Opinion 2025 rule interpretations watch

[1970crow]

Selwood shrug gone at last. It’s just cheating

Centre bounce jumping - wait till the PCL and front on injuries mount

Ruck nomination - sounds like an unworkable mess. Just have 2 guys rucking without nominating or third man up

Last possession rule is well overdue.

Nothing wrong with the shrug, the issue was always when it causes high contact and a free was paid.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Selwood shrug gone at last. It’s just cheating

Centre bounce jumping - wait till the PCL and front on injuries mount

Ruck nomination - sounds like an unworkable mess. Just have 2 guys rucking without nominating or third man up

Last possession rule is well overdue.

Most of these are winding back stupid rule changes of their own making.

Will be interesting to see how they adjudicate the shrug being prior opportunity.

We’re going to see players who shrug/duck get their heads ripped off and then pinged for holding the ball.

Is the game ready for that? Are the fans ready for that?

I sure as shit am.

This curse has plagued the game for far too long.

 

[Scorpus]

I'm looking forward to a player shrugging and causing their own head high contact leading to the tackling player being suspended for 3 weeks at the tribunal for an act that, by the rules, is the shrugging player's fault

 

[Fud#3]

<Bump>

Some updates that have come up in conversation over the year

HTB - still crap, getting rid of prior still the best way forward. If you are tackled and don't kick / handball it your are gone!

Not 15 - Good additional idea, there is no "minimum distance" if you mark a kick from the opposition.

High tackles - getting worse, some of our players are doing it a lot. Seeking high contact is a bad outcome and needs to be paid holding the ball when you drop your head/neck into the tackle (eg Soligo, Peatling, Wizard etc...)

Insufficient intent - still just needs to be last touch between the 50m arcs, although I do like allowing defenders to deliberately kick to touch from within their own 50m.

Rushed behind - add half-circle from point post to the corner of the goal-square - you can rush from anywhere inside the the extended area - with kick-ins the player taking the kick-in must dispose of the ball / cannot immediately rush the ball through. Consider making a rushed behind worth 2 points?

Stand rule - Make the nearest player stand the mark - they can only move towards the mark, not away from it. No more running up to the mark and then scrambling to get outside 5m.

Another pet-hate - Clock stops if the player claims they are taking a shot on goal (mark must be within 50m?) only re-starts after disposal / play-on call ... fixes the running down the clock with pretend shots on goal.

Agree on the last one.

20s to kick, and the game clock stops

 

[Jetwa5h]

I'm looking forward to a player shrugging and causing their own head high contact leading to the tackling player being suspended for 3 weeks at the tribunal for an act that, by the rules, is the shrugging player's fault

Im looking forward to a player shrugging, getting his head ripped off getting pinged holding the ball then the Match review committee suspending the tackling player receiving the free kick

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Im looking forward to a player shrugging, getting his head ripped off getting pinged holding the ball then the Match review committee suspending the tackling player receiving the free kick

 

[Slippery Pete]

2016, folks.

AFL only 9 years behind Slippery Pete.

You’re welcome.

Ducking your head should be prior opportunity.

 

[Golumless]

Opinions:

While the 6-6-6 rule will remain from centre ball-ups, there will no longer be a requirement for at least one player per team to start in the goalsquare. This will be a measure to help reduce dead time after goals.

Didn't know that was a rule, and in truth, I don't care about this change. May lead to something creative, I guess?

A free kick will now be awarded when the ball crosses the line from a disposal between the arcs, bringing the men's game in line with the AFLW's 'lasso' rule.

I like this rule a lot in the SANFL and happy to see it incorporated in the AFL

At all centre ball-ups, competing rucks will now be unable to cross the centre line before engaging with their opposition ruck. This is born from a desire to see the jumping rucks return to the game.

Well, ROB is ****ed. Honestly, it's a nice spectacle, but with how inconsequential most ruck contests are, this is a cosmetic change. Still, it's a weird one alongside removing the center bounce.

Umpires currently allow 'reasonable time' for a kick-in, which is deemed at around 12 seconds. However, 'reasonable time' for a mark or free kick paid around the ground is deemed at eight seconds. From 2026 onwards, both of these will align to be eight seconds.

No issue with that. Speeding up kick-ins may also increase disorganization for some of the shittier clubs in setting up their zones.

