Umpire

SANFL Juniors is one of the largest Metropolitan Junior footy competitions in the nation and where many umpires in South Australia begin their journey. SANFL Juniors encompasses all the Metropolitan Adelaide Junior Boys & Girls footy from Under 7’s – Under 18’s with games played mainly on Sundays & some Friday Nights. We require Field umpires for all grades and appoint Boundary & Goal Umpires to the older age groups. Whether you have been involved in footy previously or not, everyone is welcome to learn to umpire and will be provided all necessary training. Umpiring with SANFL Juniors aims to be flexible around those who play so you can play & umpire in the same day if you wish. SANFL Juniors Umpires also have opportunities to umpire across the SANFL Schools, SAPSASA & other school based competitions throughout the year. SANFL Juniors umpires earn between $45 - $116 per game depending upon which age group and discipline they umpire. School students can also earn 10 Stage 1 SACE Credits through their involvement. Please Click on the below link for more information and next steps.

The Adelaide Football League is all the Metropolitan Adelaide Senior Men’s & Women’s football from Division 1-7 with games played mainly across Saturday morning & afternoon. Adelaide Footy League have Field, Boundary & Goal Umpire positions available across the different divisions and host weekly training sessions in the city. Adelaide Footy League umpires earn between $76 - $224 per game depending upon which age group and discipline they umpire. School students can also earn 10 Stage 1 SACE Credits through their involvement. You can learn more about umpiring Adelaide Footy League at the below link.

With over twenty Community Football Leagues in operation around the state, there are opportunities for everyone to begin their umpiring journey in either Junior or Adult, Male & Female Football no matter where you live or your experience levels, Community Football League Games are generally played on Saturdays but there are some Leagues that have Sunday games as well. Each Community League has different availabilities of Field, Boundary & Goal umpiring positions as well as their own training program. They each have their own pay schedule but you can earn anywhere between $30 - $235 per game depending upon which League, age group and discipline you umpire. School students can also earn 10 Stage 1 SACE Credits through their involvement. Please Click on the below link for more information and next steps.

No matter your previous experience with Footy, we have training available to support you to get started in umpiring and the great thing is that all training & education provided is free for all participants. Each League will have their own baseline expectations of required training, with the main thing being that you are able to confidently & competently perform the role of the umpire on match day. There is a variety of online & face to face training available, with the best option generally being to enrol in one of our 90 minute Face to Face Foundation Umpiring Courses. The Foundation Umpiring course is suitable for new umpires across all Leagues to learn the foundation skills that will set you up for a successful umpiring career. Once you get started in umpiring, each League has their own in season training program to continue to learn and develop your umpiring skills. Note if you have an Officials HQ account you should login to that first and access the AFL Learning Management System through the E-Learning tab.

Umpiring offers terrific opportunities for both males and females to get involved in the game at all levels. Everybody's umpiring journey is unique to them based on their experience, goals, capabilities and availability. In South Australia, umpires can choose to begin umpiring in SANFL Juniors, their local Community League or a combination of both.

From Community Level, talented and aspiring umpires will be identified to be invited to umpire in the SANFL pathway where they have the opportunity to work on their skills to progress through the ranks, potentially making it through to the AFL to be the next Craig Fleer or Eleni Tee.

Dream big and work hard, your umpiring journey could take you to the middle of the MCG or Adelaide Oval one day.

The SANFL is committed to increasing Women & Girls umpire numbers across the state through initiatives that create inclusive environments, social connections and skill development opportunities. We currently have over 250 Women & Girl umpires across the state and are committed to growing this number further in years to come.

2025 edition of the Laws of Australian Football. Note each Community Football League will have it's own rules & regulations which may include some differences to the AFL Laws, please check with your League for local rules.

Officials HQ is the portal used for umpires to complete their umpire registration and is used by many Leagues throughout the season to manage availability, game appointments, payments and match day paperwork. Registration is completely free and only takes around 5 minutes to complete.

The Umpire Respect campaign is about promoting respect for umpires and whilst umpiring decisions can create some good banter & debate, we want the match day environment to be a supportive and positive environment for all. We are continuously working with our Clubs & Leagues on the importance of this messaging to support all of our umpires.

The SANFL Umpiring department has a number of resources available that are designed to be suitable as part of the school curriculum. Suitable for High School age students, there are different programs available that can be delivered by teachers independantly or with SANFL umpiring assistance. SANFL Umpiring also has recognised programs within SACE community learning so students can apply to earn 10 SACE credits at Stage 1 through their involvement in umpiring.