The weighted rule

What it means

Last season’s ladder divides clubs into three groups of six. Each club normally has two or three double-ups (show definition)double-upA pair of clubs that meet twice in the season. Each club has six.Read more in the glossary within its group and one or two in each other group. From 2026, up to four within its own group are allowed, with a preference (show definition)preferenceAn aim the model balances against other aims within the must-follow rules. Release notes also call it a soft rule or objective.Read more in the glossary for no more than three.

Why it exists

The AFL (show definition)AFLAustralian Football League.Read more in the glossary's weighted rule (show definition)weighted ruleThe AFL's way of sharing out double-ups by ladder position, so strong clubs mostly play strong clubs twice.Read more in the glossary is meant to even out the difficulty of each club's draw rather than leave it to chance.

How strictly it applies

Must-follow The fixture must obey this rule. A separate checker tests the finished fixture afterwards.

The group limits are must-follow. The model prefers no more than three double-ups from a club’s own group. The 18 September release tried two preference strengths (show definition)preference strengthHow much an aim counts when the model balances it against other aims.Read more in the glossary and kept the stronger one. The rule was switched off (show definition)switched offNo checker could test this rule in this version. Not a verdict on the fixture.Read more in the glossary on 14 and 15 September because it clashed with the Victorian ground limits.

The rule was switched off on 14 and 15 September: it clashed with Victorian ground limits at Step 4. It returned as a preference on 18 September. Its groups use the completed previous season’s ladder, reordered after finals.

How it played out across versions

One cell per release, oldest first. Each shows the verdict that release recorded for this rule; a release with no row for the rule says so.

First checked independently in TV slots added, 18 Sep 2026.

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