Editing Australian rules football (section)

==Governing bodies and competitions==
[[File:Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, southwest view 20230219 1.jpg|thumb|The AFL owns and is headquartered at Melbourne's [[Docklands Stadium]].]]
The football season proper is from March to August (early autumn to late winter in Australia) with finals being held in September and October.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mm.afl.com.au/afl_archive/cp2/c2/webi/article/304261bn.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320220310/http://mm.afl.com.au/afl_archive/cp2/c2/webi/article/304261bn.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 March 2007|title=Schedule – By Round|date=20 March 2007}}</ref> In the tropics, the game is sometimes played in the [[wet season]] (October to March).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20061130160918957|title=Bombers soaring on the Tiwi Islands|website=World Footy News|last1=Finlayson|first1=Sean|date=30 November 2006|access-date=11 November 2015|archive-date=13 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713204633/http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20061130160918957|url-status=live}}</ref>

The AFL is recognised by the [[Australian Sports Commission]] as being the National Sporting Organisation for Australian football.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ais.org.au/austrules/index.asp|title=Australian Institute of Sport – Australian football|publisher=Australian Institute of Sport|access-date=19 February 2010|archive-date=24 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724192200/http://www.ais.org.au/austrules/index.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> There are also seven state/territory-based organisations in Australia, all of which are affiliated with the AFL.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inquiry into Country Football |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/rrc/footy/cf_report.pdf#page=71 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308040316/https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/rrc/footy/cf_report.pdf#page=71 |url-status=live }}</ref> These state leagues hold annual semi-professional club competitions, with some also overseeing more than one league. Local semi-professional or amateur organisations and competitions are often affiliated to their state organisations.<ref>{{cite web |title=LEAGUES & ASSOCIATIONS |url=https://aflvic.com.au/leagues-associations/ |website=AFL Victoria |access-date=11 April 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411084815/https://aflvic.com.au/leagues-associations/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2002, the AFL became the ''de facto'' world governing body for Australian football when it pushed for the closure of the [[International Australian Football Council]]. There are also a number of affiliated organisations governing [[List of Australian rules football leagues outside Australia|amateur clubs and competitions around the world]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.afl.com.au/Development/International/tabid/10238/Default.aspx |title=International – Official Website of the Australian Football League |website=Australian Football League |access-date=19 February 2010 |archive-date=29 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529031821/http://www.afl.com.au/development/international/tabid/10238/default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

For almost all Australian football club competitions, the aim is to win the premiership, which is typically decided by a finals series. The teams that occupy the highest positions on the ladder after the home-and-away season play-off in a "semi-knockout" finals series, culminating in a single [[AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]] match to determine the premiers. Between four and eight teams contest a finals series, typically using the [[AFL final eight system]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Football League Regulations |url=https://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/AFL%20Regulations%20effective%209%20May%202019.pdf#page=19 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111183616/https://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/AFL%20Regulations%20effective%209%20May%202019.pdf#page=19 |url-status=live }}</ref> or a variation of the [[McIntyre system]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Adelaide Footy League – Rules & Regulations |url=https://websites.sportstg.com/get_file.cgi?id=36414188#page=29 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924105023/https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=36414188#page=29 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Explaining the Final Six |url=https://www.vafa.com.au/explaining-the-final-six/ |website=VAFA |access-date=6 April 2021 |language=en-AU |date=22 July 2013 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814104033/https://www.vafa.com.au/explaining-the-final-six/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The team which finishes first on the ladder after the home-and-away season is referred to as a "[[minor premier]]", but this usually holds little stand-alone significance, other than receiving a better draw in the finals.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cellini |first1=Aiden |title=Chris Scott's wish granted as AFL "recognises the minor premier" in combined AFL, AFLW McClelland Trophy {{!}} Sporting News Australia |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/afl-2023-aflw-mcclelland-trophy/erdcxwpqgamdfvf3lq8esedr |website=www.sportingnews.com |access-date=4 March 2024 |language=en-au |date=9 March 2023 |archive-date=6 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230706210749/https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/afl-2023-aflw-mcclelland-trophy/erdcxwpqgamdfvf3lq8esedr |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some metropolitan leagues have several tiered divisions, with [[promotion and relegation|promotion]] of the lower division premiers and [[promotion and relegation|relegation]] of the upper division's last placed team at the end of each year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rules of the Victorian Amateur Football Association |url=https://www.vafa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/VAFA-Rules-23.3.2015.pdf#page=2 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713093857/https://www.vafa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/VAFA-Rules-23.3.2015.pdf#page=2 |url-status=live }}</ref>