A milestone moment for community umpires as they reach 20,000 across Australia in 2024. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos

For the first time in the game’s history a record 20,000 community umpires hit the field in 2024, running over the white line to officiate thousands of local footy games across the country.

Reaching the milestone in August, there has been an 18 per cent increase in umpire registrations compared to last year, equating to 3,000 more umpires spanning field, goal and boundary disciplines.

Umpire registrations for women and girls have increased by 31 per cent this year, with initiatives such as ‘Umpire Experience Hubs’ no doubt contributing to the bolstered numbers.

Men and boys umpire registrations have also achieved growth, rising 16 per cent in 2024.

Local umpires were celebrated during Community Umpiring Week in Round 9 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season, highlighting the invaluable contribution and role umpires play in Australian football, as well as creating awareness around umpiring pathways and promoting respect for the team in green.

AFL Head of Officiating Stephen McBurney with community umpires in May 2024. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos

Executive General Manager of Game Development, Rob Auld, thanked and acknowledged every community umpire who made this milestone possible.

“On behalf of the AFL, I’d like to thank every registered community umpire around the country whose love of the game drives them to give up their time and officiate countless games each week,” Auld said.

“Reaching this record means we’re able to appoint more umpires to community games across Australia, helping provide an inclusive and welcoming experience for local players and club officials.

“As participation numbers keep rising – we’ve hit more than 540,000 across Australia and broken our all-time registered participation record – we need to ensure we’re attracting more umpires to footy to keep up with the growth of the game to secure its future.”

2024 National Community Umpiring Stats: 

  • Community umpire registrations around Australia surpassed 20,000 for the first time in August 
  • There’s been an 18 per cent increase in umpire registrations this year, equating to more than 3,000 umpire
  • Women and girls umpire registrations have increased by 31 per cent in 2024  
  • Men & boys umpire registrations have increased by 16 per cent in 2024

To find out how you can get involved and become an umpire visit: play.afl/umpire