AS PART of the ongoing prioritisation of the health and safety of its athletes, the AFL has confirmed it has amended its AFL and AFLW Concussion Guidelines ahead of the 2025 Seasons, adding an additional mechanism for Clubs to assist in removing players from the ground who require an off-field Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
After consultation with clubs and the AFL medical team, a process will be introduced called the ‘HIA Removal Process.’
In addition to the existing removal of a player from the field for a further off-field assessment the new mechanism will now allow Club Doctors - or in some circumstances– Club General Managers of Football to notify the AFL Match Manager on the officials bench of the required removal of a player at the next stop in play to undertake further assessment.
The HIA Removal Process can be triggered in the following ways:
- the Club receives a mandatory notification message from the ARC spotter for a Detailed Off-field Head Injury Assessment (including SCAT6);
- any other situation in which a head impact is observed or suspected (including following a discretionary notification message from the ARC spotter) and the Club Doctor determines to conduct that assessment off-field;
The AFL Match Manager then promptly advises the emergency umpire (also on the officials’ bench) who in turn informs the field umpires (via umpire comms) that the player needs to be removed at the next stop in play for further assessment.
The field umpires will then stop the game at the next stop in play:
- After any score;
- ball out of bounds, on the full, or insufficient intent;
- any ball up;
- if the ball is in the vicinity of an injured player that is clearly in the hands of medical staff, as is the current practice.
In short, the HIA Removal Process will operate in a similar way to how the blood rule does now and will assist Club Doctors and Clubs in getting players off the field and assist with their assessment and management of head impacts and will assist in getting the players off the ground as quickly and safely as possible.
Brief HIA’s can still be conducted on the field by the Club Doctor following a head impact at the Doctor’s discretion without the need for the removal of the player, but Doctors now have this additional mechanism to compel a player to be removed for further off-field assessment if required.
AFL Executive General Manager of Football Laura Kane said the players’ health and safety continued to be a priority for the AFL.
“This process ensures we do not have a protracted situation where either Doctors or a runner or trainer are trying to remove a player from the field and the player runs off or ignores the call. It is important that we continue to make it easier for the Doctors and Clubs to manage any possible head impact,” Kane said.
“We have had ongoing discussions with GMs of Football with the overwhelming feedback that this additional measure will assist the club and doctors greatly in assessing and managing potential head impact injuries.”
“In the past 10 years we have made more than 30 changes to our rules to protect the brain health of our players, and this change only further strengthens our commitment to player health and safety.”
This is one of a number of initiatives brought in to protect the health and welfare of players.
The AFL continues to invest in, and support, research into concussion.
There have been more than 30 rule changes, and there are more than seven full time employees working at the AFL in this space, across research and education.
AFL LAWS/REGULATIONS CHANGES SINCE 2005 TO INCREASE PROTECTION OF THE HEAD
2005
Tribunal system revamped. A Match Review Panel (later the Match Review Officer) appointed to observe incidents, recommend verdicts and allocate penalties. Players permitted to choose to accept or reject verdicts and related prescribed penalties.
Contested verdicts dealt with by a Tribunal. "High contact" (head/neck) results in a larger penalty than "body contact", and the potential to cause a more serious injury for forceful front-on contact or high contact in marking/ruck contests/tackles is able to be considered to escalate sanctions. The Guidelines also state that "the AFL is determined to protect the health and welfare of Players by specifying strict sanctions for illegal, head-high contact".
2007
Introduction of a specific Free Kick and Reportable Offence for bumping a player front-on with his head down over the football.
Introduction of a stricter stance against head-high bumps and a wider definition of a reportable bump. Any bump causing forceful contact to be made to an opponent’s head or neck is reportable for rough conduct, unless the player did not have a realistic alternative to: a. Contest the ball; b. Tackle; or c. Shepherd in a manner which was reasonable in the circumstances.
2010
Dangerous tackle guidelines introduced under Rough Conduct due to their potential to cause a serious injury, where regard may be had to: - whether the tackle consists of more than one action, regardless of whether the player being tackled is in possession of the ball; - whether the tackle is of an inherently dangerous kind, such as a spear tackle; - whether an opponent is slung or driven into the ground with excessive force.
2011
Modification of the interchange arrangements by which the 3 interchange and 1 substitute bench structure was introduced to minimise (unattractive) congestion by increasing the effect of fatigue on the game, minimising the effects of game ending injuries (to improve fairness) and reducing injury collision potential by lowering average player speed (again by increased fatigue).
Further tightening of the bumping provision introduced in 2007, whereby a player who elects to apply a bump in any situation becomes liable if he makes forceful contact with the opponent’s head, unless the bumping player was contesting the ball and did not have a realistic alternative way to contest the ball or the contact was caused by circumstances outside the control of the bumping player which could not be reasonably foreseen.
Emergency field umpire empowered to award prohibited contact free kicks from the interchange bench.
2012
Dangerous tackle guidelines strengthened further to allowing for increased Conduct gradings (and thus penalties) where a player is lifted off the ground or the tackle consists of more than one action.
Striking guidelines strengthened, such that behind play strikes or those with a raised forearm or elbow are generally deemed conclusive of the strike being intentional with increased penalties resulting. Furthermore, strikes with a raised forearm or elbow generally not permitted to be graded Low Impact, and instead classified at a higher level commensurate with the nature and extent of the risk of serious injury involved.
