Just because understanding the basic rules and techniques is easier ( I agre with you there) it doesn't follow that it's easier to execute those techniques.

The big variable in football is using pretty much exclusively feet to control the ball, which isn't anywhere as natural as using hands.

This is the kind of athleticism AFL clubs are constantly looking out for:

[youtube]szPpo-14Cto[/youtube]



Edited by Mister Football: 20/7/2012 01:46:55 PM

AFL has changed to being a sport that protects and rewards speed ahead of technical ability ability and it's seen a decrease in many of the 'core' skills in the sport. Kicking accuracy over the last 10 years has decreased notably.

Of course there is skill involved, but comparatively the skill set is much smaller to that of other sports such as Football, Basketball, Tennis, etc.

I would not say sprinting isn't skillful. It takes years and years of dedicated practice to get reaction times and technique to the level that you can compete with best. Just being the fastest runner isn't good enough anymore.

Don't AFL players get selected from athletics carnivals as youngsters these days? Not that there's anything wrong with it, but for me AFL is largely an athletic sport, not so much skillful. Although in the same way a 100m sprint isn't all that skillful, it doesn't make it any less impressive.

I think when people compare skill sets used in particular sports it becomes somewhat irrelevant when discussing it as a spectator sport. People don't go to see the most skillful game, but perhaps the most skillful players. Jonathan Thurston may play a fairly basic sport as a skill set, but to call him basic at it would be wrong.

In terms of playing it myself, as someone who has played Football all my life, I'd feel more comfortable having a go at Sunday sport like AFL or NRL, rather than more skillful sports (IMO) such as basketball, tennis, etc. The physicality and athletics of those sports would make me be able to fit in reasonable well. On the one occasion I played League for a school team I was far from a standout, but was fairly quick to pick up where to be and what to do, even scored a try. I think the more "skillful" sports are much easier to be found out in. You can't just turn up at a 3point line in bball and start knocking them down.

an interesting thing that I read or saw somewhere was that a racing car driver (I think it was Webber) loses close to 2.5kg per race.

Pretty good for someone 'sitting down'

As for the OP in my humble opinion AFL requires more and varied skills were as soccer requires more finesse.

As for skillful sports a hammer in the works... Esports

Obviously you went to ground holding your face...

Looking to keep this with a mainstream sport my vote is GOLF !

As a would be fair hacker just playing 18 holes near to par is damn hard.
Each shot is hardly the same, club distances, surfaces vary.
Its not a reflex its mechanical, static ball looks easy to hit but hit it where its meant to go every time #-o
Pro level playing over 4days must be damn draining mentally =d>

Just show them the clip from bend it Like Beckham :d

I did 16km in 63:30 during season - then stuffed my knee in a 50/50 tackle & couldn't distance run for nearly 6 months. Yeah, I know Football doesn't have injuries & I was just faking it.......

The decathlon must be one of the more demanding sports at the Olympics, requiring competence in 10 different disciplines.

The marathon is not skillful per se, but it's certainly gruelling - the best are running 42 kms at almost spot on 3 minutes per kilometre, which is a super human effort.

Most of us would struggle to run just 4 km at 3 minutes per km, let alone 42.

As a one time regular jogger, in between footy season, I would run a 6km course in 24 min, at 4 minutes per kim - and that was the very, very best I was able to achieve.

The top fun runners can do 10m in 30 minutes, and that's 3 minutes per km, but that's still a long way off doing 42 km at 3 minutes per km.

Ice Hockey for me. You need to skate at an elite level... stick handle at an elite level and be as tough and physical as any rugby code. \:d/

I have played lots of games in my time. I watched a race the other weekend but then I turned on the TV and I couldn't see what was on so the ball went flying over my head and landed. The sausages ended up burning. That's why I think it is the most skill is required to play it.

That was actually a mixed Israeli and Palestinian team - and the correct name of the competition is the Australian Football International Cup.

Their results:

Canada 3.6 (24) def Peace Team 0.0 (0)
USA 12.7 (89) def Peace Team 0.0 (0)
Peace Team 12.18 (90) def China 1.1 (7)
France 5.5 (35) def Peace Team 4.5 (29)
Peace Team 7.15 (57) def India 2.8 (20)

Finishing 15th of 18 nations (above India, China and East Timor).

So against the countries with a bit of history in the game (Canada and the USA), they weren't much chop, but they were quite good against countries new to the game.

Especially when you get to the part where you see all the injuries sustained and there's limbs sticking off at all kinds of angles :lol:

QFT

The amount of times I've stared at a screen and watched it absolutely spliffed out of my mind is beyond belief, it never ceases to amaze.

Next time you toke up give it a viewing, it won't disappoint.

I disagree.

Running of the Bulls in Spain. I mean, fuck. The skill, speed, talent, reactions you gotta have to avoid being gored.

I think we can all agree that the most skilful sport is without a doubt, cheese-rolling.

The skill sets are different, why does one have to be better 'or more skillful' than the other?

Edited by Joffa: 16/7/2012 07:55:31 PM

Questionable. How long have you got to explain offside? :P

I guarantee you I could teach someone the basic rules and techniques of Soccer in a shorter amount of time that it would take me to teach them the basic rules and techniques of Aussie Rules.

I don't think that counts as a sport. But nice try. :"

I don't see why not. If other sports take less time to become specialised in surely that means turning the cognitive intention into action isn't as hard?

Edited by ual: 16/7/2012 07:39:31 PM

ARFBALL is obviously easy.Eg the Palestinians that were getting taught the rules the day they played for their county in the ARFBALL World Cup last year

If you go in cold, yes, of course, anyone will look like a gumby trying a new sport for the first time, especially if they are playing blokes who know what they are doing.

On the other hand, plenty of blokes grow up playing more than one sport very well.

Plenty need to choose one over the other as they approach the age of 15/16.

Soccer players probably need to specialise a bit earlier than that - but the flip side is are they able to do anything else once they start specialising?

Who really cares? Different skills are needed in each sport in such a specific way that it is very difficult, almost impossible, to master any two sports.

One thing about skill sets in rugby league that I find surprising is just how deficient in teaching kicking skills they are. Most of the better kickers in the NRL attribute at least some of their kicking ability to playing football(soccer) as a kid.
I remember the school rugby league coach being astonished watching us, the football team, having a field goal competition that got past halfway before anyone missed while we waited for our coach to come.

I've got mates who cross codes all the time. I know 2 blokes who play indoor over the summer and American Football during the winter.

I not refuting any of your examples, nor anyone else's. But I just had the thought that perhaps a better comparison would be of participants at amateur level, rather than high level athletes who can sometimes just be 'good at everything' and make things look easy.

If you were to take 2 local pub Football teams and make them play a game of ARF against each other they would undoubtedly look like a bunch of gumbies.

If you made the same kind of switch with the local ARF team, making them play Football they would also look like gumbies.

The question is, who would look like the biggest bunch of gumbies?? :-k