5 On the Bench + Other Changes Introduced for 2026

[Section 5]

The first 4 changes i don't see the players having much of a problem adjusting to.

Ruck nominations
This will be interesting. No way to tell until it is enforced.
The wording in the article is not quite clear (to me anyhow).
I assume someone around the ball up area, has to put a hand up to ruck if your ruck appears to be too far away.
Your main ruck needs to hold his hand down if too far away to avoid confusion to players around the ball.
To put it another way your main ruck to refrain from putting arm up (nominating) if unlikely to make the contest in time.

One hand up only one can ruck. No hands up (nomination) no one can ruck and ball must hit the ground first.

Shrugging the tackle
On face value just another rule for umpire and fans for interpretation. Let's see what unfolds.

The stand rule
Pretty much back to how it was supposed to be interpreted.
Coaches found a way to not do it and got away with it for a few seasons. Slowly boiling the frog so to speak.

Started with just going back outside the five, then some slight coaching adjustments from that point.
Like a tall PKD or ruck would always move off the mark immediately if say his opponent a KPF or ruck marked the ball.
They then went straight back in defense to help out while forwards were one tall down
Then just waits for his opponent to kick it back to him.
Then it evolved to moving sideways. Still outside the 5 but more towards the center square to cut off the kick going into the center of ground to try and open up play.

This was one of the main reasons the rule was introduced in the first place to encourage opening up play.
This tightening up of that rule will favor teams like the Lions.

 

[ZoBlitz]

I have found it amusing watching the goal umps this season try to get whoever is playing at full forward and full back to please get in the goal square because they are inevitably dawdling back to their position.

 

[Tom14]

The first 4 changes i don't see the players having much of a problem adjusting to.

Ruck nominations
This will be interesting. No way to tell until it is enforced.
The wording in the article is not quite clear (to me anyhow).
I assume someone around the ball up area, has to put a hand up to ruck if your ruck appears to be too far away.
Your main ruck needs to hold his hand down if too far away to avoid confusion to players around the ball.
To put it another way your main ruck to refrain from putting arm up (nominating) if unlikely to make the contest in time.

One hand up only one can ruck. No hands up (nomination) no one can ruck and ball must hit the ground first.

Shrugging the tackle
On face value just another rule for umpire and fans for interpretation. Let's see what unfolds.

The stand rule
Pretty much back to how it was supposed to be interpreted.
Coaches found a way to not do it and got away with it for a few seasons. Slowly boiling the frog so to speak.

Started with just going back outside the five, then some slight coaching adjustments from that point.
Like a tall PKD or ruck would always move off the mark immediately if say his opponent a KPF or ruck marked the ball.
They then went straight back in defense to help out while forwards were one tall down
Then just waits for his opponent to kick it back to him.
Then it evolved to moving sideways. Still outside the 5 but more towards the center square to cut off the kick going into the center of ground to try and open up play.

This was one of the main reasons the rule was introduced in the first place to encourage opening up play.
This tightening up of that rule will favor teams like the Lions.

The stand rule change is very stupid though - they could ahve just enforced the existing rule and cracked down on the sideways crab walking the pies did to block off quick inboard kicks.

Good article from Michael Gleeson and I have to say Swanny's argument about how it will work is not convincing at all!

The AFL announced seven rule changes. One is absurd

Under the new stand rule, any player within five metres of a player who is paid a mark or a free kick must stand.

www.theage.com.au

The ball falls straight to ground and a pack falls on it. Zach Merrett is held without the ball. The whistle blows, but the umpire isn’t sure which way to point. Which side is Merrett on? He didn’t do the toss earlier.

Another ump calls out “stand”. Three Hawthorn players have run to defence, one stands.

The ump calls “50”.

“What for?” a Hawk squawks.

“I called stand.”

“But he stood,” he says pointing to his ram-rod straight teammate who had, in fact, stood.

“You all had to stand.”

“What? All of us?”

“You heard me, Day.”

That is the new stand rule as it is written and released on Wednesday. A player – any player – within five metres of a player who is paid a mark or a free kick must stand.

It does not specify the closest one – and besides, which player is to decide who is closest? – and it does not say a single player, it says players inside the five-metre protected zone.

So if a free is paid in a pack, all players on the offending team must theoretically stand and not run forwards.

Likewise, if a pack flies for a mark and one player comes down with it. All opposition players must stand.

This is patently absurd and clearly not the intention of the rule. But it is how it is written.

Explaining the new change, Greg Swann said: “If they are in the vicinity, some bloke will stand on the mark, and the umpires can call, ‘Hey Pete, you’re on the mark or whatever’. I think that’s easily umpired.

Footy fans can expect to see more players standing the mark in games next year. In fact, any opponent within five metres of a mark or free kick is expected to stand.

“The players will adjust to it. Having been not long coming out of [a] club, [I know] it’s amazing how quickly they do adjust to whatever rule changes. The coaches drum it into them. We have umpires come out and practise it. They’ll probably have all this under control by Christmas.”

Magnificent optimism.

The video attending the rule-change announcement, which was probably the most critical change announced, didn’t countenance multiple players within the five-metre zone and how that would be policed.

It explained that if a single player was within the five-metre zone, they no longer had the choice to back out of the zone and instead must just stand. The design is to better favour the player with the ball being able to play on and get the game moving, which is meritorious.

