In the Australian game there is no 'kick-off.' It is considered that this must give, at the decision of a mere toss-up, a solid initial advantage to one side. At the minute appointed for the play to begin the field umpire takes the ball to the middle of the field and, giving it a bounce, retires a few yards, leaving the central men of each team to settle down to work. No sort of scrimmage is permitted, for no player is allowed to keep the ball unless he is running with it, nor is anyone allowed to hold another unless the latter has the ball in his hand at the time.

Away it goes, therefore, never at rest for one second until it finds half a minute of repose through the goal-posts. The play is completely open, and the ball is all over the ground in a minute, travelling backwards and forwards with surprising speed. Players are allowed to run with it, but in order to prevent it being tucked under the arm, and so productive of a dead-lock that would spoil the spirit of the play, the runner has to bounce it every seven yards at least, and as it is of oval shape the task is not an easy one. Generally a player is content to bounce it once or twice and then take his kick while he can. No pushing from behind under any circumstances is allowed, nor from the front unless when the player is running to catch the ball and is within five or six yards of it, nor is anyone allowed to push a player after he has sprung into the air to catch the ball for a mark.

The field umpire is vested with plenary powers for the enforcement of the rules, and from time to time his whistle can be heard shrilling out to signify that something has been amiss. Then back comes the ball to the spot where the rules were violated, and the nearest player of the opposite side has the privilege of a free kick. But all this is done with such quick ness as to interfere in no way with the game; by the rules, a club which disputes a field umpire's decision thereby loses the match. No word of dispute is ever heard, for, by the rules, 'a player disputing the decision of an umpire shall be dealt with as the Association may think fit.' The power of the field umpire is so entirely autocratic that only those who have a licence from the Association are permitted to act in that capacity. A field umpire reported by any club for unfairness, and proved to have been guilty of partiality, would have his licence cancelled by the Association, and with it would disappear that guinea and a half per match which his services secure.

His position is one that requires hard work. He must always be as close as possible to the ball, and if he sees any closing up of players likely to lead to any sort of scrimmage his whistle rings out. the players retire a little from the ball, while he advances and bounces it on the spot, to set the fast play in motion once more.

Again, it is the field umpire who is in request when the ball goes ' out of bounds,' as it is called in Australia - that is, when it is 'in touch.' He carries the ball about five yards over the line, and knocks it evenly into the field so as to give no advantage to either side. The Australian player also is allowed to knock the ball with his hands if he likes, but no throwing of any sort is tolerated by the rules.

An innovation which an English visitor would be sure to note is that of quarter-time. When play has proceeded for twenty-five minutes a bell is rung, and from the first stroke of it the ball is dead and may no longer be played till the teams have changed ends; but if a player has just marked the ball as the bell was on the stroke of ringing, he is allowed his kick, and if a goal is made it is counted.

There is reason in the system of quarter-time, half time, and three-quarter time,1 for if a strong wind is blowing down the field it may easily happen that the favoured team will make so good a score in the first half of the match that, even if the wind continues as before, the other team, worn out by a heavy struggle against adverse fate, is incapable of rallying the game. And then there is so much chance that the wind may lull or wholly change its direction. The division of the time of play into four quarters, in each of which the .ends are changed, is an undoubted means of securing fairness of conditions.

1 Introduced by Mr. T. S. Marshall, the veteran secretary of the Victorian. Football Association, with whom, for many years past, the most notahle innovations have originated.

When the quarter-time has rung all players quietly pass to their new positions; the field umpire gives everyone time to get ready, then bounces the ball in the centre as before. At half-time the players are allowed to leave the ground for ten minutes, and again play is resumed by the bouncing of the ball in the centre.

The game lasts a trifle less than two hours, and as it is quick and moving throughout all that time, its capacity for awakening the interest of the spectator is almost unbounded. The goal-posts are placed a little closer to one another than in the English game, being only seven yards apart, and they are bound by the rules to be twenty feet high. To obtain a goal the ball must be kicked between these posts, no matter at what height, but if it touches a post or any player the goal is disallowed, as in the English game.

The goal umpire at each end has but the one duty, that is, to decide as to the validity of goals. He stands provided with a pair of hand-flags. When one of these is waved it indicates to all the field that what is called a 'behind' has been gained; two of them waved together signify a 'goal.' No goal umpire is allowed to raise his flag till the field umpire has signified his assent, which is done by raising one arm for a 'behind,' two arms for a 'goal.' The reason of this arrangement is that, while the goal umpire is the sole judge of the goal, there might perhaps have been, just before the goal was kicked, some infringement of the rules, for which the field umpire had intended to stop the play and award a free kick.