Rules Centre Bounce ditched; no more Subs: AFL announce rule changes for 2026

[Chief]

The removal of the bounce probably has more to do with the future. Not a lot of kids want to be umpires, or can be umpires, because they simply can't bounce the ball

Is that really the case?

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

You're missing a major point here.

The bounce is fun and unique, but it isn't vital.

What IS vital, are correct umpiring decisions.
If there are potentially elite decision makers in the VFL umpiring ranks who are being held back because of their inability to bounce the footy, then removing the bounce may actually result in an improvement in umpiring.

Also, NRL is fine, but it only takes an IQ below that of a kindergarten student to both play at the elite level and understand the sport on a deep level.
Using it in your example isn't the flex you think it is.

The bolded is drawing a rather long bow, imo. There are four central umpires out there, not all of them have to do the centre bounce. If you've got two who can do it reasonably, that's enough.

 

[speedpeck23]

The problem with keeping the bounce and letting it go no matter what direction it goes is that you could theoretically have a final decided by a completely ****ed bounce. Not to mention the possibility of umpires intentionally rigging it...

Yes, I think they should not let the ball bounce anywhere on the ground....it should be made to be totally predictable so it looks better from a spectator point of view and easier for the players to get it so they don't have to rely on their anticipation and reflex skills.

It will also be be better for tactics at the Centre Bounce (sorry THROW UP !!)...players will be able to set their tactics so easily because we know the tallest ruckman with the biggest jump will get the hit out most of the time. And he'll look really graceful and skilled as he does it even though in fact it will be much easier to do.

It will help to keep the midfielders all in a little group so we get another THROW UP again and again as the midfielders all pile on top of each other. But don't worry the Umpire will be in control. They will simply pay a manufactured free to help clear the ball from the centre.

I wonder if the next new rule will be another THROW UP if a team gets an errant bounce which favours the opposition. Would not be fair to any team for the ball to bounce unpredictably resulting in a goal to the opposition.

It's been a great effort by the Umpires for over 100 years to bounce the ball.......Once upon at time in Woke Land at sometime, somewhere, somehow, some very clever supporter or administrator decided that the umpire should be forced make the ball bounce predictably to make it easier for the players to know where it would go and they wouldn't have to spread out or man up their opposition just in case it went where they didn't think it would go.

And what about the COIN TOSS surely that MUST GO !! To think that the unpredictable deflection of a coin will determine the fate of game by favouring the team which gets the wind advantage in the first quarter before the rain hits early in the second quarter rendering scoring more difficult for both sides for the rest of the game.

It will be so good now because the footy will be so predictable. No, wait I think now, surely, they should play with a ROUND BALL it looks so much better bouncing uniformly on the ground instead of the dodgy unpredictable ugly bounce of an AFL FOOTY.

 

[Silkie]

Yes, I think they should not let the ball bounce anywhere on the ground....it should be made to be totally predictable so it looks better from a spectator point of view and easier for the players to get it so they don't have to rely on their anticipation and reflex skills.

It will also be be better for tactics at the Centre Bounce (sorry THROW UP !!)...players will be able to set their tactics so easily because we know the tallest ruckman with the biggest jump will get the hit out most of the time. And he'll look really graceful and skilled as he does it even though in fact it will be much easier to do.

It will help to keep the midfielders all in a little group so we get another THROW UP again and again as the midfielders all pile on top of each other. But don't worry the Umpire will be in control. They will simply pay a manufactured free to help clear the ball from the centre.

I wonder if the next new rule will be another THROW UP if a team gets an errant bounce which favours the opposition. Would not be fair to any team for the ball to bounce unpredictably resulting in a goal to the opposition.

It's been a great effort by the Umpires for over 100 years to bounce the ball.......Once upon at time in Woke Land at sometime, somewhere, somehow, some very clever supporter or administrator decided that the umpire should be forced make the ball bounce predictably to make it easier for the players to know where it would go and they wouldn't have to spread out or man up their opposition just in case it went where they didn't think it would go.

And what about the COIN TOSS surely that MUST GO !! To think that the unpredictable deflection of a coin will determine the fate of game by favouring the team which gets the wind advantage in the first quarter before the rain hits early in the second quarter rendering scoring more difficult for both sides for the rest of the game.

It will be so good now because the footy will be so predictable. No, wait I think now, surely, they should play with a ROUND BALL it looks so much better bouncing uniformly on the ground instead of the dodgy unpredictable ugly bounce of an AFL FOOTY.

Bit of an overreaciton to what was a tongue in cheek comment. Lay off the Sky News I reckon, it's making you angry for no reason.

 

[boncer34]

Is that really the case?

I know of at least 6 blokes who were considered outstanding umpires who couldn't bounce so never got a shot at the top.

They were literally told the only reason they weren't given a chance was because they couldn't bounce.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

No bounce, combined with better vision of the ruck contest = tallest ruck wins. Looking forward to seeing how teams create some 'set plays' to clear the congestion.

Initially it will result in stacks-on all over the ground, as neither coach will want to concede a clean clearance. Umpires will pay ticky-touchwood decisions and everyone will scream in frustration to let it go.

