Rules 7 new rules - AFL Rule Changes for 2026

[ilikepotatoes]

The changes made this year are considered interpretation changes rather than new laws.

Really....

I can't be the only one who thinks that's nuts right?

I know there's an umpire handbook which had a few of these things in it like time before calling play on etc.

I would hope they actually exist in written form somewhere.

Because right now you can't tell me with a straight face that the original article is accurate to what the interpretations are. Players are shepherding the ball out for last disposal free kicks and ducking is not being called as prior regularly.

 

[Count_Zero]

So do the rules in fact exist anywhere other than as vaguely described in the initial article on the AFL website?

Yeah, it's a 197 page document.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

Yeah, it's a 197 page document.

I should have made it clearer sorry, but I mean the rule changes.

If you are referring to the laws of the game multiple rule changes do not exist in that document.

Unless you have something more up to date?

 

[Count_Zero]

I should have made it clearer sorry, but I mean the rule changes.

If you are referring to the laws of the game multiple rule changes do not exist in that document.

Unless you have something more up to date?

Nope, Would be nice if it wasnt just an article on AFL.com

 

[Sentinel]

The changes made this year are considered interpretation changes rather than new laws.

The starting positions were changed to abolish the goal square requirement (rule 13.1). Otherwise no change to the rule book for any of the others, as far as I'm aware.

 

[Section 5]

The new last disposal rule is an interpretation of the rule below and clarifies one big aspect on what will be classed as insufficient intent
This allows a field umpire to concentrate on the much smaller number of possible "insufficient intent" frees.
There are not many of these if any during a game now as the players adapt.

The rule still applies inside 50 and around the grounds if the umpire believes there was insufficient intent to keep the ball in play "Spirit and Intention".

Personally, i think they should have changed the law listing it separately like "out of bounds on the full"


18.10 OUT OF BOUNDS

18.10.1 Spirit and Intention Players shall be encouraged to keep the football in play.

18.10.2 Free Kicks - Out of Bounds
A field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against a Player who:

(a) Kicks the football Out of Bounds On the Full;

(b) Kicks, Handballs or forces the football over the Boundary Line and does not demonstrate sufficient intent to keep the football in play; or

(c) fails to immediately hand the football to the boundary Umpire or drop the football directly to the ground once the football is Out of Bounds.

18.10.3
Taking Free KickA Free Kick awarded under Law 18.10 shall be taken at the point where the football crossed the Boundary Line
................................................................

As can be seen from the link below it states "new laws and interoperation"

Video Gallery - Play AFL

play.afl

 

[JoondalupJ]

It's ridiculously overregulated, now, and it's losing the creativity from the players because that overregulation. Things like the 2004 goal of the year would be illegal, now, because of that lame ruck nomination rule. The centre bounces having different rucking styles before forcing ruckmen to position themselves the same in 2005.

Speaking of Ruck duels, Collingwood's Ruck arrangement against Brisbane GF 2023?

In the last dying seconds they seemed to almost deliberately lose the ruck duel , to give, in that short period an advantage to Collingwood, to I think, get either a free or just get the ball to the ground where Collingwood players were able to drive the ball into their forwards, from the centre, and time killed Brisbane.
It was said a trained planned trick they'd practiced

Now to technically describe how that centre to forward line movement, that was manipulated actually stands as a rule I can't say, someone did "play" the umpire , to look like a free, I do not know how the rule worked but it won Collingwood the GF.

I also can't remember a free or not , but a whistle blew and blew Brissy away.

Commentators mentioned it so it wasn't my imagination.

But as for the rules and the complications , that instance proved to me the absolute UNFAIRNESS of some stupid confusing law / rule. And I am not sure what it was for? Still.

Yet 2026 although the Umps seem to be a little more lenient, they still make grave mistakes , which is human. But centre ruck duels should be left alone.

But grave ump mistakes win games cause scores that can't be defended, the 50m for the stand rule is just abominable, and so unfair, like the Ruckmen that stand by and say to the Umpire with hands up in the air in confusion, like MaX Gawn did one year, saying "its called Ruck craft mate" you could hear it on the ump's mike?

Last touch free? I thought was a bad idea, and sometimes it is an accident, but it seems to get the ball moving quicker, and, throw ins from the boundary can bog a game down.
Point?
It also isn't allowed a call, in the forward 50 arc.Good.

There are game winning frees, that are definitely unfair. Like the defender and the forward and the arm touching. Someone once said that it was to increase scoring so umps could call more marks for the advantaged forward, given the better chance, from a teammate set pass, play?
When it came out the scoring didn't improve.

The defenders could at times, just stand and watch.

Too many free kicks create wins. Too many invisible penalties for Ruck work create a drive into the forwards, it should not be by any other manner than meritorious play!

Ruck frees are not fair. From the centre bounce or centre Ball Up.
We have an unfair AFL with wrong motivation, money gathering is front of the pack, gather round is good.

But for fans the payers of all the dollars, it is a confusion , and I bet there is not one person on Big Footy that hasn't witnessed freekicks turn tables on clubs, they should be black and white.

Because young new players, in rebuilds, give lots of petty little misunderstood free kicks.
Top teams kill it with a score level unchallenged. Sometimes, but its there!

