A mark in Australian rules football is the catch of a kicked ball which earns the catching player a free kick. The catch must be cleanly taken, or deemed by the umpire to have involved control of the ball for sufficient time. A tipped ball, or one that has touched the ground cannot be marked. Since 2002, in most Australian competitions, the minimum distance for a mark is 15 metres (16 yards or 49 feet). Marking is one of the most important skills in Australian football. Aiming for a teammate who can mark their kick is the primary focus of any kicking player not kicking for goal. Marking can also be one of the most spectacular and distinctive aspects of the game, and the best mark of the AFL season is awarded with the Mark of the Year, with similar competitions running across smaller leagues. The most prolific markers in the history of the Australian Football League, Nick Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson, Stewart Loewe and Gary Dempsey took an average of around eight marks per game. An AFL match between St Kilda and Port Adelaide in 2006 set a record of 303 marks in a single game. Rules Upon taking a mark, the umpire will blow the whistle to signify the mark and a player is entitled to an unimpeded kick of the ball. The nearest opposition player stands on the spot where the player marked the ball, which is also known as 'the mark' and he becomes 'the man on the mark.' When awarded the free kick, the player can choose to forego their kick to play-on and run into space, with the defending players then allowed to tackle as normal. If the player takes to long to complete their free kick, the umpire will call play-on, rescinding the award of the free kick, which also allows the defenders to tackle as normal. A mark must be caught cleanly, with the player having complete control of the ball, even if only for a short time. As such, if the ball is punched out from between the player's hands after it is caught, or the ball is dislodged upon hitting the ground, a mark is still paid, even if the ball was held for only an instant. Although the rules make no provision for two players marking the ball simultaneously, by convention the umpire will award the mark to the man