The AFL today informed all clubs that the AFL Commission had approved the immediate introduction of the use of broadcast vision to assist in scoring decisions for the 2012 AFL Premiership Season, at its meeting in Sydney this morning.
 
The Score Review System, which had been trialled through the 2012 NAB Cup, will take effect from tomorrow's Round One match between GWS and the Sydney Swans, to be played at ANZ Stadium.
 
AFL General Manager Football Operations Adrian Anderson said the field umpires would be able to request that the off field official review immeditaely available vision where some doubt exists following a scoring attempt. If the vision is conclusive the Score Reviewer will confirm the correct result with the on field officials. If the vision cannot assist, the final verdict will then be referred back to the umpires on field.
 
Players will not be able to call for a score challenge and based on the 2012 NAB Cup, the expectation is for play to be delayed by no more than a minute. Although some matches may have no Score Reviews at all, it is expected that on average there could be 1-2 score reviews per match.
 
"The AFL Commission accepted a recommendation this morning to allow an off field official to assist where there is some doubt as to the correct decision following a scoring attempt," Mr Anderson said.
 
"The trials through the NAB Cup have shown that broadcast vision can assist us reaching the correct decision in some cases, and we have elected to introduce the change if we can eliminate errors in some instances.
 
"Video technology will not remove all errors from the game, as some replays cannot assist, but the aim is to improve decision-making where possible," he said.
 
The introduction of the Score Review System will be able to be used immediately from round one as all infrastructure at grounds (televisions / links to umpires on-field etc) is already in place after the trials through the NAB Cup.