The AFL made seven rule changes for 2026. These four will have the biggest impact

The AFL is going to look different in 2026 … sort of.

There’s been seven rule changes brought in under new AFL footy boss Greg Swann. But think of them more as corrections or stricter interpretations, as opposed to drastic changes or new rules per se.

So how will it impact the game?

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The main objective is to shorten games by shaving off dead time in between plays.

Such as the time it takes for umpires to throw the ball in. Or rucks to be nominated. Or just players kicking the ball in.

Beyond that, the aim is to speed the game itself up with more exciting ball movement, as well as crack down on specific interpretations.

There’s a separate conversation around whether we needed to make more changes, with many critical of the constant modifications to the game.

But again, that’s a different discussion. Let’s focus on what’s actually happened.

Four changes specifically will have the most profound impact on the way the game is played. Let’s run through them.

Stricter stand on the mark adjudication

Perhaps the most polarising and biggest adjustment for players and umpires. For it’s a change on top of a change regarding the stand the mark rule introduced in 2021.

A player must now stand if they are within the protected area — within five metres — when a mark or free kick occurs.

We know why the AFL brought this in. Players were able to exploit it by drifting backwards off the mark to help the team defence. They’ll no longer be able to do that and instead be forced to man the mark.

There’s a bit of grey area within the new rules though.

For one, it’s unclear how it will be determined which player — or if multiple players — have to stand.

Secondly, if the player will be given any sort of leniency to actually man the mark or get in line with the opposition player — not stop entirely.

A 50m penalty is already such a harsh punishment for infringements. Well, the interpretation of the rule just got more harsh.

“As long as a player gets that split second to man the mark properly, that’s all I want to see,” Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson told foxfooty.com.au.

“If you’re in the five metre zone, you should have the ability to get in front of the player with the ball and stand. They shouldn’t have to automatically stop like a statue.”

Rucks not allowed to cross centre circle line in contests

The art of the ruckwork is back!

It’d become more and more obsolete after the league in 2004 introduced a new centre circle to reduce ruckmen’s run up to prevent knee injuries.

Which led to rucks wrestling each other under the ball more instead of jumping. Which brought about several tiggy touchwood free kicks that felt like a guessing game at times (which we’ll still get around the ground).

But now at centre circle ball ups, rucks won’t be allowed to cross the centre circle line to engage with the opposition ruck.

It moves away from the tweaks to ruck contests ahead of the 2024 season that enabled-straight arm blocks. Or encouraged more physical contests.

Of course, these new rules are only relevant for centre circle ball ups. But along with the removal of the centre bounce and umpires being able to restart play without a nominated ruck, ruck contests and the position in general will be different.

A couple of points.

There’s some concerns around whether we could see an increase, if only small minor, in ruck knee injuries. Even if the run ups are shorter, players will still go into contests at a high velocity.

Could there be some sort of protective gear introduced — like we see with a shin pad — to help mitigate this? And provide some sort of safeguard.

The other thing is that this will clearly help the athletic, high-jumping ruckman.

And simply make that first contest feel more consequential, for the ball should generally be tapped with more purpose if rucks are jumping in the air to contest.

“What we want to see is a bit of class and creativity at centre bounce and this opens it up. This is excellent for the athletic ruckman and still perfect for the bigger ruckmen,” Johnson said.

Last touch out of bounds

Probably the biggest change on paper that has people talking the most.

But weren’t we basically already there?

There will now be a free kick paid against for last disposal out of bounds in between the 50m arcs.

There’s other nuance to it. If a player blocks an opponent or doesn’t go for the ball before it crosses the line, there will be a throw in. We’ll need to see exactly how all that works in practice.

But in general, going from insufficient intent, which was basically 80 per cent of deliberate out of bounds, to now 100 per cent just makes the rule much clearer.

And it should only set up more potential scoring opportunities. Particularly without the delay of waiting for an umpire to signal insufficient intent (as good as the theatre was).

“I’m all for keeping the game rolling. We were nearly there anyway, now it’s just brought it all to a head,” Johnson said.

“It’s a good rule, it’s been effective in other competitions and is one that will keep the ball going quickly.

“You’ll see clubs try and flow quickly off the back of it into dangerous spots and other teams might be off a bit defensively.”

Shrugging tackles is now prior opportunity

Just like a fend, duck or attempt to evade a tackle, an attempt to shrug a tackle will also be counted as prior opportunity.

In other words, any action a player makes when they have the ball before a tackle is now considered prior opportunity.

There’s no outs anymore.

This feels pointed to players who’ve developed a craft of trying to draw free kicks as their first mode of winning a contest, instead of just playing the game.

But if a player attempts to accentuate contact and the opposition player correctly lays the tackle, that will now be holding the ball.

It comes after the league in 2022 introduced free kicks against players who duck their heads prior to being tackled and don’t disposal of the ball correctly.

This is basically an extension of that.

While smart players will still find a way to accentuate free kicks when their opposition come in too hot, we don’t want to see players trying to draw free kicks over simply playing the ball.

This should only help that.

“It’s pretty simple in my mind, if you shrug you’ve got to dispose of the ball correctly,” Johnson said.

“If you’re using your arm to shrug, you should be using that arm to try and release by hand.

“That’s what they AFL is saying, you should be trying to disposal of the ball, not shrug for a free kick. Make the right decision.”