Maxwell was suspended for four weeks for making high contact with West Coast's Patrick McGinnity in round one of the NAB Cup, but was let off after a successful appearance before the AFL Appeals Board.
McGinnity had his jaw broken in the clash and could miss up to 12 weeks.
Under the AFL Commission's new wording of Law 19.2.2(g)(vii) the law has been changed to protect the player's head and neck.
It confirms that it is a reportable offence to make forceful contact to an opponent's head or neck when there's a realistic alternative to contest the ball or tackle.
A third option to shepherd for a teammate in a manner reasonable in the circumstances has been removed.
If a player is reported under this interpretation the conduct will be categorised as negligent by the match review panel.
League football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the change was made to avoid confusion and to protect player safety.
"This rule has been in place for the last two seasons and the general feedback from coaches and clubs during that time is that players know where they stand – if a player chooses to bump when he could have tackled or contested the ball, the player would face the consequences," he said.
"Most importantly, the most recent AFL Injury Survey reported the lowest incidence of head and neck injuries on record."
The AFL consulted the AFL Players' Association and AFL Coaches Association before making the change and both supported the decision.
Anderson said the AFL Appeals Board's decision to overturn Maxwell's ban reflected a different interpretation of the rules and also the intent of the Commission.
"Subsequent to this decision, we have received feedback from the AFL medical officers, and also from AFL Medical Officers Association executive officer Dr Hugh Seward. They have confirmed their concern for head and neck injuries in certain 'high risk' on-field situations," he said.
"Both the AFL medical officers and the AFL Medical Officers Association continue to recommend that the AFL hold players responsible for head-high contact caused by a bump, where the player laying the bump had a realistic alternative to either contest the ball or tackle."
