What is AFLX?

AFLX is the AFL's four-team pre-season tournament that will take place at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium from 7.10pm on Friday, February 22.

So what is it? Who's participating? And what are the rules?

Background

AFLX is a condensed version of footy, aimed at exhibiting the league's best players in an exciting new format.
Players combine with stars from other clubs to sharpen their skills and entertain supporters.
Its rectangular field makes it adaptable in the fertile markets of Queensland, New South Wales and overseas countries like China, India and the United States.
Kids under 12 get in free, and the one-day event is aimed at attracting children and families
- There will be a sideline kids zone with face painting, roving entertainment and balloon artists, plus novelty food like AFLX themed donuts.

Teams

Rules

It's played on a 110-metre by 70-metre rectangular field, which includes a "forward zone" at each end and a "launch zone" in the middle.
Each team has eight players on the field, with 6 on the interchange. That means two forwards, two backs, two wings, a midfielder and a ruckman.
Two 10-minute halves.
There are goal and behind posts and normal scores as per a regular game of AFL footy, but in addition to this, a goal from the launch zone is a "super goal" worth 10 points.
A free kick will be paid against players who touch the ball last before it goes out of bounds and there are now boundary throw-ins. Ball-ups only occur after super goals.
Backward kicks are deemed play on.
Marks in the forward zone start a 10-second shot clock.
Players may run 20m without bouncing.
Teams nominate a player in the last five minutes to be a "Gatorade game changer", whose scores are worth double points.

The standalone tournament has no implications for the AFL season proper.

General admission tickets start from $15 for adults, $30 for a family and kids under 12 get in free.