New Umpire General Information

Where can I umpire?

The great thing about umpiring at Community Level is that which league you umpire in is completely up to you, and you can be involved in multiple leagues at the same time, depending on what you want to achieve and when you are available. Everyone’s journey is different based on their capabilities and experience in the game. Some Umpires may be ready to step straight into umpiring Senior Men’s & Women’s Football from the outset, other umpires may begin umpiring Junior Football and some may just want to do as many games as they can in a weekend across all grades, to a degree you choose your own journey.

When do I need to be available to umpire?

Football season is traditionally run from April until late September, however dependent upon your location, we also have a number of competitions that operate in the Summer Months as well. Each League has different fixturing and may have games spread across Friday Nights, Saturdays, and Sundays for different Grades.  Umpiring is flexible and allows you to nominate your availability each week, your umpire coach will work with you to appoint you to games that match your availability and skill level. We fully encourage Playing Footy and Umpiring working together where possible, so you don’t need to give up playing to get started. You also don’t need to commit to a full season, any block of games you can assist with all helps. SANFL Umpiring can provide you with information to get started in a League that best suits your ambitions and availability.

What are the requirements to umpire?

A keen attitude and willingness to learn is the first step. Once we have connected you with your desired umpiring group, they will provide you with more detailed information on what they need from you. There is plenty of on the job training and mentoring provided to get you up to speed with everything you need to know.

Whilst specifics will vary from league to league, Umpires across all leagues in South Australia will be expected to:

1. Register on our online Umpires database Officials HQ (It’s free and easy to use)
2. If you are over 14 years of age, hold a current DHS Working With Children Check (you can get it for free by following these instructions): https://sanfl-content.imgix.net/content/uploads/2023/09/06115206/Working-with-Children-Check-Process-.pdf

What are my first steps to being involved in umpiring?

Depending on which league you want to umpire with, you can either enrol to complete a Foundation Umpires Course at this link: HERE or fill in an Expression of Interest form for Community Football at this link: HERE and a SANFL Umpiring staff member will contact you to provide further information.

If have any further questions regarding getting involved in Umpiring, please email Umpire Recruitment, Development & Retention Lead, [email protected]