AFL clubs found guilty of future salary-cap breaches could be docked premiership points.

The AFL Commission has formally approved rules similar to those used by the NRL last year to strip the Bulldogs of points once salary-cap breaches were proven.

But while those penalties have been stiffened, the AFL has decided against changing the controversial player-umpire contact rule in which four players have been suspended this season.

Instead, umpires will be instructed to back out towards the boundary line after bouncing the ball - rather than the middle of the ground to minimise potential contact with players.

Umpires will also bounce the ball quicker to prevent too many players from gathering around contests.

The measures - and strong support for the retention of the bounce - were the key outcomes from an "ump-bump" forum, attended by a group of 20 players, coaches, umpires and officials.

Football operations general manager Andrew Demetriou gave an "absolute commitment" the AFL would review the rule at season's end.

Demetriou said the new measures could be implemented without changing the game's rules.

But he could not guarantee there would be no more players reported this season for making contact with an umpire.

"You can't guarantee that," he said.

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