The AFL today wrote to all clubs to advise the AFL Commission had approved several changes to interpretations around the Laws of the Game for the 2016 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, along with several minor changes as part of the annual MRP / Tribunal review.
AFL General Manager Football Operations Mark Evans said the AFL had presented to coaches, football managers and the AFLPA at its meeting in Adelaide last month around the NAB AFL Draft on the areas of dangerous tackles, the protected area around the mark, boundary line play and third-man up tactics at ball-ups and throw-ins.
He said the Commission had accepted the AFL Executive’s various recommendations as follows, and these had now been forwarded to clubs:
· Dangerous Tackles – Umpires will be given a stricter adjudication of tackles with a lifting, slinging or rotating technique, while the MRP guidelines will now enforce a stricter definition of dangerous tackles which cause forceful high contact.
· Protected Area – Size of the protected area around the mark to be increased after a trial on the potential new distance during the 2016 NAB Cup, while umpires will also be given a stricter adjudication on ruling on players engaged in a handover of who is guarding the mark.
· Boundary Line Play – A stricter interpretation of deliberate out of bounds will be enforced in 2016, while the AFL will monitor the new rule around last kick / last handball that is being adopted in the SANFL.
· Third Man Up – No change for 2016, but the AFL will continue to monitor the tactic during its 2016 Laws process.
In September earlier this year, the Commission had approved a reduction in the cap on interchange rotations for the 2016 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, with the use of the substitute player removed, returning to four interchange players, while the cap will be lowered to 90 rotations per match.
Mr Evans said that in the discussions with clubs, coaches and the AFLPA (representing the players) four areas were the focus through the year.
“The AFL has continued to seek to spread the game out, continue to enhance player safety, improve the umpiring of our game and consider the feedback of our fans that is received across our fan surveys,” Mr Evans said
“The view of the AFL and the Commission is that a series of tighter interpretations in the areas of dangerous tackles, boundary line play and the protected area for the player with the ball will deliver an effective result for how the game is played and how it looks next season, compared to undertaking more serious changes to the game,” he said.
In regard to the MRP and Tribunal system, Mr Evans said it was the AFL’s view that the changes for the 2015 season with all penalties now listed as matches of suspension had succeeded in making the game’s judicial system easier to understand for all parties.
The general response from those across the industry that the removal of carry-over points had been positive.
In 2016, the guidelines for dangerous tackles will be strengthened, as outlined earlier, while Mr Evans also said the following changes would be made;
Appeal Grounds – A’manifestly inadeqate’ sanction or classification will now be available as appeal grounds. This has been introduced after the AFL considered it could not appeal a suspension that was deemed too low, whereas a player or club retained the right to appeal a suspension that was deemed too high.
Impact Guidelines – The wording around the potential to cause serious injury will be expanded to include intentional head-high strikes and high bumps with significant head contact and / or player momentum.
Contact with An Injured Player – This will now be deemed as a fixed financial sanction on the table of offences.
The detailed Laws of the Game and the MRP / Tribunal guidelines will be available to all media early in 2016 when the AFL offices reopen after the Christmas / New Year break.
