Prop bets: player props, settlement rules and the real cost

Key facts

A prop (proposition) bet is on an event within a game, such as a player's disposals, a try scorer or the top run scorer, not the final result.
The TAB settles its most disposals market by the official AFL statistician, and counts a disposal as a kick or a handball.
If two players tie in a 'most' market and no tie price was offered, the TAB's Victorian rules halve the payout: $10 at $7.00 returns $35.
A player line at $1.83 each way adds up to 109.29% in implied chances, compared with 105.26% for a $1.90 / $1.90 line.
Props inside one game are linked, which is why the TAB prices same game multis differently from normal multis.

What prop bets are

A prop bet is a bet on something inside a game rather than the result of it. The name is short for proposition: you are betting on a statement such as "this player gets 30 disposals" or "this batter top scores for the team". Your team can lose and your prop can still win.

Props fall into two groups:

Type	What you bet on	Examples
Player props	One player's performance	To score a try, most disposals, top batter, wickets taken
Game props	Something in the game not tied to the winner	First team to score, a quarter result, total of one team

The TAB's own descriptions show how simple the core idea is. For its to score a try market: "Your player must score a try during the game." For most disposals: "Your player must make the most disposals."

The official numbers decide the bet

Props are settled on official statistics, not on what you saw on the broadcast. The TAB says its most disposals market is decided "according to the official AFL statistician", and it describes a disposal, "in very loose terms", as a handball or kick. If the official count and your own tally differ, the official count wins.

The same principle runs through the TAB's general rules: rule 10.7 settles bets on the result as adjudicated by the recognised governing body, and later changes do not alter the bet. For AFL markets in particular, the TAB's Victorian rules base time of first goal bets on the official AFL count-up clock, which runs continuously including time-on and may differ from the broadcast clock (rule 11.1.18.1).

What happens when a player does not play, or retires

This is where props differ most from a head to head bet, and the rules change by sport and market. These are from the TAB's Victorian sports rules:

Market	Rule	What it means
Rugby first or next try scorer	11.1.7.1(b): bets stand regardless of whether the player takes or leaves the field or is dismissed	Being sent off or subbed does not void the bet
Cricket highest scoring batter for a team	11.1.3.5(a): most runs wins, whether or not every batter faced a ball; void unless at least one run off the bat	A batter who never bats is still a valid loser
Cricket next batter out	11.1.3.1(d): a batter who retires injured is not out; bets on that batter or pair are refunded	Injury retirements are refunded
Cricket, any player	11.1.3.1(b): a player who retires for any reason other than injury is out	Retiring to let someone else bat counts as out
Baseball, nominated starting pitchers	11.1.1.1: if a nominated pitcher does not start, bets on that game are void	The bet is refunded

There is no single "player did not play" rule that covers every prop. Before you back a player who is in doubt, find the rule for that market. Our guide to first goal scorer betting covers the scorer markets in AFL, NRL and soccer in more detail.

Ties in "most" markets

Markets such as most disposals or top batter can end in a tie. If the bookmaker did not offer a tie option, the TAB's Victorian rule 12.5 applies: divide the payout by the number of players tied, then multiply by the number of places they fill.

Example	Calculation	Return on $10 at $7.00
Your player has the most disposals outright	$10 x 7.00	$70.00
Two players tie for most disposals	$70 / 2 x 1	$35.00
Three players tie for most disposals	$70 / 3 x 1	$23.33

In our calculation a two-way tie still returns a $25 profit at $7.00, because the price is above $2.00. The full method for every kind of tie is in our guide to dead heat rules.

The price of a prop

Some props are priced as a two-way over under on a player's number, for example a line of 24.5 disposals. Take example prices of $1.83 on each side:

Market	Prices	Implied chances added up	Margin
Player disposals, example	$1.83 / $1.83	109.29%	9.29%
Main game line, example	$1.90 / $1.90	105.26%	5.26%

These are illustrations, not quotes. In our calculation, a $1.83 price needs a 54.64% strike rate to break even, against 52.63% at $1.90. Before you bet a player number, turn both sides into implied chances and add them up, the same way you would for an over under bet on the game total. If the total is well above 105%, the bookmaker is taking more from that market.

Props and same game multis

Props are common building blocks of same game multis, and props in one game can depend on the same thing: a high-scoring game, for example, makes several 'over' markets more likely at once. The TAB says its same game multi odds "are calculated differently due to the selections within the same game or event", so a same game multi price is not simply the legs multiplied together. The more legs you add, the more the margin on each prop stacks up.

Pundit tip: write down why you are backing each prop before you add it to a multi. If two legs depend on the same thing, such as a wet night or one player dominating, you are betting on that one thing twice.

Prop bets and the law

Licensed Australian bookmakers can offer props on sports, but only before the game starts if you bet online. Markets on the next event in a game, such as the next try scorer, are in-play bets, and ACMA says in-play sports betting online is illegal unless the whole bet is made by phone. If props have started to feel like a way to stay in every game, our gambling help page lists free counselling. For the main markets, start with bet types explained.

Frequently asked questions

What is a prop bet?

A prop bet, short for proposition bet, is a bet on something that happens during a game rather than on the final result. Examples are a player to score a try, the most disposals in an AFL match, or the top run scorer for a cricket team.

What are player prop bets?

Player props are bets on one player's performance: a try or goal, a number of disposals, runs or wickets, or being the best performer in a category. They are settled on official match statistics.

What happens to a player prop if the player does not play?

It depends on the market and the bookmaker. The TAB's rules void some player markets, such as cricket next batsman out bets on a batter who retires injured, but say first try scorer bets stand regardless of whether the player takes or leaves the field. Read the rules for the specific market before you bet.

How are ties settled in prop bets?

Under the TAB's Victorian rules, if two or more players tie and no tie option was offered, the payout is divided by the number tied and multiplied by the number of places they fill. A two-way tie for most disposals pays half your normal return.

Can I bet on props during the game?

Not online in Australia. In-play sports betting is banned online, so prop bets must be placed before the game starts. ACMA says the only exception is a bet placed wholly by phone.