Celebrating our Umpires

Celebrations for Community Umpiring Week will take place during Round 7 of the WAFL season and Round 9 of the AFL Premiership Season, with the broader football community coming together to recognise its team in green.

The week aims to highlight the invaluable contribution and role umpires play in Australian football, create awareness around umpiring pathways and promote respect for the men, women, girls and boys who officiate matches at all levels of footy around the country.

There are nearly 2,500 registered community umpires across Western Australia and as footy continues to grow, we require more people involved in umpiring.

As part of the celebrations, a host of initiatives will roll out during the week, each one designed to help drive engagement between the AFL, WAFL and community umpires, upskill and develop junior umpires and provide memorable match-day experiences for local umpires.

These initiatives across the state include:

• AFL umpires at each Round 9 match will be led onto the ground by community umpires, giving them an incredible game-day experience.
• AFL and WAFL/W umpires will attend local umpiring training sessions and officiate local junior footy matches.
• Junior community umpires will also officiate half-time Auskick grid games.
• Football Leagues and Clubs will recognise the role of the umpires on gameday with pre-game announcements and handshakes between players and umpires.
• Recognition via Umpire Service Awards for more than 1,200 umpires nationally who have recorded more than 25 years and 50 years of service.

WAFC Community Umpiring and Pathways Manager, Daniel Gibbons said Community Umpiring Week is a fantastic initiative, highlighting its role in honoring umpires’ invaluable contribution to the sport.

“Community Umpiring Week is a fantastic initiative that provides us with an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the contribution umpires make to our game,” Gibbons said.

“This year we have rolled out a range of different programs that enable more people to engage in umpiring, such as the introduction of the Umpire Your Way Female Academy which will help us to retain and recruit female umpires.

“Umpiring community football offers plenty of advantages, from promoting health and social well-being to being part of an inclusive and enjoyable team; umpiring is fun and is for everyone.”

For further information on becoming an umpire, click here.