The AFL has today unveiled nine rule changes that will take effect for the 2019 season, although the controversial 18-metre goal square that was trialled in the VFL will not be one of them.
The biggest change of all will be the requirement that teams will be required to field six players in the midfield, and six players in each 50-metre arc – including one in each goal square – at each centre bounce.
In addition to the four players in the centre square, each club will have to have one player on each wing, who cannot be in front of or behind the centre square.
While players will be able to move as soon as the ball is bounced, a free kick will be paid against a team who has a player out of position at a centre stoppage.
Another massive change will be a radical shake-up to the kick-in after a behind. A player will no longer be required to kick the ball from the goal square, and can simply handball out of the square or just walk out as if it were general play.
The man of the mark will now have to stand ten metres behind the line, rather than five.
As previously hinted at by the AFL, runners and water carriers will now only be allowed on the ground after a goal and must leave the ground before the ball is bounced. AFL football operations manager Steve Hocking, however, was not able to name the specific punishment a club will receive should their runner be on the ground inappropriately.
Players will now also be permitted to run out and snap the ball when having a shot at goal after the siren, provided they’re still kicking the ball directly over the head of the player on the mark.
Also unveiled was players now having the ability to play on at any point after they’ve been awarded a 50-metre penalty – no longer are they required to walk the full 50.
Additionally, a player could potentially be pinged for 50 again if they encroach the protected area while they are walking the 50.
A distance from the boundary line a player must stand if they’re on the mark has been increased from five meters to nine metres, preventing players from hemmed in unnecessarily when they’ve taken a mark or free kick close to the boundary.
One rule that may prove more popular with fans is a relaxing of the controversial ‘hands in the back’ law. Previously, players in a marking contest were automatically penalised for placing a hand in their back of their opponent in a marking contest.
Now, a player will be allowed to do so, provided they’re simply protecting space they’ve already established and they push their opponent in the back.
The last two rules introduced include taking the ball directly out of the ruck no longer counting as the ruckman having had prior opportunity if they’re tackled, as well as the area behind the umpires at stoppages being policed more heavily.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Having accepted that rule interpretation and implementation is the ART of umpiring it will be interesting to see which umpires interpret what rules which way and how they administer them. The rule changes seem pretty straight forward but we all have quirks. Overall the game should be considerably better. I welcome the changes.
User
Roar Rookie
Most of the changes will have minimal impact in the end, biggest change they should of made was the ruck nomination, was ridiculous watching Geelong have two players nominate to gain an extra 5-10 secs so their players had time to run and congest the area
Aligee
Roar Rookie
"As previously hinted at by the AFL, runners and water carriers will now only be allowed on the ground after a goal and must leave the ground before the ball is bounced. " Very good rule
asd
Guest
Why they have to change the game is a mystery .Steven hocking who is he Bill Gates sister
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
So good. (Y)
Mister Football
Roar Guru
perhaps one day HFM
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Yes, thinking about it a bit more, the idea is growing on me
User
Roar Rookie
Maybe teams will use it tactically to use first possession effectively, it also stops sides not contesting ruck contests and effectively putting a extra midfielder in those contests to do what??? Congest the area cat, this will stop ridiculous situations like Geelong use when Dangerfield was nominating around the ground to do nothing more than create extra midfield numbers.
Raimond
Roar Guru
They'll still get slammed to the ground, which will dislodge the ball.
Cat
Roar Guru
Like everyone will stand around and let him just have the ball? He is going to get gang tackled and umpire will say no prior and we’ll get repeat stoppages.
Cat
Roar Guru
Obviously you care because you keep popping in just to make stupid posts.
Raimond
Roar Guru
Just replace the whole game with AFLX, who cares.
User
Roar Rookie
It's only the action of taking it out that isn't considered prior, everything else game on, it's not like rucks will be able to grab it and do nothing or have free passage other Players don't get.
IAP
Guest
Exactly. If they’re good enough they’ll still kick it, which they should be because they’re professional footballers.
TomC
Roar Guru
Exactly. This way probably allows for a bit more inventiveness from the clearing team as well. It'll be interesting to see what sort of tactics get tried in the next pre-season comp. I genuinely think this could be a big factor next season. Teams won't be able to defend kick-ins in the same way, and it might take some a while to adjust.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Pretty minor change, effect will be minimal.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
They are effectively achieving what they wanted to achieve with the 18m square without changing the current square. It will still play a role in marking when you start running with the footy, i.e. you will still have to bounce within 15m of the square, it certainly will make it difficult for teams to lock it in, and we will see more coast to coast scoring.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
As we saw with the last goal scored in the grand final, no need to allow people to do round the corner kicks, kick directly over the man on the mark if you don't want to be called play on.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I don't understand why anyone saw a need to change this rule, and it was never mooted before either.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I imagine they've gravitated to this because the 18m square looked so weird, it effectively achieves the same thing of getting the footy to the wide part of the ground quickly.