The rules are designed to provide a compromise between those of the two codes, with Gaelic footballers being advantaged by the use of a round ball and a rectangular field (Australian rules uses an oval ball and field), while the Australian rules football players benefit from the opportunity to tackle between the shoulders and thighs, something banned in Gaelic football. The game also introduces the concept of the mark, from Australian rules football, with a free kick paid for any ball caught from a kick of over 15 metres.

The game uses two large posts and two small posts, as in Australian rules, and a crossbar and goal net as in Gaelic football. This is similar to the format used for both Gaelic football and hurling until about 100 years ago.^{[citation needed]} Points are scored as follows:

• In the goal net (a goal): 6 points, umpire waves green flag.
• Over the crossbar and between the two large posts (an over): 3 points, umpire waves red flag.
• Between a large post and a small post (a behind): 1 point, umpire waves white flag.

Scores are written so as to clarify how many of each type of score were made as well as, like Australian football, giving the total points score for each team; for example, if a team scores one goal, four overs and 10 behinds, the score is written as 1-4-10 (28), meaning one goal (six points) plus 4 overs (4 × 3 = 12 points) plus 10 behinds (10 × 1 = 10 points), for a total score of 28 points.

An international rules match lasts for 72 minutes (divided into four quarters of 18 minutes each). Gaelic football matches also go for 70 minutes, divided into two halves, and Australian rules matches typically go for 4 quarters of 30 minutes each (while the official duration varies between 15 and 25 minutes depending on the league, for AFL it is 20 minutes which means around 27 to 31 minutes after time on).

As in Gaelic football, teams consist of fifteen players, including a goalkeeper, whereas eighteen are used in Australian rules (with no keeper).