Umpires can now restart play without a nominated ruck being present, bringing the men's game in line with AFLW rules. If there is no nomination, or the nominated ruck is too far away, the play will be restarted immediately.

The 'third-man up' is still outlawed, so if no rucks nominate – or if the two nominated rucks are too far away when play is restarted – the ball will be thrown up and will have to hit the ground before 'play on' is called.

Good, punish clubs for being disorganised. Mind you, this probably kills the idea of using a ruck that rushes forward (like what Jackson did at Fremantle) after the 1st contest. Still, I'd rather see third man up come back. The ball thrown up and hitting the ground before play on sounds comical though.

A shrug in a tackle will now be deemed prior opportunity. It will be similar to how a fend, or an attempt to evade a tackle is deemed prior opportunity.

Good change.

There will be a stronger enforcement of players being told to 'stand' if they are inside the protected area.

Not a fan of this one. Stand rule is low-key garbage and brings in soft 50 meter penalties; I'm not for seeing it become more of an issue.


Alongside getting rid of the sub, this seems like a good set of rule changes.

 

[StonesThrow]

Most of these are winding back stupid rule changes of their own making.

Will be interesting to see how they adjudicate the shrug being prior opportunity.

We’re going to see players who shrug/duck get their heads ripped off and then pinged for holding the ball.

Is the game ready for that? Are the fans ready for that?

I sure as shit am.

This curse has plagued the game for far too long.

Yeah this is a good change. I think there will be lots of examples where the player didn't have prior opportunity, so this change should hopefully deter the arm raises. I.e. Don't have prior? don't raise your arm and fingers crossed the umpire knows how to adjudicate prior opportunity properly (that's another story) = ball up.

Soligo and Peatling might be in trouble next year.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Opinions:

While the 6-6-6 rule will remain from centre ball-ups, there will no longer be a requirement for at least one player per team to start in the goalsquare. This will be a measure to help reduce dead time after goals.

Didn't know that was a rule, and in truth, I don't care about this change. May lead to something creative, I guess?

A free kick will now be awarded when the ball crosses the line from a disposal between the arcs, bringing the men's game in line with the AFLW's 'lasso' rule.

I like this rule a lot in the SANFL and happy to see it incorporated in the AFL

At all centre ball-ups, competing rucks will now be unable to cross the centre line before engaging with their opposition ruck. This is born from a desire to see the jumping rucks return to the game.

Well, ROB is ****ed. Honestly, it's a nice spectacle, but with how inconsequential most ruck contests are, this is a cosmetic change. Still, it's a weird one alongside removing the center bounce.

Umpires currently allow 'reasonable time' for a kick-in, which is deemed at around 12 seconds. However, 'reasonable time' for a mark or free kick paid around the ground is deemed at eight seconds. From 2026 onwards, both of these will align to be eight seconds.

No issue with that. Speeding up kick-ins may also increase disorganization for some of the shittier clubs in setting up their zones.

Umpires can now restart play without a nominated ruck being present, bringing the men's game in line with AFLW rules. If there is no nomination, or the nominated ruck is too far away, the play will be restarted immediately.

The 'third-man up' is still outlawed, so if no rucks nominate – or if the two nominated rucks are too far away when play is restarted – the ball will be thrown up and will have to hit the ground before 'play on' is called.

Good, punish clubs for being disorganised. Mind you, this probably kills the idea of using a ruck that rushes forward (like what Jackson did at Fremantle) after the 1st contest. Still, I'd rather see third man up come back. The ball thrown up and hitting the ground before play on sounds comical though.

A shrug in a tackle will now be deemed prior opportunity. It will be similar to how a fend, or an attempt to evade a tackle is deemed prior opportunity.

Good change.

There will be a stronger enforcement of players being told to 'stand' if they are inside the protected area.

Not a fan of this one. Stand rule is low-key garbage and brings in soft 50 meter penalties; I'm not for seeing it become more of an issue.


Alongside getting rid of the sub, this seems like a good set of rule changes.

The obvious rule change was awarding of a free kick for breaching of the 6x6x6

This warning of teams is just another delay, which i thought the AFL were trying to reduce time delays

 

[Crowked]

The stand rule is, in my humble opinion, the worst rule ever made in sporting history. **** it off!!