Umpire (Australian rules football)

Tom Wills, one of the founders of the Australian game, was the earliest known umpire of a football match in Australia.

The game of Australian rules contains some "grey areas" where application of the laws is subject to interpretation, of degree or timing, making the job of field umpires difficult.

Regular changes to laws or interpretations of rules by the AFL also contributes to the amount of work needed for umpires to maintain their skills and knowledge of the game.

The umpires' director for the AFL is Jeff Gieschen, responsible for setting precedents for other affiliated leagues around the world.

[14] More recently, umpires have begun wearing uniforms of a distinctive colour to avoid a jersey clash with any of the competing teams.

From 2013, all AFL umpires wore lime green uniforms with grey shorts or trousers to avoid a clash with any of the league's teams.

A goal umpire signalling a goal with two white flags, and a Boundary umpire.
Statue of Tom Wills umpiring one of the earliest recorded matches of Australian rules football.
A field umpire signalling holding the ball.
A goal umpire officiating between the goal posts at one end of the football field.
A boundary umpire throwing the football back into play.
An umpire dressed in all white prepares a boundary throw-in, 1882. Two years earlier, George Coulthard , standing in middle of the group of players, became the first person to umpire a match in an all-white uniform.