No Sub = Encourages teams to over-ride their doctor (ahem - Geelong). Injury sub was a good idea, but poorly implemented and so open to manipulation they just threw their hands up in the air and made it "tactical". When they introduce subs again - hopefully they do it properly and make it an INJURY SUB: If activated, the player subbed off is automatically unavailable for 10 days.

 

[Randomizor]

I think we should refer to the action as a “toss up” and the umpire who performs it shall be referred to as a “tosser”

This should make the adjustment easier for the viewers

 

[RCAB]

.Once upon at time in Woke Land

No need to read the rest of the post

 

[speedpeck23]

Bit of an overreaciton to what was a tongue in cheek comment. Lay off the Sky News I reckon, it's making you angry for no reason.

It's like the Bounce of the Ball itself !! I just became erratic, unpredictable, uncontrollable, .....pretty much like happens to all of us at the footy !! It's part of the challenge of being a supporter. Maybe the AFL should just bring in the Round Ball...drop the intensity a bit. Make the game more predictable, more relaxing, easier to watch or not watch.

 

[LoungeLizard]

It's like the Bounce of the Ball itself !! I just became erratic, unpredictable, uncontrollable, .....pretty much like happens to all of us at the footy !! It's part of the challenge of being a supporter. Maybe the AFL should just bring in the Round Ball...drop the intensity a bit. Make the game more predictable, more relaxing, easier to watch or not watch.

Imagine going home from the footy and thinking, or talking about, that goal that Gunston nearly kicked, if it was just 3 centimetres to the left and we would have won 1-0

 

[Freomaniac]

With 16 minute quarters, timeouts, cheerleaders and music between goals to become a feature. What a time to be alive.

So like the big bash league?

 

[Ostins_Park]

How does removing the bounce help manage game times? I freaking love the bounce!

Here's a proposal: when a goal or behind is regsitered the game clock should stop the second the ball crosses the line. We lose sometimes 3,4 seconds waiting for the umpire to signal and in this era of fine margins it's impactful.

Any takers?

 

[terrybull]

Maybe there can be a compromise.

All the soon to be sacked bad decisions umpires who had a great bounce can be retained just to bounce the ball at the start of each quarter.

This reminds me of all the silent film stars who lost their jobs because they had horrible voices…

No excuse now for improved umpiring decisions.

 

[Chief]

How does removing the bounce help manage game times? I freaking love the bounce!

Calling back bad bounces does take up a fair bit of time. Everyone has to reset.

Here's a proposal: when a goal or behind is regsitered the game clock should stop the second the ball crosses the line. We lose sometimes 3,4 seconds waiting for the umpire to signal and in this era of fine margins it's impactful.

Any takers?

How do they know when it crosses the line?

 

[Freomaniac]

Yep, Can't wait for the first team to get 2 early injuries and play the rest of the game 2 short and lose.

Well I remember one Carlton vs Essendon game where Carlton had 3 on the bench and one sub.

Carlton somehow got 3 blokes to get season ending acl or knee injuries by the 1st half

 

[Elite Master]

Calling back bad bounces does take up a fair bit of time. Everyone has to reset.


How do they know when it crosses the line?

True, but if the bounce was preserved to only be at the start of every quarter, so generally 4 times per game (and maybe 5 or 6 times total for extra time in finals), there would be a hell of a lot less restarts.

 

[cartwright]

I would have liked to have kept the centre bounce to open the game/quarter but I'm not too unhappy about it.

This is all that needed to happen.

 

[aCunningPlan]

How does removing the bounce help manage game times? I freaking love the bounce!

Here's a proposal: when a goal or behind is regsitered the game clock should stop the second the ball crosses the line. We lose sometimes 3,4 seconds waiting for the umpire to signal and in this era of fine margins it's impactful.

Any takers?

Except for the end of the quarter itself time off is only ever called on an umpire's signal to avoid ambiguity in the time keepers box.

 

[aCunningPlan]

This is all that needed to happen.

Eh, either keep it in or get rid of it altogether. Glad its gone for the sake of getting good umpires in.

 

[Xtreme]

Eh, either keep it in or get rid of it altogether. Glad its gone for the sake of getting good umpires in.

Bad umpires still exist regardless of their ball bouncing abilitiea

 

[aCunningPlan]

Bad umpires still exist regardless of their ball bouncing abilitiea

I don't understand what you mean. The bounce excludes some great decision makers officiate the AFL. What does bouncing a ball have to do with decision making ability?

 

[Xtreme]

I don't understand what you mean. The bounce excludes some great decision makers officiate the AFL. What does bouncing a ball have to do with decision making ability?

All umpires have bad decision blunders

 

[kyiv]

I'll be sad to see the bounce go. Was always a unique aesthetic aspect of the game that captured the curiosity of new viewers (same with the boundary throw in). I do think we'll be losing something by having the first contests for possession after a goal becoming more predictable. It's still plenty chaotic, but my hunch is we'd end up seeing a smaller range of potential outcomes; more set plays, fewer clean clearances from the team with the weaker ruckman - perhaps leading to more defensive setups? I feel like fast clean breaks from the center will be easier to defend against...

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

You just watch. The moment a player gets injured, the coaches will be screaming they are at a disadvantage with one less interchange. Then they'll start suggesting a sub.