The way football may have evolved in a parallel universe. Hi, I'm new to BigSoccer. I joined after finding a link to International Rules football on google. What's International Rules Football? Well it is a hybrid game played each October between the Aussie Rules national team of Australia and the Irish Gaelic Football national team. It is also increasingly played between a growing number of Aussie Rules and Gaelic football clubs around the world. See International rules football The game is a real mix - round ball, rectangular field about 30% bigger than a soccer pitch, rugby goals with net under cross-bar for 6 pt goal, over bar is 3 pts and if ball passes between tall goal post and side posts on each side of goal score is 1pt. Therefore score of 2goals, 3overs, 4 behinds (behind the goal post) would add to 12+9+4 = 25. The ball (smaller and heavier than soccer ball and goes further through air) can be caught, punched and kicked but not thrown. A clean catch from a kick longer than 20 metres can be claimed as a free kick. The ball can be carried whilst running for 15 metres but then must be bounced or kicked back into hand (a solo pass). Players can be tackled in a modified rugby tackle (between shoulder and hips with no push in back). The game is lightening fast - faster than either quick flowing parent code of Australian rules or Gaelic football. It has been played in various forms since 1967 and annually since 1998 with crowds averaging 50,000. It is also the sport where the Jack Russell terrier played a great game BBC news story Why do I say it is the game association football could have evolved into? Well a look at folk football and medieval football indicates very similar games, and the original rules of soccer were not dissimilar. The move of soccer to a non-hands game had a lot to do with a clash between Rugby rules and other areas of England where football was played with less hand contact. I like watching football (soccer) in World Cups, particularly when the Socceroos are playing and patriotism kicks in. Otherwise I tend to watch the sports news for highlights to get the goals and saves. Having grown up on Aussie rules and now liking Gaelic and the hybrid version of both - I usually need more constant action and speed to watch a game continuously. Though each to his own of course. My website illustrates this preference the best game