Rules Centre Bounce ditched; no more Subs: AFL announce rule changes for 2026

[revo333]

that could have happened already. Didn't need to wait for the bounce to go

But now it will be more predictable to have a game plan and train for it.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

But now it will be more predictable to have a game plan and train for it.

I would have thought that an unpredictable bounce would have made it more likely to have a midfielder, ie, less likely that a ruck can use a clean contest to have a hitout to advantage and a randomly bouncing ball is more likely to hit the ground in a contest, where the extra midfielder is useful. Wouldn't the opposite be true, that a genuine tap ruck with a consistent centre bounce is more valubale?

 

[Chronz]

Glad the sub rule is gone, don't ****ing bring it back. As for the bounce, the AFL have to protect their little pet scumps. They can do no wrong the coddled fluoro campaigners.

 

[RAPPA]

Retention of the bounce made no sense once they sipped the requirement to bounce the ball at other parts of the ground. Also, the fact they default to throwing the ball up if the initial bounce is recalled, also added to the nonsense in keeping it

 

[crazywildhorse]

Could never figure out how someone decided this was a good idea in the first place. The first time I tried to do it as a kid the ball smashed back into my face and gave me a nose bleed. No kids will have to deal with this anymore.

She been bookmarked for years, but now it’s finally over. Will be missed… from time to time

 

[Pistol Night]

Good. The umps are shit at it now so whats the point

 

[Elixuh]

I used to love switching on after the final game of the round for some light humour and ‘turn it up’. What a shame.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I wont lie. When someone said The Bounce is gone next year I was stoked that horrible TV show was no longer going to be on TV anymore.

I was much less enthused when I realised what it actually meant

 

[nineteen eighty]

I heard the Stephen King interview this morning and he was asked about Gawn and how the no bounce introduction will affect him. King is of the opinion that it will benefit Gawn. Unfortunately he didn't go into the technical aspects of why but being an ex ruck, I imagine it will benefit the genuine rucks as opposed to the manufactured ones.

Keen to keep an eye on centre clearances and hit outs to advantage next year.

 

[JackFlash]

It's hilarious to think that once upon a time only one Umpire had to bounce the ball all the time on soft, wet and muddy grounds with no real drainage system in place and they did it fairly easily? They went to two Umpires in 1976 and no problems, but oh no, here we are in the 21st century and all the AFL worry about is the welfare of the Umpires? Never mind the welfare of the game itself! The bounce was one of the unique aspects about the game of Australian Rules Football.

 

[Rotayjay]

You can't replicate the theatre of the umpire holding the ball up before a big game or a final, the crowd roaring, slamming it into the ground and the ball rising high into the air.

I can understand the logic behind its removal, but I'm sad that I've seen my last centre bounce.

 

[blueboy25]

It's hilarious to think that once upon a time only one Umpire had to bounce the ball all the time on soft, wet and muddy grounds with no real drainage system in place and they did it fairly easily? They went to two Umpires in 1976 and no problems, but oh no, here we are in the 21st century and all the AFL worry about is the welfare of the Umpires? Never mind the welfare of the game itself! The bounce was one of the unique aspects about the game of Australian Rules Football.

Or some grounds had a metal plate in the middle of the ground to bounce the ball on.

Shaun Rehn dislikes this

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Probably not a bad time to have two decent rucks on the list

 

[Jackie_Moon]

Next should be the ridiculous 50 metre penalties given for nothing, the stifling stand rule and limiting the dangerous tackle and fake head high frees

 

[Mofra]

I wonder if a team will try and not bother having a ruck at the centre bounce and go for an extra midfielder.

Bevo likes this

 

[Run n Spread]

It will take 4 rounds.
A club will get 2 injuries than be bitching about being down rotations.
2028 we will be back to having a sub. Then a few years after that 6 on the bench than ...........on and on it goes

 

[Blackhawk42]

It will take 4 rounds.
A club will get 2 injuries than be bitching about being down rotations.
2028 we will be back to having a sub. Then a few years after that 6 on the bench than ...........on and on it goes

5 on the bench and limited rotations of 75 should alleviate those issues.

If a club had 2 injuries even with the sub, they were still a player down.

There will be plenty of young players blooded who play between 50-60% of game time even with no sub anymore. It's the correct way to go.

It's absolutely absurd that AFL players are required to train to run at speed for long distances, then 18 of them each week were forced to play limited minutes and complete a training session post-game just to stay conditioned.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

6 on the bench.

60 rotations.

Leave it for a decade.

 

[Tackle Bag]

No trialling, no investigation into the ramifications, just making significant changes on a whim. They talk about wanting to reduce congestion yet they make rule changes that assist in creating it.

Amateur hour.

 

[Angus Young]

The bounce sucks

But iI get the argument for it.. it´s unique to the game etc.

But who cares if it goes. Won´t even notice after 5 minutes.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Had to go, no suburban comp does it so umpires dont even learn the skill as they are coming up through the ranks now and then get to AFL level and all of a sudden need to master it.

 

[Pistol Night]

You can't replicate the theatre of the umpire holding the ball up before a big game or a final, the crowd roaring, slamming it into the ground and the ball rising high into the air.

I can understand the logic behind its removal, but I'm sad that I've seen my last centre bounce.

Its because instead of the ball rising high in the air the campaigner shoots off sideways 90% of the time and we have the biggest anticlimactic start to games imaginable

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Next should be the ridiculous 50 metre penalties given for nothing, the stifling stand rule and limiting the dangerous tackle and fake head high frees

They have got rid of head high frees, no such rule as head high contact anymore. Head high contact is rife in the sport and worse than it's ever been because the AFL stupidly decided to blame the player with the ball for head high contact.
There has to be on average 20-30 head high free kicks per game not paid to the player with the ball.
It's become so comical now that even bending over to pick up the ball is now deemed as leading with the head.

It's is a comedy show.

 

[Blackhawk42]

No trialling, no investigation into the ramifications, just making significant changes on a whim. They talk about wanting to reduce congestion yet they make rule changes that assist in creating it.

Amateur hour.

Which changes are you talking about here?

Throwing the ball up and forcing the rucks to run and jump again can only speed things up.

And the AFL has NEVER needed a substitute player on the bench.

 

[dumb]

time for the afl community to come together - what about umpires throw the ball up in the air, then let it bounce before you can have a ruck contest? this compromise would keep everyone happy. traditionalists get to keep the bounce, and the umpires can avoid getting hit in the head and focus on other random rules of the week.