Earning Criteria

• Students will participate in weekly sessions led by Genazzano and AFL Umpiring staff to learn game rules, decision making skills, umpiring techniques, effective communication, leadership, confidence and resilience.
• Leadership: Participant is required to display positive leadership qualities throughout the umpiring unit e.g. display positive teamwork skills (supporting peers through encouragement and feedback); listen attentively to coaches, ensuring they understand and execute required skills. Participants are required to demonstrate the ability to deliver clear and concise communication when umpiring.
• Confidence: Participant displays confidence when performing in front of coaches and peers. E.g. Participates in all discipline activities (field, boundary, and goal umpiring); makes calls and decisions as required and effectively executes skills, communicating clearly and confidently.
• Resilience: Participant builds resilience and learning growth throughout umpiring unit E.g. making attempts to call the correct decisions in different scenarios, even if signal decisions are wrong. The participant listens to external feedback provided by coaches and attempts to apply feedback to their performance.
• Communication: Participant demonstrates positive and effective communication skills throughout the umpiring unit E.g. making attempts to communicate calmly in different on/off field scenarios, even if signal decisions are wrong.
• Reflection journal: After each session participants will record what they’ve learnt and what they found most challenging about the different umpiring disciplines. The final reflection is an overview of what was taught in the program and how effectively it was displayed on football field for the half time AFL Experience. Observation & feedback: Participants' skills development in leadership, communication, umpiring techniques and applying feedback will be observed by program leaders.
• AFL half-time umpiring experience (2 hours optional). Participants have the opportunity to practise skills during an AFL game.