Fan's Guide to AFL Score Review 2026

After controversial calls in round 7 of 2026 (a long review of a Rowan Marshall mark, and a late Giants goal against North Melbourne that should not have stood), AFL football boss Greg Swann announced that the AFL Review Centre (ARC) will no longer intervene in scores on its own. It still reviews every goal while the ball is being taken back to the middle, but it only steps in beyond that if the goal umpire asks for a score review. Swann said the umpires will be "the ones in control, not the ARC".

The AFL also said the Marshall review took 55 seconds, which was "way too long", although the mark decision itself was correct.

Source: AFL.com.au, "'That won't happen again': AFL makes score review change after controversial calls" (April 2026), https://www.afl.com.au/news/1507918/afl-footy-boss-greg-swann-admits-error-in-arc-call-in-north-melbourne-v-gws-giants-game-pledges-change-to-review-process

The AFL's score review process chart sets out these steps:

1. The controlling field umpire gathers evidence from the on-field officials and establishes a provisional call.
2. The field umpire signals for a score review (a signal toward the bench), confirming the provisional call. The clock is stopped.
3. The broadcaster provides footage, and the Score Review Official assesses the immediately available vision.
4. If the vision is conclusive, the Score Review Official determines the correct score. If it is inconclusive, the call of the on-field officials stands.
5. The field umpire tells the goal umpire. A goal or point is confirmed or annulled, and the game restarts with a centre bounce after a goal or a kick-in after a behind.

The same steps apply whether the review is called right after the scoring shot, after a goal signal or after a behind signal. The chart says a review may be started by a field umpire or the Score Review Official before play recommences. Since April 2026 the ARC steps in beyond its routine goal check only when the goal umpire asks (see "When does the AFL Review Centre step in on a score in 2026?").

Source: AFL "Score Review Process" chart (s.afl.com.au), an undated document.

Under Law 16.1:

Goal: the football is kicked completely over the goal line by a player of the attacking team without being touched by any other player, even if it first touches the ground.

Behind: any of these:

• the football passes completely over the behind line;
• it touches or passes over a goal post, or touches the padding or another attachment to the post;
• the attacking team kicks it over the goal line but another player touches it before it completely passes over the line;
• an attacking player handballs, knocks or otherwise takes it over the goal line (anything other than a kick);
• a defending player kicks, handballs, knocks or otherwise takes it over the goal line or behind line; or
• a defending player plays on from behind the goal or behind line and then changes direction before entering the playing surface.

Also, if the football is kicked by an attacking player while another player is touching it, it is deemed to have been touched by that player.

Source: Laws of Australian Football 2026, Law 16.1.

The on-field umpires' call stands. The AFL's score review process says that if the Score Review Official finds the vision conclusive, they determine the correct score, and if the vision is inconclusive, the call of the on-field officials stands.

A 2026 example: in round 7 the Giants were awarded a late goal against North Melbourne at Manuka Oval. The AFL said the review officials judged there was not enough evidence to overturn it, but later replays showed Griffin Logue had touched the ball, and the AFL conceded the goal should not have been awarded.

Sources: AFL "Score Review Process" chart; AFL.com.au, "'That won't happen again': AFL makes score review change after controversial calls" (April 2026).

The published process says no. The AFL's score review process states that a review may be started by a field umpire or the Score Review Official "prior to the recommencement of play", and the review runs while the ball is being brought back to the centre (after a goal) or while the kick-in is set up (after a behind).

The Laws say the same for the goal umpire's own decision. A goal umpire may change their decision on a goal or behind only if they notify the field umpire before the football is brought back into play (Law 16.3.3). To change it, the goal umpire stands on the centre of the goal line with both flags crossed above their head, then signals the new score or tells the boundary umpire to signal out of bounds.

Sources: AFL "Score Review Process" chart; Laws of Australian Football 2026, Law 16.3.3.

Under Law 16.1.3:

• If the football touches an umpire or any official and, in the opinion of the field umpire, it has affected a score, play is stopped and the umpires determine whether the score should be recorded.
• If it touches an umpire or official and, in the field umpire's opinion, it has not affected a score, the field umpire calls "Play On" and the ball stays in play.

Source: Laws of Australian Football 2026, Law 16.1.3.

Under Law 16.4.1, where a free kick is awarded immediately after the football passes the goal or behind line but before the field umpire signals "All Clear" or "Touched All Clear":

• Free kick to the attacking team: the field umpire signals "All Clear", the goal umpire signals and records the score, and the free kick is then taken from where the infringement occurred or where the ball is brought back into play, whichever is the greater penalty against the defending team.
• Free kick to the defending team: the field umpire does not signal "All Clear", no score is recorded and the free kick is awarded.

If a free kick is awarded to the attacking team before the ball crosses the line on the full (or hits the attacking team's goal posts on the full), the attacking team chooses either to have the score recorded or to re-take the kick from where the infringement occurred (Law 16.4).

Source: Laws of Australian Football 2026, Law 16.4.

Under AFL Regulation 15.3, the Executive General Manager Football may appoint an Official Scorer (to record the scores) and a Score Reviewer (to take part in scoring consultations with the umpires through the Score Review System). Subject to the general powers of the AFL Commission and the Executive General Manager Football, the score recorded by the Official Scorer(s) determines the result of the match.

The Laws also let the controlling body use separately recorded scores. If the goal umpires cannot agree on the final score, the controlling body may take into account the scores kept by the timekeepers and by any independent scorers it has appointed (Law 16.7).

Sources: AFL Regulations (11 February 2026), Regulation 15.3; Laws of Australian Football 2026, Law 16.7.

From round one of the 2026 AFLW season a vision-based score assist system (with Hawk-Eye technology and new goal post cameras) replaced the smart ball used in the previous two seasons.

In AFLW the goal umpire does not ask for a review. Every score review is started by the score assist official through the umpires' communication system. The AFL describes this as similar to the silent score review that follows each goal in AFL matches when the goal umpire has not called for one.

Source: AFL.com.au, "New score review technology locked in for 2026 AFLW season".