Demand for umpires has increased by 89 per cent over the past four years, with the number of umpires rising by just 13 per cent in comparison.
With 20 to 25 per cent abandoning community umpiring because of constant criticism, the AFL will use league players, coaches and umpires to encourage people to take up umpiring - and stick at it.
"The vast majority of them say they give the game away because of abuse and poor match-day environments," AFL general manager football operations, Adrian Anderson, said at the launch of 'Umpiring is Everyone's Business' on Tuesday.
"The vast majority umpire because they love the game, and for fun, fitness and involvement, so it's only logical when it's no longer fun and you're abused, that you give it away.
"Sadly, only 25 per cent of umpires polled actually believe they are respected by the football community. The other 75 per cent thought they were only sometimes respected or never respected.
"That is why this campaign is about why umpiring is everyone's business, because coaches, players, umpires and officials all recognise that umpires are a crucial part of the game and need to be supported and embraced as part of the game, especially at community level."
'Umpiring is Everyone's Business' will be launched this round with players shaking hands with the umpires before each game.
Throughout the rest of the season, the initiative will be marked by community level players and coaches attending umpire training sessions and being used as ambassadors in local media coverage including newspapers, football records, radio and TV.
The AFL has also introduced the practice of coaches shaking the umpires' hands before games, which has filtered through to lower leagues.
The campaign is also supported by a poster including Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson, St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt and All-Australian umpire Brett Rosebury which will be distributed to every club and league in Australia.
A television commercial featuring Riewoldt, Chris Judd, Tom Harley, Matthew Richardson, Leigh Matthews, Brett Ratten, Ross Lyon, Brad Scott, Leon Cameron, Mike Fitzpatrick and Anderson at a community match will debut on Friday night during the Fremantle v Collingwood Channel Seven telecast.
Coaches including Mick Malthouse, Paul Roos, Mark Neeld, Steve Silvagni, Leon Cameron and Alan Richardson have recently umpired junior matches as part of the campaign.
This weekend, umpires will wear a lime green outfit that will also be worn by umpires starting out at community level for the rest of the season.
Riewoldt said it was important to highlight the need for people to become interested in potential umpiring careers.
"The game has grown a lot, especially recently, and with two new teams coming in and lists growing and the standard of the game growing, it won't function properly without umpiring growing at the same rate," he said.
"The standard of the game is ever increasing and we want the standard of umpiring to keep increasing.
"That's why there's been a need a need for the players to jump on board and fully support this."
Anderson said the player-to-umpire pathway, which has seen former players Jordan Bannister and Scott Howard take up umpiring roles in A-grade amateur leagues, had influenced an increasing respect for umpires from players.
