THE AFL umpires department has asked the League to investigate the impact the centre bounce is having on field umpires.

The game's officiators are concerned the difficult and strenuous nature of the time-honoured tradition could be breaching occupational health and safety guidelines.   

AFL football operations boss Simon Lethlean told SEN radio his department was working closely with umpires to see if the practice was causing injury.

"We've had that claim for a while now, so we've certainly understood the umpires' position," Lethlean said.

"I suppose 'claim' is a strong word – they more asked us to look into the occupational health and safety issues that may or may not be around the bounce, and we've got independent doctors doing that alongside the official physiotherapist of the umpires."

While he understood the umpires' concerns, Lethlean said there wouldn't be a change made on the bounce this season.

"There will be no change to the bounce this season, but it's certainly a commission decision at some stage this year to whether there's a change or not," Lethlean said. 

"Just because there is a occupational health and safety review doesn't mean the bounce has to go.

"It actually means there are ways to mitigate and prevent injuries, if that's the case, by way of training methods, frequency, better medical and research."

Lethlean said there needed to be a balance between preserving the game's distinctive features and ensuring the welfare of the umpires.

The umpiring department is also concerned that difficulty in performing the bounce may be having a negative impact in attracting new umpires to the game.

"There are only unique elements of our game that we like to protect, and I think this certainly one of them," he said.

"It's an unusual and unique facet of our game that I think is a fantastic part of the game, but if the overwhelming evidence and facts are that it's removing umpires from our game, limiting the umpires that we get, losing good decision-makers and good umpires and causing injuries, we've got to consider (changes.)

"We certainly will and we'll do it seriously."