AFL Terminology – Zones on the field

You may hear your coaches talk about different parts of the field with weird terms like corridor, fat side, danger zone so below we have explained what they mean.

Remember – if your coaches use a term you haven’t heard before – make sure you ask them what they mean!!

Corridor: 

The area of the ground running from end to end approximately the width of the centre square. It is the area within which most of the play occurs. It is of strategic advantage whether defending or attacking. If able to attack through the corridor you can enter the forward line in front of the goals making it easier to convert scoring opportunities. If you can defend wide of the corridor it can make it tougher for opposition to get high percentage scoring opportunities.

Scoring Zone:

(includes Hot Spot) The Scoring Zone is the area of the forward zone where most goals are kicked. Creating scoring opportunities in this area lead to a higher percentage of goals than those created in the “no-go” areas which are wider than the behind posts in the “pockets” inside the 50m arc.

Danger Zone: 

The Danger Zone is the opposite to the Scoring Zone mentioned above on the defensive end of the ground. You want to reduce the number of times the opposition get the ball inside this area and push them into the pockets where the percentage of scoring opportunities converted is reduced.

Centre square: 

a fifty metre square drawn around the centre of the ground. Only four players from each team may stand inside the centre square prior to a centre bounce, but the square otherwise has no significance.

Fifty metre line: 

an arc drawn at each end of the ground indicating that the distance from the goal line is fifty metres.

Skinny/Thin side: 

The side of the ground between the ball and the closer boundary line.

Fat side: 

The side of the ground between the ball and the further boundary line.