You can understand what they want here, but they can’t find the words to explain it.

Given there is now no option of not standing or moving out of the zone, it has not anticipated what to do in the confusing scenario of multiple players trying to flee the scene.

Do they all stand? If not, which one?

Pity the player who thought the umpire meant for him to stop when, in fact, the instruction was meant for a teammate, and so he lets his opponent run merrily away. He’ll have to sheepishly scuff his way to the bench for a very understanding debrief with the coach, explaining like a guilty kid, “the ump told me to”.

Or just as bad, the player who assumes the ump meant his teammate had to stand, so he runs off, thus giving away a 50-metre penalty and shot at goal.

There are going to a lot of very stupid 50m penalties awarded until they re-interpret this rule 5 weeks into the season.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I detest 50m penalties for standing the mark / exclusion zone 'technical' infringements a la Fletcher on Blicavs in the 4th Q of the GF.

Either it didn't impact the player with the ball in any way, shape or form.
Or the umpires get it plain wrong like the Zorko one standing on the mark in the 2024 GF.

And if the player marking the ball is running or diving it's pretty random where the umpire decides to set the mark and the opposing player has no way of knowing in real time where exactly that's going to be.

The stand rule change is very stupid though - they could ahve just enforced the existing rule and cracked down on the sideways crab walking the pies did to block off quick inboard kicks.

Good article from Michael Gleeson and I have to say Swanny's argument about how it will work is not convincing at all!

The AFL announced seven rule changes. One is absurd

Under the new stand rule, any player within five metres of a player who is paid a mark or a free kick must stand.

www.theage.com.au

There are going to a lot of very stupid 50m penalties awarded until they re-interpret this rule 5 weeks into the season.

 

[davemc_lions]

I detest 50m penalties for standing the mark / exclusion zone 'technical' infringements a la Fletcher on Blicavs in the 4th Q of the GF.

Either it didn't impact the player with the ball in any way, shape or form.
Or the umpires get it plain wrong like the Zorko one standing on the mark in the 2024 GF.

If it has no impact no 50m.. The whole jogging past as well why is there a protected zone.


The crabbing back so you do not have stand or the ruck making sure he gets out the way.
Should be closest player has to stand not go outside 5 or whatever just stand.
For that 50 closest player was Fletcher when he marked it

 

[Section 5]

Is it really 7 rule changes or a combination with the AFL's new interpretation of the existing rules.

We will have to wait till the AFL 2026 new rules booklet is released
Last disposal will require the actual rule written into the Laws of the Game.
The bounce taken out.

The way they were explained on the AFL site is not really the style on how official rules are written.
I have not gone through all of the changes but a couple of observations below.

Shrugging: This is now classed as "prior opportunity" and is now among the other examples the AFL have deemed "prior" over the years
Part of the prior rule is in Part B. They may change it, but it could fall under (b). Or they just add "shrugging" under (b)

1-1 DEFINITIONS

Prior Opportunity: a designation to a Player in Possession of the Football who:
(a) is balanced and steady; or
(b) attempts to evade or fend an opponent; or
(c) has taken a Mark or been awarded a Free Kick; or
(d) has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent.

below is the other part of the prior rule.

18.6.2 Free Kicks - Holding the Ball: Prior Opportunity Where a Player in Possession of the Football has had Prior Opportunity, a field Umpire shall award a Free Kick if that Player does not Correctly Dispose of the football immediately when they are Legally Tackled.
...................................................................

Stand change: Once again i think it could be a change of interpretation of the previous interpretation in 2021.

(Taken from History of rule changes/interpretations: Date change 2021- The player standing the mark permitted minimal lateral movement before a play-on call. The defensive team no longer permitted to substitute the person standing the mark. A 50m penalty awarded for infringements.)

I think the rule (15.3 & 20.1 below) could stay as is.

Below the actual rules on "the mark" and "standing the mark".
I think Swanny explained it well enough. The umpire will call the correct player.

The rule as @ 2025
15.3 LOCATION OF THE MARK Where a field Umpire is of the opinion that a Player has taken a Mark, the field Umpire shall award the Mark to the Player at the location on the Playing Surface where the Mark was taken. This location on the Playing Surface is known as The Mark.

20.1 STANDING THE MARK AND THE PROTECTED AREA 20.1.1 Standing The Mark When a Player is awarded a Mark or Free Kick, one Player from the opposing Team may:
(a) stand on The Mark; or
(b) otherwise be directed by a field Umpire.

For the avoidance of doubt, all other Players from the opposing Team must be positioned behind The Mark or otherwise outside the Protected Area defined in Law 20.1.2.

 

[Pride of lions]

The shrug one is the one that will create more grey and confusion… not a fan. Should just be up to umpire discretion, not written as a rule.

One of the video examples the AFL used was Levi getting his head absolutely taken off by IQ in the prelim against the pies. Despite him lifting the arm, the tackle was already around his neck.

Video can be seen in the shrugging example on this link

Watch examples of the seven rule changes that will impact 2026

Ruck contests, the stand rule, and the 'last disposal' out of bounds rule are among a host of changes ahead of 2026

www.afl.com.au

I agree with you. That is a high tackle and has nothing to do with shrugging. Not sure what you are supposed to do when you are being thrown to the ground by the neck.