How AFL Scoring Works: Goals, Behinds and Reading the Scoreboard
How AFL scores work: six points for a goal, one for a behind, what a rushed behind is, how to read a score like 14.12 (96), and how scoring has changed season by season since 2001.
Updated
Australian rules football is scored with two kinds of score. Each end of the ground has four posts: two tall goal posts in the middle and a shorter behind post on each side.
- A goal is worth six points. It is kicked between the two goal posts by an attacking player, without the ball being touched by anyone on the way.
- A behind is worth one point. The ball goes between a goal post and a behind post, or it goes through the goals after being touched or after coming off something other than a kick. A kick that hits a goal post is also a behind (a “poster”).
- A rushed behind is a behind conceded by the defending side, usually a defender forcing the ball through to stop a goal. It still counts as one point to the attacking side, but no attacking player is credited with it.
Reading an AFL score
Scores are written as goals, then behinds, then the total: 14.12 (96) means 14 goals and 12 behinds, or 14 × 6 + 12 = 96 points. The total decides the winner. Goals plus behinds is a side's scoring shots, and the share of those that were goals is its accuracy: in the 2026 Grand Final, Fremantle had more scoring shots (12.17, 29) than Brisbane (14.12, 26) but lost by seven points. Every match centre on this site shows the score at each change in this notation, and a score worm with every goal and behind in order.
How much do teams score?
Average scoring per club per game since 2001, from every game on file:
| Season | Points | Goals | Behinds | Accuracy | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 89.3 | 12.9 | 11.6 | 52.6% | 3 |
| 2025 | 84.4 | 12.3 | 10.8 | 53.1% | 1 |
| 2024 | 84.4 | 12.3 | 10.7 | 53.4% | 3 |
| 2023 | 83.4 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 53.0% | 2 |
| 2022 | 83.1 | 12.1 | 10.6 | 53.3% | 1 |
| 2021 | 79.7 | 11.5 | 10.5 | 52.4% | 3 |
| 2020 * | 60.6 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 52.0% | 2 |
| 2019 | 80.2 | 11.6 | 10.7 | 52.0% | 0 |
| 2018 | 83.1 | 12.0 | 11.1 | 52.0% | 1 |
| 2017 | 89.1 | 12.9 | 11.5 | 53.0% | 3 |
| 2016 | 88.7 | 12.9 | 11.3 | 53.2% | 0 |
| 2015 | 86.4 | 12.6 | 11.0 | 53.3% | 2 |
| 2014 | 86.9 | 12.6 | 11.4 | 52.5% | 1 |
| 2013 | 92.4 | 13.4 | 11.8 | 53.2% | 1 |
| 2012 | 91.9 | 13.3 | 11.9 | 52.8% | 1 |
| 2011 | 92.8 | 13.5 | 11.9 | 53.1% | 3 |
| 2010 | 90.2 | 13.1 | 11.8 | 52.4% | 3 |
| 2009 | 91.0 | 13.3 | 11.4 | 53.9% | 2 |
| 2008 | 97.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 53.2% | 2 |
| 2007 | 95.4 | 13.8 | 12.6 | 52.4% | 3 |
| 2006 | 92.5 | 13.4 | 12.1 | 52.5% | 2 |
| 2005 | 94.6 | 13.8 | 11.6 | 54.4% | 1 |
| 2004 | 92.8 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 54.0% | 0 |
| 2003 | 94.2 | 13.8 | 11.5 | 54.5% | 3 |
| 2002 | 94.8 | 13.8 | 11.7 | 54.2% | 2 |
| 2001 | 97.3 | 14.2 | 12.0 | 54.1% | 0 |
The extremes of the latest season:
- Highest score: Sydney Swans 25.20 (170) against Richmond, Round 12.
- Lowest score: Gold Coast Suns 3.11 (29) against Fremantle, Round 16.
- Biggest win: Sydney Swans by 128 points against West Coast, Round 4.
Goal kickers and the Coleman Medal
The player who kicks the most goals in the home-and-away season wins the Coleman Medal (finals don't count). The race, and every other leaderboard, is on the AFL stats page; switch the goals list to home and away for the Coleman count.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a goal worth in AFL?
Six points. A behind is worth one point.
What does 12.10 (82) mean in AFL?
Twelve goals and ten behinds, for 82 points: 12 × 6 + 10 = 82. The number in brackets is the total that decides the game.
What is a rushed behind?
A behind conceded by the defending team, usually when a defender forces the ball through for one point to stop a goal. It counts for the attacking team but isn't credited to any player.
What happens if the ball hits the post in AFL?
If a kick hits a goal post it is scored as a behind, worth one point, even if it then goes through the goals.