WHY UMPIRE
Umpires are the eyes and ears of the footy field. Whether you’re in the field, boundary or goal, umpiring is a critical role. Umpiring provides an opportunity to be part of the game in a different way.
Field Umpires officiate the play in line with the laws of the game and apply them within the spirit of the laws. They continually move around the football field following the play and position themselves side on at all times so that they can clearly observe the field of play.
Boundary Umpires move along the boundary of the football field, judge whether the ball is out of bounds (or out of bounds on the full) and return the ball to play via a boundary throw in. Boundary umpires also assist the goal umpires in determining some scoring shots.
Goal Umpires are positioned between the goal posts at each end of the field. They are responsible for judging whether a goal or behind has been scored, signalling that a score has been made and recording the score on their goal cards.
Video: AFL Umpires Association
TRAINING
Umpire Training for 2025 is now underway and is held at Hanmer Reserve, Yarraville every Tuesday and Thursday night from 5:45pm.
During the pre-season, training will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Hanmer Reserve, Yarraville. Once the WFNL season starts in April the training nights will change to Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are also Training Academies held at Werribee, Point Cook & Hoppers Crossing for newer umpires.
REGISTRATION
To register as an umpire with the WFNL you will need to complete the online registration form and return an ATO Statement by Supplier form – for more information on registering please click here
UNIFORMS
On Field
All WFNL Umpires are required to wear the WFNL Umpire Uniform when officiating matches:
- t-shirt (short sleeve), shorts & socks for Field & Boundary Umpires
- t-shirt (short sleeve), pants, jacket & cap for Goal Umpires
Off Field
Off-field polo shirts and jackets are also available for purchase. Umpires are encouraged to wear these to and from games to maintain a professional image, this is compulsory for all Division 1 umpires.
All uniform costs can be deducted from your monthly umpire payments or purchased from our store HERE. First Year Academy Umpires will be reimbursed for their uniforms once they have umpired in three games.
MATCH APPOINTMENTS
During pre-season training your coach/es will liaise with you on the type/age level/division of umpiring you are interested in/suited for. Developing umpires may be paired with a Mentor to guide them through their first matches. Each week during the season the coaches complete the match appointments online in OfficialsHQ, the online appointment software.
Upon registering as a WRFL Umpire you will receive an email inviting you to set up your OfficialsHQ account. There you can set up your availability for the whole season and/or week to week – if you will be playing football as well as umpiring you can set your availability so that you are able to be appointed to matches that are scheduled before or after your own.
During the season the match appointments are released weekly on a Tuesday at 8pm, with umpires required to accept or reject their appointment online.
UMPIRE PAYMENTS
Payments are made monthly in arrears, around the middle of the month. You will receive a pay slip via email once your payment has been processed, and payments can take up to 3 days to clear into your bank account.
To ensure your payments are not delayed please make sure your bank details are entered accurately on the registration form, and that you have submitted the ATO form Statement by Supplier – for more information on these requirements please click here
If you don’t get paid on time or you think an error has been made, please either speak to your coaches or email accounts@wfnl.com.au so this can be investigated.
Practice match payments are processed the same way as a standard match. The rate for payment is generally 50% (half) of what would normally be paid to that umpire for a regular match, dependent on the number of umpires requested/appointed to a match.
NEXT STEPS
Please complete the online registration, you will then receive email updates from the WFNL Head of Umpiring regarding training and other information. You can then head along to a training session to speak with the coaches and get a feel for what umpiring in the WFNL will be like.
Communication
If you are a current umpire, stay up to date with all things umpiring by downloading Stack Team App, search for WFNL and request access.