Australian Football
Centre ball-ups, ruck contests and stoppage restarts
How centre restarts, around-the-ground ball-ups and ruck contests work under the AFL’s 2026 rules.
The centre bounce has been replaced at AFL level
For the 2026 AFL Premiership Season, centre restarts use a Centre Ball-Up instead of a centre bounce. The 6-6-6 starting-position framework remains, while the requirement for a player to start in the Goal Square has been removed.
Competing rucks have a new centre-circle restriction
At a Centre Ball-Up, competing Rucks cannot cross the Centre Circle line and engage the opposing Ruck before contesting the football. The change is intended to create a cleaner jumping contest.
Around-the-ground ball-ups can restart without waiting
At stoppages around the ground, the Umpire may restart play without a nominated Ruck being present. If there is no nomination, or the nominated Ruck is too far away, the Umpire can put the football back into play rather than wait.
Third-man-up remains prohibited
The third-man-up restriction still applies. If a stoppage is restarted without a ready nominated Ruck, other players cannot simply become an extra ruck contestant before the ball is available for general play. Competition procedures may vary outside the AFL Premiership competition.