COLLINGWOOD midfielder Taylor Adams has described the altered interpretation of the sliding rule as a "knee-jerk reaction", and believes it needs to be overhauled for the good of the game.

Adams was contentiously penalised for sliding into the knees of Melbourne opponent Joel Smith in Monday's Queen's Birthday clash at the MCG.

The Magpies midfielder dived for a ball in dispute on the ground and attempted to punch it forward towards teammates, only to impact Smith and force him to jump over Adams' outstretched body.

"I think the umpire got it right to be honest, I just don't think our rule is right," Adams told RSN 927.

The forceful contact below the knees rule was triggered after Sydney's Gary Rohan suffered a horrific broken leg when North Melbourne opponent Lindsay Thomas slid into him in an incident at the SCG in 2012.

Adams said the interpretation had shifted in recent years and had gone away from why it had been introduced in the first place.

"I think I can say I don't like the rule … it was a knee-jerk reaction from one really bad incident that was completely different to that," Adams said.

Adams admitted he was bemused at the time that the free kick went against him.

"I just thought it can't possibly be against me," Adams said.

"And then I turned around (at the umpire), and was like, 'No!'

"I've watched it probably 30 times, and the rule does say that if you make contact with someone below the knees in a sliding action then it's a free kick against.

"I don't agree with the rule, after that."

There have been numerous examples where the umpire has paid a free kick against a player sliding into the legs of an opponent this season, notably in round nine where Crow Daniel Talia was penalised for contact below the knees of Bulldog Lukas Webb.

The AFL's umpiring department gave its tick of approval to the free kick that was awarded, despite widespread criticism for the interpretation.