Lightning football

Last updated

Lightning football is a shortened variation of Australian rules football, often played at half of the duration of a full match.

Contents

Lightning football is typically used as a means to accommodate a small tournament inside a single day or weekend, particularly at junior or amateur level; these tournaments are generally known as lightning premierships or lightning carnivals. At the top level of Australian rules football, lightning matches have most recently been staged as part of the Australian Football League pre-season competition.

Lightning football is distinct from AFLX, a different shortened variation of Australian rules football. Lightning football is not significantly different from standard Australian rules football other than the length of its games, while AFLX which is a heavily modified variant played on a smaller field with fewer players.

Name

The use of the word lightning, as a synonym for "fast", to describe an Australian rules football tournament appears to have originated with the first lightning carnival staged by the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in 1940. [1] The term may have been adopted from its use in chess, which had used the word lightning in the same context for many years: "lightning chess" tournaments were seen in Australia from as early as 1909, and were played under modified rules in which players were allowed at most ten seconds to make each move, allowing an entire tournament to be completed in just a few hours. [2]

In a preview of the 1940 SANFL Lightning Carnival, the Advertiser journalist Jim Handby discussed the suitability of the name; while he surmised that the choice of name was primarily due to the short time over which the premiership was decided, he speculated that the shortened matches could lead to a particularly high-paced style of gameplay. [1]

The term "lightning premiership/carnival" has generally entered the Australian vernacular for a condensed carnival of shortened matches in any game or sport. The term was, for example, attributed to a 1945 South Australian seven-a-side rugby union tournament, long before the sport of rugby sevens was formally codified. [3]

Rules

Unlike other abbreviated sports, such as Twenty20 cricket, rugby sevens or Australian rules football's AFLX, lightning football is not a strictly codified sport in its own right. In many cases, the length of the game is the only difference in the rules between the full and lightning versions of the game; in other cases, some rules are modified for lightning matches.

Most commonly, lightning matches are played at half of the length of a regulation game. In the most recent lightning matches in the Australian Football League (AFL) pre-season competition, lightning matches are played over two halves, each lasting 20 minutes with time on, compared with the normal match length of four quarters each lasting 20 minutes with time-on. [4] However, this varies from tournament to tournament, and the length is often simply adjusted based on the number of games required to be played and the time available to play them in.

In more recent incarnations of lightning football organised by the AFL, several experimental rules, many designed to speed up the game, have been trialled. The most notable variation was the introduction of a free kick paid against the last player to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds (except a spoil or smother), rather than restarting play with a boundary throw-in; this rule was used in the AFL's 1996 and 2011 lightning matches, [5] and as revised in 2012 to penalise a player only if the last touch was a kick, handpass, or crossing the line while in possession of the ball. [6]

History

Early history

The concept of holding a one-day tournament of shortened Australian rules football matches dates as early as the 19th century. During a weekend's break in the 1896 VFA premiership season, a Charity Cup event was held in which four clubs – Essendon, Collingwood, South Melbourne and Port Melbourne – contested a knock-out tournament of shortened matches; as is the case in modern lightning premierships, new rules were trialled during the event. [7]

World War II

Lightning premierships saw an increase in frequency around World War II, when many such events were staged as wartime fundraisers. The first occurred during 1940, the first football season following the outbreak of World War II. On 13 July 1940, the SANFL staged its "Lightning Football Carnival" at the Adelaide Oval, attracting a crowd of almost 17,500 people, with Sturt victorious; the carnival was an eight-team knock-out tournament, with each match played over two periods of 14 minutes each. [8] The Victorian Football League then staged its version, known as the "Patriotic Premiership", on 3 August 1940, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, attracting more than 30,000 people, and won by St Kilda; this was a twelve-team knock-out tournament, with each match lasting a single period of 20 minutes. [9] Both tournaments were considered great successes, and both leagues held further wartime Lightning Premierships in 1941 and 1943.

In addition to the sport's two biggest leagues, the Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) held two wartime Lightning Premierships, both in 1941, [10] and many smaller leagues also held events. Most notably, the Broken Hill Football League, staged a "Patriotic Premiership" on 6 July 1940, one week before the inaugural SANFL event, which consisted of a four-team knock-out tournament, with matches played at just under half-length (two periods of twenty minutes without time-on). [11]

Post World War II

In the ten years following World War II, most of the major Australian rules football leagues sporadically held lightning premierships. Although there was no longer a war to fund, the events were still held as charity fundraisers. The SANFL was the most active proponent of lightning football, staging four post-war carnivals between 1946 and 1950; [12] the VFL staged lightning premierships on public holidays in 1951 (Jubilee Day), 1952 (Empire Day) and 1953 (Coronation Day); and post-war lightning premierships were also staged by the Victorian Football Association (1946), [13] the North Western Football Union (1951) [14] and the TANFL (1953). [15]

Since the 1950s, lightning football has been seen only occasionally at the top levels of the sport. Specific events have included:

Lightning football at lower levels

Among the more notable senior lightning football events around Australia are:

Annual lightning carnivals have become common in many junior leagues and school competitions. This is not limited to Australian rules football, with many other sports contested under a lightning premiership format.

