Celebrating umpires everywhere

AFL NSW/ACT is celebrating Community Umpiring Week across all matches played on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May.

Community Umpiring Week is a dedicated round on the AFL’s calendar nationwide, with the aim to promote the benefits of umpiring at community level. Umpiring AFL is a terrific way to get fit, get paid and meet new people – we believe it is Australian sport’s best kept secret.

Umpires support clubs in many more ways than by simply officiating matches. They educate players and coaches about the rules, provide guidance to new and young players on the field, ensure that players, officials, and spectators participate in matches in a positive spirit, and even, in some cases, help with the set-up and pack-up of the ground!

Without umpires we would be lost!

Positive match day environments are crucial to the promotion of umpiring – which is why this weekend AFL NSW/ACT will be asking all players and coaches to shake hands with their umpires before each game – as a public display of commitment to making umpiring attractive to all newcomers.

The AFL NSW/ACT Umpiring Department would like thank all clubs, players and coaches for their support of Community Umpiring Week.

Enjoy the footy – and let’s encourage more people to get in the game and become an umpire.