Behaviour change at the footy

The Problem

Abusing someone is ‘acceptable’ if it’s an umpire.

Football umpires work hard to officiate games. They train hard, and often run more than players on game day. They’re family members, friends, unpaid volunteers and paid professionals. They’re also one segment of society who are openly abused, threatened and harassed at work every week. Research conducted by the Western Australian Football League revealed that more than 80% were verbally abused this season, and that umpires were turning away from the sport due to the mental health toll of constant crowd abuse.

The Radio Idea

Translating the language of abuse.

Our radio campaign engineered by Cue Sound confronted the ugly truths behind the abuse, using the aggressive tone of the abusers to reveal the deeper issues at play. Taking a more psychological approach to the problem shamed the abusers in a very public way, and started a conversation around standards of crowd behaviour.

This was the first campaign of any Australian sport to focus on umpire wellbeing and crowd abuse at games.

The Content Layer

Telling real stories.

While radio captured attention and prompted self-reflection, we deepened the connection with an emotional content layer. Our team spent time interviewing umpires to get to the heart of the issue, and better understand the impact of abuse from fans. Ultimately, these true stories humanised umpires, fostering the necessary behaviour change.

The Response

Feedback from the frontlines.

Former AFL umpire Dean Margetts, the WAFC’s WAFL and WAFLW Umpiring Operations Manager, told Gareth Parker on 6PR Breakfast that he believed the campaign will have real impact: “Maybe these ads can bring [bad behaviour] to the front of the line and create some change,” he said, after relaying a recent story of umpire abuse at a Year 7 game.

Head of Marketing at the WAFC, Nerida Collins, said: “170 umpires (WAFL and junior community) saw the campaign for the first time and gave an unpromoted round of applause in the middle of the presentation. They feel seen and supported on this topic for the first time. What a moment to be a part of.”

“This campaign has already kicked off great debate and conversation around the importance of creating a safe space for everyone involved in football. I can’t wait to see the impact it has across the board, and I especially hope we see our umpires returning [next year] to keep honing their craft.”