The Upside of Umpiring

15 April 2026

By ALEXANDRA BULL

Paul Young started umpiring over 50 years ago in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne.

He was playing Under 15s on Saturday morning, and heading out to umpire on Sunday afternoon, before switching back to just playing footy.

In 1980, Young took up professional running, his athletics journey taking him all the way 1985 Stawell Gift, which he won.

“In 1990, I umpired for a season primarily to keep fit for athletics,” Young explained.

“In 1995 and 1996, I was the Victorian Amateur Football Association fitness coach. Some of our junior umpires were part of an AFL cadet squad.

“One of those was current AFL umpire Simon Meredith who is still umpiring at the highest level, 30 years later.”

After moving to Adelaide in 1997 to coach athletics, Young would occasionally volunteer in the Adelaide Footy League.

For the past four years, Young has been umpiring with the Combined Southern Football Leagues Umpires Panel (CSFLUP).

“I enjoy the camaraderie of the CSFLUP, which is driven with enthusiasm by senior umpires,” Young said.

“Keeping both physically and mentally active, being part of the action, watching the game from close up and doing my best to ensure the players enjoy the game whole playing with the right spirit and attitude.

“I also enjoy the opportunity to deal with the pressure to make split second decisions in the heat of the moment that enhances the quality of the game.”

A successful athletics coach, Young has coached athletes who have won the Bay Sheffield, the Burnie Gift, Camden Classic, and the Loxton Gift, just to name a few.

Young said, “umpiring is a terrific way to keep fit, especially for middle distance runners”.

“Many umpires have successfully combined umpiring and sprint training, including 1980 Bay Sheffield winner Paul Elliott,” he said.

Young said he “never understood” why more former players do not pursue umpiring after retiring.

“It’s a vital role in the sport and ex-players should take up umpiring as they would have a far better understanding and appreciation of adjudicating the rules.”

As of 13 April, there are 1,955 umpires registered in South Australia, including 198 female umpires, with umpires earning between $30 to $230 per game, with many officiating multiple matches across a weekend.

The next SANFL Foundation Umpiring Course will be held on Tuesday, 21 April, at Port Districts Football Club.