Handball (Australian rules football)

Handball revolutionized the game in the 1980s, moving it from the classic kick-and-mark style of play (which runs the risk of the pass being contested and intercepted by opposing players) to a fast run-and-carry style that emphasizes maintaining possession and rapid ball movements down the field, which has typified the game since.

Failure to execute a handball correctly is deemed a throw or illegal disposal and results in a free kick to the nearest opposition player.

Strategically, Australian football was viewed as a territorial sport, where the prime aim was not so much possession, but to cover as much distance through the air as possible.

One notable variant of the handpass which began to develop was known as the flick pass, in which a player used his open hand instead of his fist to propel the ball.

[3] In the late 1950s and early 1960s, it re-emerged as a common technique to achieve centre square clearances from scrimmages, particularly at VFL club Fitzroy.

This enables a handpass to achieve distance and speed comparable to a short kick and is easier for teammates to catch.

In the 1980s, Richmond Football Club wingman Kevin Bartlett became famous for a style of play which involved use of the handball to dispose of the ball before an opponent was about to tackle.

The style, known pejoratively interstate as a crow throw (derived from croweaters, a popular term for South Australians), became damaging to opposition sides in interstate matches, as well as a potent weapon for the Adelaide Crows when the club first entered the Australian Football League in the 1991 AFL season.

The focus of the modern game was to use chains of handballs to break through defensive zones, and to avoid kicking to contests.

A handball competition typically uses a board or vertically hung material with a target consisting of multiple coloured concentric bands worth different points.

Such competitions take place between Australian Football League players known for their handpassing skills, and often utilise moving targets.