New-look AFL rule changes on the cards for 2025 (Foxsports)

[one-eyed]

The AFL has asked clubs for feedback on a list of potential rule changes, including the eradication of the 6-6-6 warning and a reduced set shot clock.

According to Jon Ralph, the league is continuing to push for a more free-flowing game, which could include reducing the maximum time to play on from a free kick or mark from the usual six or seven seconds.

The league was also keen to canvas thoughts on whether umpires should call play on more quickly after a behind and whether the set shot clock should be reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.

These changes would see players rushed into quick decisions, potentially creating more turnovers and more of an end-to-end game style.

Also on the agenda was whether the AFL should scrap the 6-6-6 warning, which was initially introduced to stop teams from flooding the defence at centre bounce.

The league is also interested in views on whether all free kicks after a goal should be taken in the middle of the ground regardless of which team gives away the free kick.

This would see the reduction of the ‘double-goal’ which is sometimes seen when a defender gives away a free kick close to goal after a goal is scored.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/reduced-set-shot-clock-666-warning-among-possible-afl-rule-changes-for-2025/news-story/eaa2fd78d066c55a00043fa7f45a9c4b

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Take a contested mark after 100 metres of gut running and you get 20 second to get up, go back and go through your routine.

Hope no one ever cries about set shot accuracy ever again.

This league can go stuff itself. There was never anything wrong with the game

[Diocletian]

How often does a stuffing double goal happen - about once every two stuffing years?

[one-eyed]

AFL to keep contentious sub rule for 2025 season as tweaks revealed

Ben Cotton
Fox Sports
December 19th, 2024

The AFL will keep the contentious sub rule in 2025 despite calls to remove it, while there there will be no significant rule changes to the game.

Both The Age and Herald Sun report the league informed clubs via a memo on Wednesday that the sub rule would remain next  season.

In minor tweaks, non-controlling umpires will be allowed to call advantage at centre-bounces and officials will bounce the ball instead of throwing it up after a 6-6-6 warning.

The league will continue to monitor accidental contact with umpires and “impose additional measures” if there’s not a reduction in incidents early in the 2025 season.

Other areas of focus include holding the ball interpretation, deliberate rushed behind interpretation, shot clock length, the interchange cap, time taken to kick in from a behind and the stand rule among other issues.

The decision to retain the sub comes after it drew criticism from AFL Players Association chief executive Paul Marsh, who called for it to be replaced with a five-man interchange as the “smart way forward.”

Marsh said at a grand final week forum featuring players, coaches and key figures from clubs he doubted “there was anyone in the room who thought the sub continuing was a good idea.”

But in the memo to clubs the league said it was happy with how the sub rule was being used and feared for “unintended consequences” if it was scrapped.

“As you know, the substitute was introduced to assist in injury and concussion management and subsequently, following club feedback, was expanded to allow for tactical use,” Kane said in the memo, per The Age.

“Through our analysis to date, we believe there may be unintended consequences related to player health and safety, competitive balance and game quality if the sub was to be removed. To that end, with the game being in good health, we are not prepared to make changes that don’t have concrete evidence to support making the game better.

“We will, however, continue with our analysis into the optimal composition of the bench (including interchange cap) throughout the 2025 season.”

The AFL reintroduced the tactical sub ahead of the 2023 season after a two-year run where a player could be subbed out for medical reasons only.

The tactical sub had been in effect from 2011 to 2015, where unlike current rules, interchanges were reduced from four players to three plus a substitute to replace another player at any given time.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2025-sub-rule-to-remain-next-season-rule-changes-memo-to-clubs-state-of-the-game-latest-news/news-story/6144602b9bb6e4525d5a9ef9ed2f1a95

[Andyy]

Keep the sub rule and just change it so that the player coming off is a forced out for the next week, and add a week if they have some something clearly worthy of suspension so they don't run concurrently.