AFL umpires' coach Rowan Sawers has been pleased with the positive feedback at information sessions conducted through the pre-season with clubs and players.

With no significant new rules to introduce or explain this year, the focus for Sawers and AFL director of umpiring Jeff Gieschen has been to consolidate and emphasise the importance of player safety.

"Going around the clubs, they're really pleased with head over the football, player safety," Sawers said.

"They've thought the players are going for the ball pretty confidently now knowing that if they do get bumped there's free kicks and possibly tribunal."

"We're telling the umpires we need to be consistent in those areas; we're going to be strong."

"It's about continuing to protect the players. Players who are running for the football shouldn’t he held; the tagger shouldn't be able to hold."

"We were a little bit rusty, it took us time to adjust but the players have adapted really well."

"The clubs are looking for consistency from us and … player safety is the No.1 issue."

Sawers said feedback from clubs had been overwhelmingly positive, in particular about the hands-in-the-back rule introduced last season.

"Twelve months ago there was a bit of negativity about it, but the players have really adapted," he said.

"It's up to us to be deep and pay what we see, but we saw marks from (Michael) Newton and (Aaron) Edwards and (Paul) Chapman all towards the end of the season where players had the confidence that they could go confidently for the football."

"The players have adapted extremely well."

"Hands in the back hasn't been an issue as we went around the clubs at all."

In the only rule change to apply for the first time in 2008, emergency umpires have been given the authority to call an end to play.

"If the siren goes and the emergency umpire hears it and the field umpires don't, he can notify them and finish the game at the point he heard the siren," Sawers said.

"That's one subtle change following on from (the St Kilda v Fremantle match in) Tasmania a couple of years ago."

Meanwhile, veteran field umpire Darren Goldspink has been selected to officiate in Friday night's NAB Cup Round 1 clash at Telstra Dome between St Kilda and Richmond.

Last year, Goldspink had trouble meeting the umpires' fitness standards and was not cleared to officiate until Round 10 of the premiership season.

"We're working through all the fitness standards the same as we have with every umpire," said Sawers of Goldspink.

"There's still fitness benchmarks that all umpires have to meet going through and he's umpiring this weekend."

"He's deemed fit to take his place in the NAB Cup this weekend."

Asked if Goldspink was set for a big season, Sawers replied: "Let's wait and see; there's still a long way to go."