Introduction / Context:
Australian rules football is a fast moving contact sport that developed in Australia and combines elements of kicking, catching, and running with an oval ball. It is played on a large oval ground with four posts at each end. This question tests basic knowledge of how scoring works in Australian rules football by asking which statement about the game is true. Knowing this helps learners distinguish Australian rules from other sports such as American football, rugby, soccer, baseball, and basketball.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The game in question is Australian rules football, often called Aussie Rules.
- The options describe different ways of scoring or styles of play.
- Only one statement accurately reflects how goals are scored in this specific sport.
- The learner is expected to know or infer that the game uses upright posts, not hoops or heavy padding.
Concept / Approach:
In Australian rules football, each end of the field has four upright posts: two taller central goal posts and two shorter outer behind posts. A main goal is scored when a player kicks the ball between the two central goal posts without it being touched by another player. This is worth the highest number of points in the game. If the ball passes between a central and an outer post, or if it hits a post, a lower value behind is scored instead. The sport does not use heavy helmets and shoulder pads like American football, nor hoops and backboards like basketball, and its movement pattern is continuous rather than stop start like baseball. Therefore, the correct statement must mention kicking the ball between goal posts.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Focus on the key rule of scoring goals in Australian rules football: kicking the ball through the central goal posts.
2. Examine option A, which says that goals are scored by kicking the ball between the central pair of upright goal posts.
3. Compare this with the other options, which mention heavy padding, baseball style movement, and throwing the ball through a hoop, none of which match Aussie Rules.
4. Recall that Australian rules players often wear minimal protective gear compared to American football players.
5. Remember that there are no set plays in the same rigid sense as in American football, because Australian rules football has continuous fluid play.
6. Conclude that option A is the only statement that accurately describes how a goal is scored.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, learners can picture or recall video clips of Australian rules football matches. When a player kicks the ball between the two tall central posts, the umpire signals a goal by raising both arms above the head. There is no hoop, no backboard, and no requirement to throw the ball for scoring a goal. Also, players wear sleeveless jerseys, shorts, and boots, but not large helmets or shoulder pads. These visual details match the description in option A and contradict the others, confirming that option A is the correct answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Saying that each team uses a number of set plays for offense and defense describes American football more than Australian rules football, which is more free flowing.
Comparing the ball movement to baseball is incorrect because baseball is a stop start bat and ball game, while Aussie Rules is continuous and dynamic.
Claiming that players wear a large amount of padding is wrong; they wear much lighter gear than American football players.
Suggesting that goals are scored by throwing the ball through a hoop with a backboard obviously describes basketball, not Australian rules football.
Common Pitfalls:
Some students who are not familiar with Australian rules football may confuse it with American football or rugby and think in terms of helmets, pads, or set plays. Others might focus only on the word football and imagine goals like those in soccer or basketball. To avoid confusion, it is useful to remember one clear image: an oval field, four tall posts, and goals scored by kicking the ball between the central pair of posts. This picture makes the correct statement easy to recognise in multiple choice questions.
Final Answer:
The correct answer is
Goals are scored by kicking the ball between the central pair of upright goal posts.
Discussion & Comments