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Kastl finds success in Aussie game
A Fort Scott High School graduate will travel to the land Down Under next week to show that Americans can excel in one of Australia's national games.
Ryan Kastle will be a member of the American Revolution team in the 2011 International Cup -- an Australian Rules Football tournament -- which will be the largest ever spanning across two weeks in both Sydney and Melbourne from August 12-27.
The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) will be sending both the men's and women's national teams to compete. This year will be the fourth IC for the men. The men's competition will boast 24 teams from all over the world.
The USA Freedom women's team will make history and be part of the newly formed six-team women's division.
The tournament will be played at the newly constructed Blacktown Olympic Park Stadium west of Sydney's CBD and at Royal Park, the home of previous International Cup matches in Melbourne. The men's Grand Final will be at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a curtain raiser to an Australian Football League match on August 27.
The American Revolution is the Men's All-Star team and includes the best American footy players from around the country. They compete against national teams from around the world.
The Revolution are named after the American Revolution and wear the colors of the American flag.
An International Cup is held in Australia every three years. In 2008, 16 nations participated.
The American Revolution team has competed in all 3 International Cups played so far and has finished as high as third place in 2005. The Revolution also compete every year (except International Cup years) against the Canadian Northwind in the 49th Parallel Cup. The 2010 Revolution squad defeated the Canadians 66 to 32.
The Northwind, the Canadian Men's All-Star Team, and the Revolution have developed a strong rivalry since their first game against each other in Chicago in 1999. The 49th Parallel Cup game is important in the development of the individual teams. However it is equally, if not more important in the overall development of Australian Football in North America.
Those interested can follow the International Cup on the following websites:
* Facebook: www.facebook.com/AFLInternationalCup
*Twitter: www.twitter.com/AFLIC11
If you would like to follow Fort Scott's Ryan Kastl in the 2011 International Cup next week, but are wondering what exactly Australian Rules Football is about, this primer will cover some basic rules.
The field: The field is oval shaped and much larger than an American football field. It is not fixed and can be 135 to 185 meters (148 to 202 yards) long by 110 to 155 meters (120 to 170 yards) wide. The boundary is flattened at each end to allow a straight goal line. There are four posts at each end, which do not have crossbars. The middle two (goal posts) are taller than the outer two (behind posts)
Scoring: There are goals, worth 6 points, and behinds, worth 1 point. Goals are scored by kicking the ball between the goalposts. Behinds are scored by a) kicking the ball between a goal post and a behind post, b) touching the ball with a body part other than the foot before the ball goes between the goal posts or c) if the ball hits one of the goal posts. A scoreline is read goals first, then behinds, then total points. Thus, the score of the game between the Revolution and the Canadian team mentioned in the main article is properly read: Revolution 9.12 (66), Canada 5.2 (32). (Said out loud, it would be read "Nine, twelve, sixty-six to five, two, thirty-two.")
The ball: It is similar to a rugby ball and is rounded at each end. The ball is brown for day games and yellow for night games.
Players: There are 18 on each side. There are variations of the game which can be played with as few as nine players to allow the game to be played on smaller spaces. An American version is known as "Metro Footy," which has between 9 and 12 players on each side and can be played on an American Football field.
Moving the ball: Players can kick the ball at any time, run with the ball provided they bounce it every 15 meters, or pass it to another player by holding it in the palm of one hand and hitting it with the clenched fist of the other hand (known as a "handball.")
Offsides: There's no offside rule in Aussie Rules. Players on either team have assigned positions but can be anywhere on the field they want to in relation to the ball.
Tackling: Tackles must be made between the shoulders and knees. A player who can not dispose of the ball before he is tackled must surrender possession to the player who made the tackle.
Marking: Any player who catches a kicked ball that has traveled farther than 15 meters is entitled to a free kick. This is known as a mark. Efforts to make a mark result in most of the most spectacular plays of Aussie Rules.