The AFL today announced a number of rulechanges for 2013 have been approved by the Commission but there will beno change to the interchange system with the Commission overruling the laws ofthe games recommendation that a cap on interchange be introduced.
The lawscommittee, chaired by AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson, hadrecommended that a cap of 90 interchanges per game (20 per quarter, threeduring each break and one substitution) be brought in with the twin aims oflowering injury-rates and reducing congestion.
The cap was toco-exist with current three-and-one interchange system.
But at it’smeeting on Monday the commission decided to wait another 12 months beforemaking the change.
A cap oninterchanges will once again be trialled in next year's NAB Cup, and thecommission is then expected to rubber-stamp its introduction for the 2014premiership season.
""Thecommission is an independent body that takes a 'big picture' approach inoverseeing the laws of our game,"" AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriousaid on Tuesday.
""It hasdecided to assess another season with the current interchange rules in place,plus review the further trial of a cap in the 2013 NAB Cup before decidingwhether to implement a change.
""Thisdecision demonstrates the important oversight role the AFL Commission plays andunderlines the robustness of the governance arrangements that apply to allsignificant long-term decisions affecting how our game is played.""
Interchangenumbers have increased dramatically in recent years and, despite theintroduction of the three-and-one system, teams averaged 131 interchanges pergame in 2012 - up from 81 five years ago.
With that inmind, it had been widely speculated that the commission had approved a cap of80 interchanges.
But theone-year delay is a win for the coaches, who told the AFL they needed more timeto plan for such a major alteration to the interchange system.
However, thecommission has approved a number of other rule changes.
Ruckmen will bebanned from making contact at throw-ins and ball-ups, and umpires will nolonger be instructed to bounce the ball at stoppages around the ground as partof a series of rule changes for 2013 approved by the AFL Commission.
From nextseason umpires will only bounce the ball to start quarters and after goals.
""Throwingthe ball up around the ground will enable the ball to be cleared quicker fromcongestion and will also make it easier for umpires to detectinfringements,"" Anderson said.
When it comesto the new ruck rules, which were trialled in this year's NAB Cup, no contactwill be permitted until the ball has left the umpire's hand.
""With thisrule change we want to encourage rucks to play the ball and not the man as wellas facilitate cleaner hit-outs to advantage and to assist clearancerates,"" Anderson added.
The AFL hasalso tightened the ""forceful contact below the knees"" rule.
A free kickwill now be paid against any player ""who makes forceful contact below theknees of an opponent"".
""Clubs andplayers have adapted well to the free kick for sliding knee- or feet-first thisseason and we have extended this to protect players from any forceful contactbelow the knees,"" Anderson explained.
""Inaddition to the injury-prevention benefit, this change is also designed toencourage players to keep their feet and to assist in reducingcongestion.""