The game looks a little better this season. SO FAR?????
Anyone with an explanation of the ruck f=duel 30 or 40 seconds beforethe end of the 2023 GF.

 

[Bostonian]

Ruck frees are not fair. From the centre bounce or centre Ball Up.
We have an unfair AFL with wrong motivation, money gathering is front of the pack, gather round is good.

It's now obvious why the AFL has turned the ruck into nothing more than a jumping contest.

They have revamped the chase for Americans and no surprise almost exclusively to people over 200cm.

And that's no doubt all about getting Yanks on teams to try and milk it for money.

 

[JoondalupJ]

The new last disposal rule is an interpretation of the rule below and clarifies one big aspect on what will be classed as insufficient intent
This allows a field umpire to concentrate on the much smaller number of possible "insufficient intent" frees.
There are not many of these if any during a game now as the players adapt.

The rule still applies inside 50 and around the grounds if the umpire believes there was insufficient intent to keep the ball in play "Spirit and Intention".

Personally, i think they should have changed the law listing it separately like "out of bounds on the full"


18.10 OUT OF BOUNDS

18.10.1 Spirit and Intention Players shall be encouraged to keep the football in play.

18.10.2 Free Kicks - Out of Bounds
A field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against a Player who:

(a) Kicks the football Out of Bounds On the Full;

(b) Kicks, Handballs or forces the football over the Boundary Line and does not demonstrate sufficient intent to keep the football in play; or

(c) fails to immediately hand the football to the boundary Umpire or drop the football directly to the ground once the football is Out of Bounds.

18.10.3
Taking Free KickA Free Kick awarded under Law 18.10 shall be taken at the point where the football crossed the Boundary Line
................................................................

As can be seen from the link below it states "new laws and interoperation"

Video Gallery - Play AFL

play.afl

So players a penalised now over dropping the ball against a boundary umpire. Hell, we take the bounce out of the umpires hands, now, we can give a free away but chasing an opponent in an instant and leaving the ball for the umpire to pick up. They are umpires not players..
Where has common sense gone?
Also our learn-ed friend, with all the 1.2 and the 10.8 written rules by dozens what do you need?
A bloody LAW degree to understand the rules.

There are so many opportunities with the rule interpretation, for the big cheat, in this game now.
It'll happen if it hasn't already.
It is totally open to organised arranging and pay offs, with the most confusing sports rules AFL set UP
in the world of sport, world wide TODAY?
Only a thought \,but gambling is the killer and cheating is everywhere, look at the Brownlow!

 

[Section 5]

So players a penalised now over dropping the ball against a boundary umpire. Hell, we take the bounce out of the umpires hands, now, we can give a free away but chasing an opponent in an instant and leaving the ball for the umpire to pick up. They are umpires not players..
Where has common sense gone?
Also our learn-ed friend, with all the 1.2 and the 10.8 written rules by dozens what do you need?
A bloody LAW degree to understand the rules.

Read the law/rule below again as it could be worded better
They are not penalized "over dropping the ball" that is what they have to do, or throw it back to the boundary umpire.

To make the law clearer the word "fails" should be added after the word "or" as fails is implied or understood to be included

(c) fails to immediately hand the football to the boundary Umpire or drop the football directly to the ground once the football is Out of Bounds.

That law/rule (your bolded) has been in place a long time. It was to stop players giving a little kick or throw to the ball away from the boundary umpire, so their team had more time to reset before the throw in.
It is rarely used because all the players know about it.
Same as all the players now should know you can't climb the goalposts courtesy of Dean Rampe in 2019. As it has now been included into the laws/rules

Almost the same applies at ground stoppages.
At stoppages if a player obviously has the ball in his possession he must give it back to the umpire no one else.
It is slightly different to the boundary one in that the player at stoppages can't place/drop the ball on the ground if they obviously have the ball in their possession.

Fans do need refreshers on the laws/rules.
However, if you are new to AFL they do take some explaining.

Players often start playing AFL from primary school so have a long run-in period to know what the rules are.
They just need to adjust each year if something new comes in.

Fans on the other hand just think they know all the rules and that has nothing to do with whether they have followed or played the game all their lives.

Fans really need to review the Laws of the game from time to time.
A good time to do this is when commentators and those footy show people talk about some law/rule "controversy" over the weekend. Look up the actual rule yourself (a refresher) as these media talking heads regularly get it wrong.

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2026/02/13/8676d880-481a-4211-a479-305f138ce8b6/Laws-of-Australian-Football-Final-13-February-2026-.pdf

 

[The Hobo]

Can we get rid of this 'tackled over the line' bs?

If you have prior and get tackled and taken over the line - HTB. We can't be pushing everyone so hard to try keep the ball in play, only to give them an out by waiting near the line and then basically stepping over as soon as there's contact.

That covers both goal/behind line and the boundary line.

 

[Sentinel]

Can we get rid of this 'tackled over the line' bs?

If you have prior and get tackled and taken over the line - HTB. We can't be pushing everyone so hard to try keep the ball in play, only to give them an out by waiting near the line and then basically stepping over as soon as there's contact.

That covers both goal/behind line and the boundary line.

The AFL more and more resembles the WWE, so it's only fitting that we'd have a rule which is the equivalent of a rope break in wrestling.