How does the Match Review Officer grade an incident?

For ten Classifiable Offences, the MRO decides three things: whether the conduct was Intentional or Careless, whether the impact was Low, Medium, High or Severe, and whether the contact was High/Groin or to the Body. The combination gives a sanction from the Classification Table: a fine, or a fixed one, two or three-match suspension, or a referral to the Tribunal.

The Classifiable Offences are Striking, Kicking, Kneeing, Charging, Rough Conduct, Forceful Front-On Contact, Headbutt or Contact Using Head, Unreasonable or Unnecessary Contact to the Eye Region, Unreasonable or Unnecessary Contact to the Face, and Tripping.

Example from the Guidelines: a strike graded Careless, High Impact, Body Contact is a one-match suspension.

Two grading points: any careless or intentional high bump or front-on contact with high contact and the potential to cause injury will usually be graded at least Medium Impact even if the physical impact was low, and (new for 2026) an intentional strike with non-negligible contact will usually be at least Medium Impact.

Source: 2026 AFL Tribunal Guidelines, sections 3.1 and 4.3.