Future pick trading is being introduced into the AFLW.

Last year saw a number of trades fail to go through, including deals for Tayla Harris, Paige Scott and Emelia Yassir, which the addition of future picks may have helped facilitate.

Clubs have been keen to include future trading for some time, with the previous state-based draft and rounds of expansion barriers to its introduction. 

Draft picks are allocated depending on finishing position in the preceding season.

Given the season is yet to be played when it comes to future picks, clubs are given a generic future first- and second-round selections for the following year's draft, which can then be on-traded to another club for either players or picks.

The final numerical value of the selection is decided when the season is concluded. For example, Richmond obtained North Melbourne's future first-rounder in the men's competition last year, which at the moment is pick No.3 (16th on the ladder).

AFLW teams cannot trade both their future first- or second-rounder, and must have approval from their board before trading their future first-rounder.

Clubs must have a first-round selection for at least two years within a five-year period, unless otherwise approved.

Gold Coast is set to be an immediate beneficiary of the new future pick trading rules (if other clubs come to the party), with at least four first-round Academy products – Ava Usher, Georja Davies, Dekota Baron and Alannah Welsh – in this year's draft pool.

The introduction of future pick trading was approved by the AFL Commission earlier this week while a number of other changes were also ticked off.

The supplementary selection period – whereby clubs can fill their final list spot/s over summer – has been replaced by a pre-season draft, with the date yet to be confirmed. The main Telstra AFLW Draft will be held on December 15.

"Following the transition to a national draft last season, these changes are further recognition of the greater sophistication that is being established in the AFLW competition and specifically within player movement," the AFL's executive general manager of football operations Laura Kane said.

"Introducing future pick trading means creating more trade collateral and levers for clubs to pull, giving them greater ability to make list management decisions and in turn, more opportunity for player movement."

A new rule has been introduced for the upcoming season around stoppages close to the boundary line.

For any stoppages within 10m of the boundary (e.g. a tackle laid close to the boundary line), between the two 50m arcs, the ball will be thrown up 10m from the boundary. 

The following umpire interpretations will also be applied this year:

• As long as a ruck has nominated from both teams, umpires will throw the ball up/in, regardless of whether the ruck is in the area to contest it
• Umpires will be stricter on "no genuine attempt" to dispose of the ball when tackled with no prior opportunity
• Umpires will also be stricter on players who dive on or drag in the ball, and who do not immediately knock the ball clear when legally tackled

"Data shows us that secondary stoppage rates are higher when the ball up is close to the boundary and scoring rates are lower, so the introduction of the on-field rule change is aimed at opening up space around stoppages close to the boundary line where the stoppage is denser," Kane said.

"This change and subsequent umpire interpretation changes have been implemented to help create more flow and offensive play in AFLW and mitigate the increasing rise in density levels over the last two seasons."