7 new rules - AFL Rule Changes for 2026

[hawkman]

do you watch footy?

chip-chip-chip

stand-stand-stand

completely the wrong way to go, scoring has stagnated as a result

need to encourage risk, not zonal safety bubbles that teams don't want to leave

Games are a lot more enjoyable to watch since the stand rules as it is easier to open up the ground

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Changes to rules are designed to stop Richmond

not anymore, job done in post season 2020

 

[banzai]

I have no problem with the stand rule in general. If though it is a 2 on 1 marking contest does the defender have to stand and not follow the player releasing into space? If they have to stand in that situation it is a bad rule.

Like most rules, it will sometimes mean the defender has to stand and let his opponent run forward, other times they will just be allowed to follow the player.

They said they wanted to make the game easier to umpire, judging exactly 5m that the defender was inside and had to stand is going to be very difficult, and be hard to umpire consistently.

 

[aCunningPlan]

That's all you needed to admit to highlight what a garbage rule it is.

You also left out the part when a player with the ball is next to the player on the mark they also can't move an inch to try and stop a hand pass being given off to a player running past. Not moving their feet, just sticking a hand out.

Thus rendering the player on the mark useless.

Do you watch football?

Yes that's the point.

I've umpired 200 games.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Games are a lot more enjoyable to watch since the stand rules as it is easier to open up the ground

the STAND incentive is to chip the ball sideways and backwards, stay in the safe zone

open space that noone risks going into does not an amazing spectacle make

 

[Bostonian]

Yes that's the point.

I've umpired 200 games.

And?

The people who seem to be the worst at understanding the actual game are the umpires.

So I guess that makes sense.

 

[hawkman]

the STAND incentive is to chip the ball sideways and backwards, stay in the safe zone

open space that noone risks going into does not an amazing spectacle make

The chip sidewards and backwards were more likely to happen under the old rule as they were the safe spaces to put the ball. Now the 45 kicks are more open as the mark can't block the middle as much. Plus you have more run from behind with the stand rule

 

[aCunningPlan]

And?

The people who seem to be the worst at understanding the actual game are the umpires.

So I guess that makes sense.

You should give it a go sometime, it's great fun.

 

[Bostonian]

You should give it a go sometime, it's great fun.

Nah, I had the talent to play.

 

[aCunningPlan]

Nah, I had the talent to play.

But not the talent to umpire?

 

[Ian Dunross]

If you kick the ball up the wing 50m and it goes out of bounds it will more than likely be called deliberate these days.

Now it will always be a free + any other time you dispose of it out of play. It sounds great that a player gets a kick and that will open up the game BUT it won’t.

The deliberate rule is poorly thought out. Teams flood back more than ever now so a free kick in a position where almost every player on the field is ahead of you is a key cause of congestion, low scoring and boring football. A boundary throw-in in this situation opens the game up more as players move forward to join the contest, spreading the players out.

The same thing will happen now as players will flood back as soon as they realise it is going out off their disposal. The contest will be taken from the game and we’ll see more
Kick to kick nonsense.

That's a good point. Interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Bostonian]

But not the talent to umpire?

I was still playing at 50.

I wouldn't want to umpire with all these garbage rules.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

The chip sidewards and backwards were more likely to happen under the old rule as they were the safe spaces to put the ball. Now the 45 kicks are more open as the mark can't block the middle as much. Plus you have more run from behind with the stand rule

you are safe in your bubble, why take the risk of 45 m?

crab along never leaving safety

that's why the game has become so boring

 

[Leather Poisoning]

you are safe in your bubble, why take the risk of 45 m?

crab along never leaving safety

that's why the game has become so boring

I don' tthink the game has become more boring.

I think people just have an intolerance of anything that is not wall to wall thrilling excitement.

There have always been dull games of footy, dead rubbers, games that are a slog, low scoring games, games between 2 crap sides etc.

We just have more avenues to complain about it than ever before.

 

[hawkman]

you are safe in your bubble, why take the risk of 45 m?

crab along never leaving safety

that's why the game has become so boring

45 degree kick inside not 45 metres

 

[jonnobackpocket]

Cannot believe they bringing in last possession, it feels like they messing with the actual fabric of the game, leave it alone. It’s OK to have throw ins.

 

[SC_Power]

The AFL certainly want to get rid of ruckmen don’t they? What’s next, a limit on the height of players standing on the mark?

 

[SC_Power]

Cannot believe they bringing in last possession, it feels like they messing with the actual fabric of the game, leave it alone. It’s OK to have throw ins.

There still will be throw ins for all the regular knocked out / punched in a contest / ground ball spillage / tackled over the line out of bounds. I think it gets rid of about 3-5 throw ins a game, which is fair for all the confusion and debate it causes now.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

45 degree kick inside not 45 metres

oh sorry

anyway my point stands (pardon the..)

the best argument for STAND and the other zone rules is that the game was too quick and exciting by the end of 2017, so they wanted to slow it down, create bubbles of safety where players naturally loiter, the old 'Darren Jarman/Stewie Dew' argument about what kinds of players can prosper in the game.

but it is a hell of a lot of chip-mark boredom and confected 50 metre penalties as the price to pay for that

there are better ways

 

[Didak Wine]

The shrug rule... Shrugging is awesome. Seriously what a joke. Dusty won norm smiths shrugging

 

[Didak Wine]

The player on the mark can't move a muscle to defend his opponent even when they are right on top of them.

They literally have to let them run past them without being able to stop them.

How is that not taking them out of the play?

Way too much advantage now for taking a mark or getting a free kick.

The advantage was always about being able to take a kick/handpass without the opponent impacting that action.

Not let the opponent have a free run up the ground with the man on the mark stuck in the one spot.

I hate that stand rule. I had hopes it would revert back to how it used to be. 50 metre pens for doing something that goes against your instincts is terrible

 

[hawkman]

oh sorry

anyway my point stands (pardon the..)

the best argument for STAND and the other zone rules is that the game was too quick and exciting by the end of 2017, so they wanted to slow it down, create bubbles of safety where players naturally loiter, the old 'Darren Jarman/Stewie Dew' argument about what kinds of players can prosper in the game.

but it is a hell of a lot of chip-mark boredom and confected 50 metre penalties as the price to pay for that

there are better ways

As a Richmond fan of course you thought footy was exciting at the end of 2017. It really wasn't though, get the ball and lock it in with little prospect of getting it out cleanly wasn't exciting

 

[terrybull]

Has the sport of Soccer had 7 changes in the last 100 years? This must bring our changes in the last 10 years to over 100.
Absolute joke.

And yet the AFL keep stating how good the game is at.

If it’s so good, then why so many rule changes every year?

Although soccer would benefit with some rule changes but there’s very many traditionalist and would cause outrage around the world…

 

[UltraEgo]

The thing with the ruck rules that needed to change is that clarity on what is a free and what isn't.
It's ridiculous seeing free kicks paid in such a high percentage of ruck contests and the rucks don't even konw who gets the free when the whistle blows.

I'm not sure this fixes that?

Rucks should just be able to wrestle each other to get the tap, no free kicks unless there is high contact to the head.

 

[aCunningPlan]

The shrug rule... Shrugging is awesome. Seriously what a joke. Dusty won norm smiths shrugging

You can shrug, just make sure you dispose the ball.