The AFL informed leagues and clubs on Friday of the introduction of a special COVID permit for the 2020 season.

It is designed for players at a club that is not playing this year due to coronavirus. They are able to join a club that is playing for this season on the special permit.

The player is then automatically returned to his original club on November 1.

The June 30 clearance deadline has also been extended until July 31 in NSW.

The deadline remains in place at June 30 in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania and any player coming from one of those states must be cleared by the original deadline.

AFL Southern NSW regional manager Marc Geppert believes the developments see a common sense approach to the upcoming season.

"Especially the COVID transfer, I think that's really important when you've got clubs and leagues that are potentially not going ahead," Geppert said.

"It obviously gives that opportunity to players to get a game of footy and that's what we're here to do.

"We're here to provide opportunity and unfortunately some of those leagues and clubs aren't going ahead so we want to see those players getting games elsewhere.

"And the best thing about the COVID transfer is that it protects the club in which the player has originally signed at.

"The idea of it is that they basically go across to another club on loan and are automatically transferred back to that club so it saves any issues trying to get that player back to their home club."

The COVID permit comes into place from Monday, June 22, however applications can not be submitted any later than July 31.

A normal type two permit requires an interchange agreement between the two leagues but this is not the case with the COVID permit.