The AFL has announced it will get rid of the centre bounce and the designated substitute as part of its rule changes for next season.

From 2026 onwards, the ball will be thrown into the air to start games, as it has been in AFLW since its inception.

"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," AFL executive football manager Greg Swann said.

"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."

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