The new high contact rule announced on Tuesday aims to stop players from seeking forceful high contact.
From next season, if a player ducks into a tackle and that action causes high contact to occur the umpire will call play on.
And if they decline to dispose of the ball and then draw a high tackle, they will be pinged for holding the ball.
Geelong's Joel Selwood and West Coast's Luke Shuey are most notably accused of deliberately ducking in order to win high tackle free kicks.
The AFL have also announced that a player who initiates a bump will be cited for rough conduct if he clashes heads with his opponent as it places further emphasis on protecting players from head and lower leg injuries.
Meanwhile, clubs will now be restricted to having just one runner on the field to deliver messages between players and the coaches' box.
Previously two runners were permitted, which has led to congestion in recent seasons.
The time each runner spends on the ground will also be limited.