The AFL's new rule outlawing deliberate rushed behinds is here to stay.

It is one of two new rules which will come into effect for the premiership season, after being trialled during the pre-season.

The other was to award a 50m penalty against players who tackle, hold or make high contact against opponents after they have disposed of the ball.

The increase of teams rushing the ball across their defensive goal line came to the fore during last year's grand final, when victors Hawthorn repeatedly used the tactic against Geelong.

But AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said it was a steady long-term increase, rather than any one game, which prompted the league to act.

"There were double the number of deliberate rushed behinds last year than there were in 2006," Anderson said.

"There was an average of more than three deliberate rushed behinds per game by the end of the season.

"At the end of the year we spoke to all our coaches and almost all agreed that this was a trend that was against the spirit of the game and if something wasn't done, deliberate rushed behinds would continue to increase in the future."

While the rule was twice applied incorrectly during the pre-season, including one occurrence which decided the outcome of a practice match between Fremantle and West Coast, Anderson said the umpires were confident they would get it right in the season proper.

"They're very confident that they can interpret this rule as effectively as they can interpret any other rule," he said.

He said it was clearly effective during the trial period, with the rate of rushed behinds halving and the flow of the game enhanced as a result.

The second new rule was brought in to combat a growing trend of players dragging opponents to ground to keep them out of the next passage of play.

Anderson said that became a particularly problem during the second half of last season, but the introduction of the automatic 50m penalty proved a significant deterrent.

He said the league had no worries about changing rules six days out from the start of the season, as clubs had known the trial rules could be made permanent.

Meanwhile, the AFL Commission has again delayed its decision to award a licence for the new Gold Coast club to enter the league in 2011.

There had been anticipation the final all-clear would be given at Friday's commission meeting, after the Queensland government last week announced a $60 million grant towards a redevelopment of Carrara stadium, which had been the major stumbling block.

But with the opposition Liberal National Party having failed to match that commitment, the AFL is understood to be waiting until after Saturday's state election.

A league spokesman refused to detail the AFL's thinking, but said it was possible an announcement would be made next week.

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