A football racket is a sports equipment used to hit a football, especially in the context of Australian rules football.
The term most often refers to either:
A typical premiership winning Australian Football League team will use between 200 and 300 balls during the home-and-away season. A football is kicked off at each game’s start and is returned once it has gone out of bounds or been touched by a player from the opposing team. Balls that are kicked more than 150 metres will earmark a ball as a ‘long kick’ where each team is permitted to have one long kick per quarter. If a team makes two consecutive long kicks, the umpire will throw the ball up in the air and play will continue.
A typical finals match entails at least one ball wipe out of the playing surface, as players jostle to mark or retrieve a loose ball. A football is also booted off the ground after each goal and any time the umpire deems it necessary (such as clearing dazed players from the path of an oncoming ball).
A football is also booted off the ground after each goal and any time the umpire deems it necessary (such as clearing dazed players from the path of an oncoming ball).
There are two types of football rakes in Australian Rules Football, AFL rakes and AFL wrist flicking rakes.
AFL Rakes are the “marquee” tool used by AFL umpires to remove a football from the ground when it has been kicked out of bounds or is lying in an awkward location. The rake has a long handle and distinctive head which allows for easy gripping, a flat base which affixes to the leather football easily and a metal hook on the back to snag the football and remove it from the ground.
The AFL has never had a major problem with the ball being interfered by leaves or other debris on the ground, and injury (such as lacerated hands) caused by rakes is relatively rare.