The AFL Commission has approved two key rule changes for the 2026 AFL season, with the sub-rule and the centre bounce both being removed.
Greg Swann's first moves as AFL's head of football have been confirmed, and both the centre bounce and the substitute rule will no longer feature for the 2026 season.
The changes come following consultation with clubs, umpires, players and the AFLPA.
Swann explained his decision behind the rule changes within an AFL release on Wednesday morning.
"The centre bounce has long been a part of Australian Football tradition, but as the game has evolved, there are several areas which will benefit from allowing umpires to simply throw the ball up at the restart," said Swann.
"Currently, umpire pathways are being narrowed by the requirement of the bounce. It is a difficult skill to execute, and we believe is preventing some of our best umpiring prospects from progressing any further in the AFL pathway despite having elite decision-making skills.
"By removing the skill aspect of bouncing the ball, umpires can focus their energy on adjudicating the game and consistency of decision-making.
"We also anticipate this decision will be safer for umpires and players at the contest and lessen the likelihood of umpire contact at the restart.
"The removal of the bounce we predict will also have a positive impact in the reduction of game length and produce a cleaner and fairer ruck contest, two areas we have been monitoring for the past two seasons.
"Additionally, it will also create consistency across national competitions."