Top level lightning premiership winners

This table lists winners of stand-alone lightning premiership series played in the major Australian state leagues.

YearLeagueWinner
1896 VFA Essendon [21]
1940 SANFL Sturt [22]
VFL St Kilda
1941SANFL South Adelaide [22]
TANFL Cananore (July)
North Hobart (September)
VFL Collingwood
1943SANFL West Adelaide/Glenelg [22]
Combined World War II team
VFL Essendon
1946SANFL Sturt [23]
VFA Williamstown [13]
1947SANFL Sturt [23]
1948SANFL Port Adelaide [24]
1950SANFL Sturt [23]
1951 NWFU Ulverstone [14]
VFL Collingwood
1952VFL Melbourne
1953TANFL New Norfolk
VFL Richmond
1971Rothmans Cup Hawthorn
1972VFA Coburg [25]
1973VFA Geelong West [26]
1974VFA Preston [27]
1975VFA Prahran [28]
1976VFA Coburg [29]
1977VFA Caulfield [30]
1978VFA Werribee [31]
1979VFA Sandringham [32]
1996 AFL Essendon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorian Football League</span> Australian rules football league

The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in eastern states of Australia: Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, including reserves teams for the eastern state AFL clubs. It succeeded and continues the competition of the former Victorian Football Association (VFA) which began in 1877. The name of the competition was changed to the Victorian Football League in 1996. Under its VFL brand, the AFL also operates a women's football competition known as VFL Women's, which was established in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williamstown Football Club</span> Australian rules football club

The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed the Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne. The club currently competes in the men's Victorian Football League and VFL Women's competitions.

In the Australian Football League (AFL), previously the Victorian Football League (VFL), the pre-season competition, known during its history by a variety of sponsored names and most recently as the NAB Cup, was an annual Australian rules football tournament held amongst clubs prior to the premiership season between 1988 and 2013. The pre-season competition culminated annually in a grand final and pre-season premier.

Australian rules football attendance records

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian rules football in China</span>

Australian rules football in China has been played since the 1989 and grew in popularity in the 2010s.

The 1886 Victorian Football Association season was the 10th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Geelong Football Club. It was the club's seventh VFA premiership, and the last won by its senior team.

Variations of Australian rules football are games or activities based on or similar to the game of Australian rules football, in which the player uses common Australian rules football skills. They range in player numbers from 2 up to the minimum 38 required for a full Australian rules football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1940 VFL Lightning Premiership</span>

The 1940 VFL Lightning Premiership was an Australian rules football knockout competition played entirely on Saturday, 3 August 1940, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It was played during a week's break of the Victorian Football Leagues's 1940 season between Rounds 14 and 15. It was contested by the 12 teams who competed in the 1940 VFL season. A total of 30,407 witnessed the day's matches. St Kilda won the lighting premiership competition, defeating Richmond in the final by 24 points. It was the first premiership of any kind at any grade that the St Kilda Football Club had won in its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foxtel Cup</span>

The Foxtel Cup was an annual Australian rules football club knockout cup competition involving clubs from state league competitions around Australia. The tournament was organised by the Australian Football League (AFL), and was held annually between 2011 and 2014.

The 2011 Foxtel Cup was the inaugural season of the Australian rules football club knockout cup competition involving clubs from the various state league competitions from around Australia. The first year of the competition also included the AFL's newest expansion side Greater Western Sydney Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1907 VFA season</span> Australian rules football competition in Victoria

The 1907 Victorian Football Association season was the 31st season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it defeated West Melbourne in the final by eighteen points. It was the first premiership won by Williamstown, in its 24th season of senior competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1945 VFA season</span> Australian rules football season

The 1945 Victorian Football Association season was the 64th season of the Australian rules football competition, and it was the first season played since the Association went into recess during World War II. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, which defeated Port Melbourne by 37 points in the Grand Final on 6 October. It was the club's fourth VFA premiership.

The 1951 Victorian Football Association season was the 70th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Prahran Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne by nine points in the Grand Final on 6 October. It was Prahran's second VFA premiership.

The 1957 Victorian Football Association season was the 76th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Moorabbin Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 5 October by forty points. It was Moorabbin's first VFA premiership, won in its seventh season of competition. For Port Melbourne, it was the last of eight consecutive Grand Final appearances between 1950 and 1957, of which only the 1953 premiership was won. Minor premiers Williamstown went through the home-and-home season undefeated, but lost both finals to finish third; it was the only premiership which the club did not win between 1954 and 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 SANFL season</span> Australian rules football season

The 2014 South Australian National Football League season was the 135th season of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Australian rules football competition.

