AFANA Footy BBS

I know that if the Grand Final ends in a tie both teams come back the next weekend and play another game which is insane (what if the Super Bowl did that). But what if a semi final game or another playoff game ends in a draw? Do they play overtime? I have heard two 5 minute halves and they keep doing that until there is a winner. Is this true?

Dallas Magpies

The info below was provided by Kevin Taylor of FootyStats:

In 1991, the AFL Commission introduced a procedure to prevent any final, other than a Grand Final, being tied. The procedure:

If a Grand Final is tied at the end of regular time, the game will be replayed.

In all other finals, if the game is tied at the end of regular time, extra time consisting of two five-minute halves plus time-on will be played.

Teams will maintain the same ends as at the completion of play for the first five-minute period of extra time then change ends.

If the score remain tied after extra time, additional period of extra time will be played until a result is achieved. Each additional period will also consist of two five-minute halves plus time-on.

Extra-time has been necessary only in one final since the rule was introduced -- it happened in 1994. Footystats Diary recorded it at the time --

QUALIFYING FINALS—September 10-11: Cloudless skies following mid-week rains greeted the first series of the Final Eight system, amid the continuing controversy of the Subiaco dustup. Only 38,223 were at the Park on Saturday afternoon to witness the 2nd QF in which the Kangas and the Hawks were the first to experience the extra-time rule. With scores tied at 91pts all at full-time, five minutes plus time-on was played to each end to break the deadlock. Earlier, Hawthorn with JOHN PLATTEN in his 200th as a shining light threatened to go away. The strength of WAYNE CAREY (NM) emerged to bring the Kangas back and an all-day challenging fight resulted. It was Carey with a 50-metre goal at 26m22s of the last quarter which tied the scores. In extra-time however, North surged constantly with eight-scoring shots. holding the Hawks pointless as the Kangas ran in for a 23pt victory and their first finals win since 1985, NORTH MELBOURNE 15.24-114, HAWTHORN 13.13-91

Footystats Daily Diary

> I know that if the Grand Final ends in a tie both teams come back the
> next weekend and play another game which is insane (what if the Super Bowl
> did that). But what if a semi final game or another playoff game ends in a
> draw? Do they play overtime? I have heard two 5 minute halves and they
> keep doing that until there is a winner. Is this true?

Mike,

Yes, that is true. If any final except the Grand Final is tied, there are two five minute halves plus time on played, with the teams changing ends after each half. If the score remains tied, the process repeats until a winner is reached. This system was introduced in 1991. This followed a drawn Preliminary Final in 1990 which had to be replayed and disrupted the schedule for the Grand Final and further gave the other PF winner a week off. The system has been used just once, in 1994. The last tied GF was in 1977.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA home page