2013
Introduction of the concussion substitute to allow Clubs to temporarily replace a player who is being assessed for concussion (and if the assessed player is found not to be concussed and returned to play the substitute could be activated again later in the match). This rule allowed Club doctors at least 15 minutes to assess potentially concussed players using the SCAT tool.
2014
The implementation of an interchange rotation cap of 120 (plus changes made at end of quarter breaks) to equalise Club interchange rotations (to improve fairness), but also reduce the average Player speed and therefore injury collision potential by increased player fatigue.
Alteration of the interpretation of the high contact rule with play on called if a player ducks into a tackle with the aim of disincentivising players drawing high contact from an opponent.
If a player has driven their head into a stationary or near stationary opponent, the player shall be regarded as having had prior opportunity (and liable to have a free kick paid against them for holding the ball), aimed at disincentivising players drawing high contact from an opponent.
Strengthening of the high contact provisions whereby head clashes that result from a player electing to bump are deemed to be circumstances that can reasonably be foreseen with sanctioning consequences.
2015
Stricter application of the driving/leading with the head interpretation to further disincentivise players drawing high contact from an opponent.
2016
The interchange cap further reduced to 90 interchange rotations (plus changes made at end of quarter breaks) aimed at increasing the effect of fatigue in the game to reduce average Player speed and therefore injury collision potential.
The guidelines relating to dangerous tackles amended to allow consideration of forceful rotating tackling actions or situations where the player being tackled is in a vulnerable position with little opportunity to protect himself.
The list of circumstances relevant to the ‘potential to cause serious injury’ (which permit increased grading and penalties) expanded to allow consideration of intentional head high strikes and high bumps with significant head contact and/or player momentum.
The appeal grounds for Tribunal decisions expanded to include manifestly inadequate classification or sanction thus facilitating appeals by the AFL from Tribunal decisions, in particular imposing a sanction not commensurate with the action and consequence, typically arising from illegal high contact.
2017
Further amendment of the high tackle rule interpretation such that play-on called where following a legal tackle, the ball carrier draws high contact from an opponent, aimed at disincentivising risky behaviour attempting to win a free kick.
Selected “jumper punches” and strikes to the head that have insufficient force to constitute a Low Impact offence or warrant a suspension still discouraged by the imposition of a fixed financial sanction under Attempt to Strike.
2019
Stricter interpretation of prohibited contact (striking) free kicks to create a specific offence for strikes with negligible impact instead of utilising general misconduct, with the aim of discouraging and penalising low grade head contact.
Implementation of strict liability for forceful head clashes where a player elects to bump (rather than tackle) an opponent with punitive consequences.
Increased conservatism employed regarding adjudications of the “contesting the ball” exception to Rough Conduct (High Bumps) to limit reliance on such extenuation.
2020
Amendment to guidelines to allow the MRO to classify Impact one grade higher for intentional off-ball strikes.
Amended guidelines to allow repeat offenders to be directly referred to the Tribunal.
Amended guidelines to allow upgrading impact (with punitive consequences) based on the potential to cause serious injury, including when the victim player reasonably is not expecting or prepared for contact.
Amended guidelines (mid-season) relating to the potential to cause serious injury to insert the words “any dangerous tackle” to replace existing (narrower) references to “spear tackle” and “driving an opponent into the ground when his arms are pinned” in order to expand the situations in which (heavier) penalties can be applied.
Amended guidelines (mid-season) relating to dangerous tackles that may be sanctioned to include a scenario where a single arm is pinned in a tackle creating vulnerability (noting the guidelines previously contemplated a tackle where both arms were pinned).
2021
Amended guidelines to expand the definition of “High” contact for a dangerous tackle which has the potential for injury to be caused through dangerous high contact with the ground to include a scenario where high contact does not actually occur (with punitive consequences).
Amended guidelines to expand the scenarios in which the Impact classification may be upgraded based on the potential to cause serious injury (with punitive consequences) to capture all Intentional strikes, not just those that are High contact.
Amended guidelines and the regulations to narrow the “contesting the ball” exception/defence in relation to high bumps etc (with punitive consequences) from “the Player was contesting the ball and did not have a realistic alternative way to contest the ball” to “the Player was contesting the ball and it was reasonable of the Player to contest the ball in that way”.
2022
Amended guidelines requiring that the potential to cause injury “must” be factored into the determination of Impact for Head-High Contact, rather than only requiring “strong consideration” to be given to the potential to cause injury.
Amended guidelines outlining that any Careless or Intentional Forceful Front-On Contact or Rough Conduct (High Bumps) where High Contact has been made and that has the potential to cause injury will usually be classified at a minimum as Medium Impact.
2023
Amended guidelines to provide that, in respect of Forceful Front-On Contact, it is not necessary for a Player’s head to be “down” over the ball, it is only necessary for the Player’s head to be over the ball (thus broadening the scope of the prohibition on dangerous and sanctionable conduct.
2024
Amended the ARC match day procedures in the Concussion Guidelines for AFL and AFLW so that the ARC Medical Spotter could send a "Mandatory" notification to the Club Doctors that meant that the player was required to undergo a detailed off-field Head Injury Assessment for a suspected concussion.
Amended the Community Guidelines to include a more conservative approach to the timing of return to play
