manage.
Still no scores. Still no best player awards.
What to encourage your child to work on:
Understanding where they’re supposed to be on the field. The thirds restriction exists for a reason — it stops every player flooding to the ball and forces kids to hold their position and wait for the play to come to them. Ask your child to explain where they’re supposed to be. If they can tell you, they’re learning game sense. If they can’t, that’s fine too — they’re ten.
Encourage them to back their kick. At this age, many kids handball when they should kick because kicking feels riskier. Praise the attempt, not just the outcome.
Under 11: Where Skills Start to Separate
Field: 115m x 75m (max 130m x 90m), divided into thirds with player position restrictions
Players: 12-a-side (max 15 per team)
Game time: 4 x 15-minute quarters
Ball: Size 3 (synthetic or leather)
Under 11 is the first step into a bigger game. The field jumps noticeably in size. Quarter length increases. And for the first time, a mark requires a kick of at least 10 metres caught by any player. Marks are no longer awarded at any distance — there’s a standard to meet.
Modified tackling and holding still apply. No full-contact yet. Coach is on the sideline.
Scores are recorded at Under 11 — but there are no ladders, no finals, and no best player awards. The scoreboard exists; the competition table doesn’t.
What to encourage your child to work on:
Kicking distance and accuracy. The 10-metre mark rule suddenly makes kicking for distance a meaningful skill. Encourage kicking practice over distance at home. Focus on the drop punt — it’s the most reliable kick in Australian football.
Also: decision speed. The game is faster now. The time between receiving the ball and needing to do something with it is getting shorter. Talk about practising quick decisions.
Under 12: The Bridge Year
Field: 115m x 75m (max 130m x 90m), divided into thirds with player position restrictions
Players: 12-a-side (max 15 per team)
Game time: 4 x 15-minute quarters
Ball: Size 3 (synthetic or leather)
Under 12 mirrors Under 11 almost exactly in structure. Same field, same team size, same game time, same marking rule. The difference is developmental — players are a year older, physically more capable, and the game moves faster at this age because the athletes are bigger and stronger.
This is the last year before contact football. Scores are kept, but there are still no ladders or finals — the low-stakes environment is deliberate.
What to encourage your child to work on:
This is the year to build confidence in every fundamental. Kicking both feet. Handballing both hands. Marking overhead and chest. Ground ball pressure and picking up cleanly. These are the tools your child will carry into full-contact footy next year.
If there’s a weakness in their game, Under 12 is the right time to work on it. The environment is still low-stakes and safe to experiment in.
Under 13: Welcome to Real Footy
Field: 125m x 95m (max 140m x 110m), three thirds (player position restrictions lifted)
Players: 15-a-side (max 18 per team)
Game time: 4 x 15–20-minute quarters
Ball: Size 4
Under 13 is a genuine transition. The team grows to 15 a side, the field expands significantly, and full tackling and bumping are now permitted. Fending off, smothering, and stealing the ball from an opponent’s hands are all allowed. This is recognisable football.
Scores are now recorded. Finals may apply. Individual awards may return depending on competition rules.
The game time also shifts — quarters run 15 to 20 minutes depending on the competition, a significant step up from the 15-minute quarters at U11 and U12. The demands are much higher.
What to encourage your child to work on:
Composure under pressure. Being tackled changes everything. For kids who’ve never had someone grab them in a game, the first tackle can be a shock. Talk about what to do before the tackle arrives — using the ball quickly, protecting it, knowing where the handball target is.
Positional identity also starts to matter here. By Under 13, most coaches are thinking about where a player’s strengths best serve the team. Encourage your child to understand their role and embrace it.
AFL Junior Rules at a Glance (2024)
This table reflects the official AFL Junior Rules as of the 2024 Program Handbook. For U8 through U12, rules apply equally to boys, girls, and mixed competitions — separate girls/mixed variations only appear from U13 onward. Note that U8–U13 fields are divided into thirds, with players restricted to their third of the field to prevent congestion; this restriction lifts at U13.
