7 new rules - AFL Rule Changes for 2026

[DangerSloane]

• Remove the requirement for a Player to start in the Goal Square at each centre ball-up - GOOD
• Introduce a Free Kick for the last disposal Out of Bounds in between the 50m arcs - QUESTION MARK
• At all centre ball-ups, a competing Ruck cannot cross the Centre Circle line and engage with the opposition Ruck, prior to contesting the football - GOOD
• Around the ground, the Umpire may restart play without a nominated Ruck being present - GOOD
• A shrug (in a tackle) will be deemed Prior Opportunity (i.e., as an attempt to evade or fend an opponent) - GOOD
• A Player must stand if they are within the Protected Area (i.e., within five metres) when a Mark or Free Kick occurs - BAD
• Align the interpretation of ‘reasonable time’ for a Player to bring the football back into play from a Behind being scored and the time allowed for a set Kick around the ground. Currently, reasonable time for kick-ins is 12 seconds, whereas around the ground is eight (8) seconds. Players will now be allowed eight (8) seconds in both instances - GOOD

Overall I think they're mostly improvements. I'll hold judgement on the last possession rule. Works well in SANFL but feel like its just a different interpretation problem than the one we already had with insufficient intent (ie if it touches someone's leg on the way out it sometimes counts and sometimes doesnt).

Ill add - Getting rid of the centre bounce - GOOD - Taking away barriers to entry to umpiring is important if we want the best decision makers and that is what the umpires are there for.

Just my opinion.

 

[terrybull]

Is the meaning of mark to catch a football an Australian word?

Noone else uses the word mark for a catch only us.

Wonder when we first used the word and why?

You can even go to other very Australian words for meanings of "catches".

Speccy,hanger.

Another others?

I think I read somewhere that the word “mark” for catching the ball came from the early days of soccer, maybe under Sheffield rules.

But the rule was any player could catch the ball but would mark where he put the ball on the ground to take a place kick. Thus it was called a mark.

The rules eventually changed to that only the goalkeepers are allowed to “mark” the ball. But as they aren’t required to mark or set the ball on the ground anymore it was just called a catch.

I reckon if you travel back to the 1860’s there probably wasn’t that much difference between the three football codes of soccer, rugby and Australian Football.

That we still call our code Rules is also unique as one time it was relevant when clubs met to decide what rules should they play under.

 

[Osho]

The 2nd last one (stand) will cause multi player and fan apoplecticisms throughout the year. May even cause hospitalizations, hyper tension, and bouts of rage and violence across the community.

 

[ferball]

What's the difference between shrugging a tackle and trying to get your arms free to dispose of the ball?

What happens if you shrug a tackle and break the tackle?

 

[The Educator]

What's the difference between shrugging a tackle and trying to get your arms free to dispose of the ball?

The shrug is trying to engineer a high tackle, trying to get your arms free is trying to get your arms free to dispose of the ball

.....even on this, I have noticed players will often get punished for making a genuine attempt to get their arms free compared to players who take the ball into the tackle aiming for a ball up

What happens if you shrug a tackle and break the tackle?

It will be called play on, obviously

 

[The Educator]

Call play on if it's an even amount of players from opposing teams going up. The odds that 4 players all go up for the same ball would maybe happen once a season, let's be honest.

Scrapping the nom and paying a free against a 3rd man (or 5th, 7th etc.) is such an easy fix in line with what the AFL has stated their intention is. It reduces stoppage time, and also protects rucks or others going for the ball (which is the main reason the ruck nom rule was brought in originally to protect rucks from other players coming in from weird angles).

I'm doing Swann's job for free.

Who is the third man though? What happens when a ruck engages with another player they assume is the ruck but they are just a decoy who didnt intend to compete and another player comes over the top?

It astonishes me that people who think things are so simple don't at least reflect that someone who has spent 35 years in the game might actually have thunk things through a bit more than they have

 

[The Educator]

Is the meaning of mark to catch a football an Australian word?

Noone else uses the word mark for a catch only us.

Wonder when we first used the word and why?

You can even go to other very Australian words for meanings of "catches".

Speccy,hanger.

Another others?

mark actually comes from rugby football originally....it is still used in rugby union where a player can catch the ball in their defensive 22 yards and call "mark" and receive a free kick

 

[ferball]

The shrug is trying to engineer a high tackle, trying to get your arms free is trying to get your arms free to dispose of the ball

.....even on this, I have noticed players will often get punished for making a genuine attempt to get their arms free compared to players who take the ball into the tackle aiming for a ball up

yeah same. That's what prompted my comment/question.

It will be called play on, obviously

It isn't always. Sometimes the player with the ball is penalised even tho the tackler has never really controlled them in the tackle.