Kick-to-kick

Kick-to-kick is a pastime and well-known tradition of Australian rules football fans, and a recognised Australian term for kick and catch type games. It is a casual version of Australian rules (similar to the relationship between backyard/beach cricket and the established forms of cricket).

Although not a sport in itself, the term is used to describe a social exercise played in parks, fields, streets, back yards and also as a playground game that requires at least two people. Kick-to-kick is used as a warm-up exercise of many Australian rules football clubs and has been the beginnings of many clubs in far-flung places.

It has long been a pitch invasion tradition in the breaks immediately after official Australian rules football matches, although as professionalism in the Australian Football League increased, the practice was discontinued at most AFL venues. In recent years, kick-to-kick games have been usually limited to two or three per round, usually between clubs that have friendly relations (that is, not likely to cause conflict if fans from opposing teams meet on the field, such as Collingwood and Carlton), or those designated "Kids Go Free" games by the home team. Kick to kick is sometimes colloquially called the "fifth quarter" that week's edition of the AFL Record. Fans are only allowed on following the sounding of a siren, once the centre square has been demarcated and players/media vacating the field, and usually have approximately 15 minutes to roam the field.