Rugby Rules

The rules are designed to provide a compromise between those of the two codes, with Gaelic footballers being advantaged by the use of a round ball and a rectangular field (Australian rules uses an oval ball and field), while the Australian rules football players benefit from the opportunity to tackle between the shoulders and thighs, something banned in Gaelic football. The game also introduces the concept of the mark, from Australian rules football, with a free kick paid for any ball caught from a kick of over 15 metres.
As in rugby league and Australian rules, early in the history of the two codes in Australia the two codes were interchangeable[citation needed]. Such is the divide today that comments from professional Australian rules players such as Jason Akermanis about switching codes are met with disbelief.[citation needed] Nevertheless, there are still some positions and roles that have commonalities (particularly those that involve kicking and catching such as the backs and second row in rugby union; half forwards and rucks in Australian Rules). Also at amateur level, conversion is quite common, as in the case of many start-up Australian Rules clubs in countries such as France and developing Aussie Rules countries such as New Zealand and Samoa.