The 1976 Victorian Football Association season was the 95th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 16th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Dandenong in the Grand Final on 19 September by 57 points; it was Port Melbourne's 11th Division 1 premiership, taking it past Williamstown to become the club with the most Division 1 premierships in VFA history, a title it still holds outright as of 2019; and, it was the second of six premierships won by the club in nine seasons between 1974 and 1982. The Division 2 premiership was won by Williamstown; it was its second Division 2 premiership, won in its first season in after relegation.

The 1979 Victorian Football Association season was the 98th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 19th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Coburg Football Club, after it defeated Geelong West in the Grand Final on 23 September by eight points; it was Coburg's fourth Division 1 premiership, and its first since 1928, ending a 51-year Division 1 premiership drought. The Division 2 premiership was won by Camberwell; it was the first premiership in either division ever won by the club since its admission to the Association in 1926, 53 years earlier.

The 1983 Victorian Football Association season was the 102nd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 23rd season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Geelong West in the Grand Final on 18 September by seven points; it was Preston's third Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Springvale; it was the club's first Association premiership, won in only its second season of competition.

Bertram Harold "Bert" Johnson is a former Australian rules footballer who played with West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

References

  1. 1 2 Handby, Jim (12 July 1940). "Prospects in Lightning Premiership". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. p. 14.
  2. ↑ "Chess and Draughts: gathering of players an interesting function". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 15 July 1909. p. 9.
  3. ↑ Half, Scrum (10 August 1945). "Seven-a-side Rugby Lightning Premiership Tomorrow". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. p. 11.
  4. ↑ "NAB Cup Fixture Released". Port Adelaide Football Club. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  5. ↑ "NAB Cup 2011 new rule trials". World Footy News. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "New rules for NAB Cup". Australian Football League. 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  7. ↑ "Football". The Argus. Melbourne. 2 June 1896. p. 3.
  8. ↑ Rover (15 July 1940). "Lightning Football Carnival raises more than £1000 for patriotic and charitable funds". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. p. 7.
  9. ↑ Taylor, Percy (2 August 1940). "Unique competition". The Argus. Melbourne. p. 14.
  10. ↑ "Second Lightning Premiership in South". Examiner. Launceston, TAS. 8 September 1941. p. 7.
  11. ↑ "Carnival success at Western Oval". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW. 6 July 1940. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "Lightning Premiership". Williamstown Chronicle. Williamstown, VIC. p. 3.
  13. 1 2 "Williamstown win lightning premiership". Williamstown Chronicle. Williamstown, VIC. 5 July 1946. p. 2.
  14. 1 2 "Lightning Premiership Won By Ulverstone". The Mercury. Hobart, TAS. 2 July 1951. p. 15.
  15. ↑ "Lightning N.T.F.A. Premiership". Examiner. Launceston, TAS. 17 March 1953. p. 15.
  16. ↑ Devaney, John. "1971 Rothmans Channel 7 Cup". Fullpointsfooty. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  17. ↑ "History of the VFL 1877 - 2009". Sportingpulse. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  18. ↑ "Australian Football International Cups". World Footy News. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  19. ↑ Edmund, Sam (30 April 2011). "Red heart's stronger pulse". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  20. ↑ O'Meara, Patrick (1 March 2011). "Riddell forced to take on favourites". Sunbury Leader. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  21. ↑ Observer (8 June 1896). "Football – The charity matches". The Argus. Melbourne. p. 6.
  22. 1 2 3 "Lightning Premiership Carnival". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. 7 June 1946. p. 5.
  23. 1 2 3 Kneebone, Harry (26 June 1950). "Sturt wins Fourth Lightning Premiership". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. p. 6.
  24. ↑ Kneebone, Harry (7 June 1948). "Port Adelaide Win in Lightning Carnival". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. p. 4.
  25. ↑ Geoffrey Fithall (25 September 1972). "'Big Bob' retires as player". The Age. Melbourne.
  26. ↑ John Holland (24 September 1973). "Prahran by 35 points". The Age. Melbourne. p. 22.
  27. ↑ Tom Jacob (23 September 1974). "Vintage Port – here's cheers". The Age. Melbourne. p. 21.
  28. ↑ Ken Piesse (22 September 1975). "Roosters unruffled". The Age. Melbourne. p. 27.
  29. ↑ Marc Fiddian (20 September 1976). "Cook all heart in Port win". The Age. Melbourne. p. 31.
  30. ↑ Marc Fiddian (26 September 1977). "Port's cup full". The Age. Melbourne. p. 31.
  31. ↑ Marc Fiddian (25 September 1978). "Prahran steps on the Bullants". The Age. Melbourne. p. 27.
  32. ↑ Marc Fiddian (24 September 1979). "At last the Lions roar". The Age. Melbourne. p. 29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.