Club officials and commentators have questioned whether the AFL’s four umpire system has led to improved decision-making.
The debate follows several contentious calls during round nine – the closest round of matches since 1970. The tight margins, combined with fast play and increased scrutiny has added to the significance of each decision as umpires control a multi-layered contest that requires increased expertise.
AFL umpires walk out onto the MCG for Melbourne’s match with GWS earlier this year.Credit: AFL Photos
Three officials from AFL clubs, who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, raised the four-umpire system as worth assessing. One concern is that inexperienced umpires have been elevated too quickly because 36 field umpires are needed each round, up from 27 before 2023.
Separately, in February Essendon coach Brad Scott said in an interview with The Age that the four-umpire system should be assessed to determine its impact on decision-making.
“I think the move to four umpires is worth looking at because the theory of four umpires with a better vantage point leading to better decisions … that’s a good result,” Scott, a former AFL football operations boss, said at the time in comments not published until now. “The jury is still out as to whether that has occurred.”
However, retired field umpire Ray Chamberlain said on Monday the four umpiring system was having a positive impact.
“The four-umpire system is a superior system to the three-umpire system because it assists better decision-making in the game that has never been more difficult and more complex to officiate,” Chamberlain said.
His assessment was backed by a senior club official, who wished to remain anonymous to speak freely, who pointed to the number of officials relative to the number of players and size of the field to adjudicate compared other sports such as basketball, the NFL and even ice hockey.
Although most decisions are correct, an obvious error was made in not awarding Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett a free kick when he was tripped in the goal square against Hawthorn on Saturday.
Experienced commentator Gerard Whateley exclaimed on SEN: “How can you miss that? There is four of them, four of them!”
Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett was tripped in the goal square but the umpires didn’t pay a free kick as his team went to half-time trailing Hawthorn by one point in their round nine match at the MCG.Credit: Fox Footy
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin refused to buy into the discussion when asked post-game.
Club officials are less concerned about whether individual decisions are incorrect than whether the AFL structure to support decision-making is at the level required to improve standards.
There is recognition that the introduction of the four-umpire system, which led to seven umpires making their AFL debuts in 2023, created a gap in experience.
There are 24 umpires on the 42-person roster who began the season with more than 100 games experience and 18 who had umpired fewer than 100 matches.
Officials who spoke to this masthead expressed concern that the number of hours umpires train each week during the season is insufficient as they believe umpires come together as a group on Tuesday nights between 4pm and 7pm.
One official suggested a system should be designed to fast-track the development of the high number of emerging umpires that have been added to the AFL’s list since 2023. This would enable more experienced umpires to work under the current system, which allows them to continue their careers outside football, while less experienced umpires spent the early part of their umpiring career more focused on their umpiring education.
About half of the current list are either self-employed or work part-time because of the irregular schedule needed to maintain to remain at the forefront of umpiring.
An umpiring source, who wished to remain anonymous to speak freely, said the umpires spend more time on the game than is perceived, with coaches reviewing games online or on the phone on Monday before training on Tuesdays.
They then complete an online decision-making module on Wednesdays, with Thursday nights now a weekly match day.
Umpires also spend significant time outside their regular job on their fitness.
Club officials have been adamant in expressing their view they want to support umpires to be part of a system that fosters improvement and gives them the best chance of success rather than be critical.
In 2025, the number of free kicks being awarded per team per game has increased to 19.4 free kicks from 17.7 on average in the previous two seasons with holding the ball free kicks also rising to 4.6 per team per game in 2025 from 4.3 per team per game in 2023-24.
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