The AFL has introduced a "Toby Greene rule'' aimed at preventing players from raising their stops and causing injury in marking and other contests.

The AFL Commission has approved of a rule that will lead to a crackdown on players such as Greene who have raised their leg in a way that exposes opponents to boot-stud injury, with free kicks paid and potentially suspensions for more severe offences with studs up.

The Greene rule was passed by the commission, along with a raft of other reforms to the laws of the game, including a change to the bumping rule and have given the match review officer the option of a set penalty of three matches for some head high, severe and intentional incidents.

Stopping the stops: the AFL has amended its rules to deal with raised boots. Credit:Fox Sports

Greene therefore becomes one of the select group of VFL/AFL players to have had a rule modified as a result of his on-field acts. Richmond great Kevin Bartlett's tendency to throw the ball in front of him when tackled resulted in a change to the holding the ball rule, while Lindsay Thomas' slide into Gary Rohan caused the immediate introduction of the sliding rule.