Afl Interchange Rules

By Author: Victoria Brockett
Total Articles: 1
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With many interruptions to the AFL playing season thanks to COVID-19, the rules and regulations surrounding the game of AFL have changed, and changed and then changed again. With the increased number of the population now fully vaccinated the rules have been modified again. To make sure that you’re on top of what is and isn’t allowed, requires constant attention, and one aspect which seems to require more attention than most is the rules surrounding the interchange bench, as it can often be one of the most overlooked. In the article below I’ve outlined the latest guidelines put forward by the AFL which governs this matter.

Interchanges – Currently each team is permitted to make up to 75 interchanges per game at will using 4 players from their bench. With this significant amount of foot traffic, it’s just as well that many stadiums have upgraded the playing surfaces on the boundary to synthetic grass . There have been numerous contentions against this number, so this may change by the time next season comes about, but at the time of writing this article, this is the number that stands.

The 5th medical ...
... reserve player also still stands and this player can only be used to replace an injured player. The injured player may not then resume playing after treatment.

The interchange steward will remain to inform umpires of any errors on the interchange: specifically, when a player enters the field from the interchange area, before the player he is replacing has left the field, or when a player is interchanged without using the interchange gate. The penalty for breaching these restrictions is a free kick from whichever location is of greater detriment, either the centre of the ground or at balls location at the time of the offence If the offending team is not in possession of the ball, the umpire shall impose an additional 50-metre penalty against them. Any score or free kicks are given to the opposition when an interchange infringement has occurred are cancelled.

This particular aspect of the rule was brought into play after a somewhat infamous game in Round 6, 2008, where North Melbourne and Sydney faced each other in a controversial match. A late interchange in the game left Sydney with 19 men on the field for about a minute, during which time the Swans scored the a behind allowing them to tie up the game. This bungled headcount allowed an extra man on the field for which Sydney was eventually fined $2500, but the result stood in place.

While these rules are only currently adhered to at the top AFL professional level, it will only be a matter of time before semi-professional and amateur leagues begin to adopt some of these aspects to the game. This is the precise reason why it pays to stay on top of how this rule is evolving and how it can best work for you. In addition to this if you feel that your sports ground could benefit from synthetic sports turf or hybrid grass in areas such as the interchange then it may be well worth investing in to not only preserve your sports ground but also to protect your players.