| Age Group | Players on Field | Max Squad | Field Size (recommended) | Field Size (max) | Ball Size | Quarter Length | Tackling | Mark Distance | Scores Kept | Ladders & Finals | Coach Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 8 | 6 | 9 | 70m x 50m | 80m x 60m | Size 1 | 4 x 10 min | None | Any distance, reasonable attempt | No | No | On field |
| Under 9 | 9 | 12 | 85m x 65m | 100m x 80m | Size 2 | 4 x 12 min | Modified (holding only) | Any distance, shows control | No | No | On field |
| Under 10 | 12 | 15 | 85m x 65m | 100m x 80m | Size 2 | 4 x 12 min | Modified (holding only) | Any distance, shows control | No | No | Sideline |
| Under 11 | 12 | 15 | 115m x 75m | 130m x 90m | Size 3 | 4 x 15 min | Modified (holding only) | 10m minimum, any player | Yes | No | Sideline |
| Under 12 | 12 | 15 | 115m x 75m | 130m x 90m | Size 3 | 4 x 15 min | Modified (holding only) | 10m minimum, any player | Yes | No | Sideline |
| Under 13/14 (Boys & Mixed) | 15 | 18 | 125m x 95m | 140m x 110m | Size 4 | 4 x 15–20 min | Full | 15m minimum, any player | Yes | Yes | Sideline |
| Under 13/14 (Girls) | 15 | 16 | 125m x 95m | 140m x 110m | Size 4 | 4 x 15–20 min | Full | 15m minimum, any player | Yes | Yes | Sideline |
Notes:
- A mercy rule applies across all junior grades (U8–U13/14) when a team builds an unassailable lead (e.g. 60 points). Senior AFL does not have a mercy rule.
- Every player must play a minimum of 50–75% of game time at all age groups.
- Player rotation must occur at least every quarter to provide opportunities across multiple positions including interchange.
- No best player awards or goal kicker records at U8 through U12. Individual awards are at the controlling body’s discretion from U13 onward.
- The primary difference between boys/mixed and girls formats at U13/14 is the maximum squad size (18 vs 16). Field and ball sizes are identical.
- Source: AFL Junior Rules Program Handbook, May 2024 (play.afl/junior-rules)
What Every Stage Has in Common
Across every age group — from the six-year-old getting their first touch on a 70-metre oval to the thirteen-year-old running out for their first full-contact game — the AFL’s framework holds to the same principle: fun first, then skill, then competition.
Each age group is designed to give every player on the field the best chance to be involved. Smaller teams mean more ball contact per player. Restricting players to thirds of the field stops the whole group flooding to where the ball is. Rotation rules make sure no child sits on the bench while the “better” players dominate.
That last part matters. The data is clear: kids stay in sport when they feel capable and included. The rules exist to make both of those things more likely.
Tracking Development Year to Year
One of the hardest things about junior sport is that development is invisible. Your child plays a season, grows as an athlete, and then… you have a vague sense they’re better, but no real way to show them.
That’s exactly what ScorX was built for. Tracking your child’s disposals, marks, and goals over a season gives you something concrete to look back on — a record of actual improvement that means something to a kid who can’t yet see their own progress. It also gives you something to celebrate together that has nothing to do with whether the team won.
The stats don’t have to be perfect. Even rough sideline recording creates a picture over time that no amount of good intentions produces from memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age does AFL start keeping scores?
Scores are recorded from Under 11 onward. However, ladders and finals don’t apply until Under 13 — so at U11 and U12 the scoreboard runs but there’s no competition table and no finals series. The focus remains on development, not results.
Can girls play in boys or mixed AFL teams?
Yes. The AFL explicitly supports mixed participation, particularly at the younger age groups. U8 through U12 rules are identical for boys, girls, and mixed competitions. Separate girls-specific competitions typically apply from U13 upward, though local leagues manage this differently.
Why does full tackling only start at Under 11?
It doesn’t — full tackling begins at Under 13. Modified tackling (holding only, no bumping or fending off) is introduced at Under 9 and continues through Under 12. The progression is deliberate: children learn to tackle in stages, with full contact introduced when their bodies and game sense are ready to handle it safely.
What is the mercy rule in junior AFL?
When a team builds an unassailable lead — typically 60 points or more — leagues are encouraged to apply a mercy rule to prevent one-sided score blowouts. The exact format is left to local league discretion, but the principle is consistent across all age groups.
What should I track for my child in junior AFL?
At younger ages (U8–U10), disposals — how many times your child handled the ball — is the most meaningful stat. At U11–U12, start adding marks and kicks versus handballs. By U13, you can track disposals, marks, tackles, and goals. The goal isn’t a spreadsheet; it’s giving your child a way to see their own improvement beyond wins and losses.