Team composition, match duration, drawn matches, forfeiture, incomplete matches, and the power to vary the Laws for specific competitions. The structural foundations of AFL football.
A home-and-away season of 23 matches per club. A top-8 finals series across September. A premiership decided on the last Saturday of the month. The structure is familiar — but the Laws contain the detail that governs what happens when things don't go to plan.
Law 2 is foundational. It grants the controlling body — in the AFL's case, the AFL Commission — the power to vary the Laws for any match or competition. This is why the AFL can introduce specific rule interpretations, experimental rules at state league level, or adjusted match conditions (such as shortened quarters for pre-season matches) without rewriting the entire Laws document.
The 2026 Laws note several specific amendments from the previous edition, including changes to Laws 3.6, 8.2.4(a), 10.4(a), 10.6.2(b), 11.1.1(c), 11.3, 12.2.2, 13, 14, 16.4.2(a), 18.2.2(b), 18.4.2, and 18.4.3(e). These amendments reflect the ongoing refinement of the game's rules in response to player welfare concerns, game-flow analysis, and competitive balance.
Law 5 defines team composition: 18 players on the field, four on the interchange bench. The total squad of 22 must be nominated before the match on the official team sheet. No player not listed on the team sheet may take the field.
All players must wear the same uniform, with distinct jumper numbers visible from front and back. No two players on the same team may wear the same number. The captain (or acting captain when the captain is off the field) has formal responsibilities including the coin toss and communication with umpires.
Law 10 specifies four quarters of 20 minutes of playing time. In a regular-season match, if scores are level at the final siren, the match is a draw. Both teams receive two premiership points.
In finals matches, the controlling body may prescribe extra time to determine a winner. The Laws themselves do not specify the duration of extra time — that is left to the competition's regulations. What the Laws do specify is the mechanism: extra time is additional playing time after the final quarter, with teams changing ends and the match restarting via centre bounce.
Law 11 defines the circumstances in which a match is forfeited:
When a match is forfeited, the opposing team is awarded the match and the associated premiership points. Forfeiture is extremely rare at AFL level but the provision exists as the ultimate safeguard.
Law 11.3 governs incomplete matches — situations where a match that has started cannot be completed. Reasons can include dangerous weather (particularly lightning), crowd disturbance, or safety concerns. The controlling body has broad discretion: it may declare the match complete (using the score at the time play stopped), reschedule it, or take any other action it deems appropriate.
The 2026 Laws include specific provisions for lightning delays. If dangerous weather interrupts a match, the field umpire may suspend play. The Laws require that a reasonable attempt be made to restart the match once conditions are safe, but the controlling body has the final say.
The Laws themselves do not prescribe the premiership points system (4 for a win, 2 for a draw, 0 for a loss) — that sits within the competition's regulations. What the Laws do provide is the structural framework: four quarters of defined length, the mechanism for resolving draws in finals, and the rules for forfeiture that ensure the integrity of the ladder.