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Research purpose
This research examined the experiences of women officials in football (soccer), basketball, and Australian rules football in 3 key areas:
- How sports design officiating pathways for women and girls
- The promotion and recruitment practices for women officials
- The education, training and support provided to enable women as officials
The research was conducted by La Trobe University, in partnership with AFL Victoria, Basketball Victoria, and Football Victoria, funded through the Change Our Game Research Grants Program. It was released in April 2025.
Key findings
Women officials experience a range of challenges and barriers at the community sport level. These challenges often relate to the game day and training environment for officials, including the governance and pathways for officials through to the behaviours of spectators, players and coaches.
There are a range of actions that can be taken to overcome these barriers and support women to succeed as officials in community sport, for both sport governing bodies and community sporting clubs.
The role of officials varies across sports, and includes tournament referees, lines judges and game umpires.
Key challenges and suggested actions for state sporting associations and local leagues
State sporting associations can help open pathways and create opportunities for women to succeed in officiating roles. This requires working with all levels of a sporting organisation.
The below outlines key challenges faced by women officials and recommends actions that can support progress. Pick what feels most relevant to your organisation and start from there.
The officials' workforce can be governed at different levels
State sporting associations can address different governance structures by:
- ensuring women officials are represented in decision-making for officials
- promoting an inclusive culture, by ensuring women's representation within leadership roles
- conducting regular surveys to understand the needs of women officials
Sport organisations can have a culture that doesn't feel safe for women officials
State sporting associations can build a safe organisational culture by:
- conducting workshops and seminars for stakeholders about diversity and inclusion
- running awareness campaigns highlighting challenges face by women officials
- providing access to counselling, legal advice and support for women facing challenges
Pathways can limit women from officiating outside of women's sport
Pathways can be linear, with a focus on the elite, despite the largest group of referees being at the community level. State sporting associations can address this by:
- developing and enforcing policies promoting gender equity in recruitment, retention and promotion of women sport officials
- developing clear and accessible pathways for women in officiating
- collaborating with schools, universities, to create more pathways and opportunities for girls
- allocating funding for women and girls' development programs
- providing leadership and management training for women officials to prepare them for higher roles, for example Lead Official
Local associations can be given responsibility to drive local recruitment with little to no support
State sporting associations can provide further support to local associations by:
- considering specific recruitment strategies for officials roles - see our resource on recruiting women and girls officials
Scheduling of an official's commitments may not always consider their availability
State sporting associations can better take this into account by:
- offering flexible scheduling or part time roles
- using scheduling software so officials can input their availabilities
- creating and distributing officiating resources to assist women in their roles
- creating networks and forums for women officials to share experiences
Officials can experience negative behaviour from spectators on game day
State sporting associations can address harassment and discrimination from spectators by:
- developing a spectator code of conduct that outlines appropriate behaviour and consequences
- conducting campaigns to educate spectators on the importance of sportsmanship
- enforcing strict penalties for bad behaviour, such as ejections, bans or fines
Officials can experience negative behaviour from players and coaches on game day
State sporting associations can address harassment and discrimination from players and coaches by:
- reinforcing policies on player and coach behaviour at all the association or league level
- partnering with clubs and teams to encourage players and coaches to advocate for respectful behaviour
- ensuring strong polices against harassment and discrimination are in place and actively enforced
Men officials can belittle the experiences and knowledge of women officials
State sporting associations can address harassment and abuse from men officials by:
- mandating regular training on gender sensitivity, respect
- developing confidential and accessible reporting channels so women officials can report incidents without fear of retaliation
- establish mentorship programs for new women officials
Women officials may not receive strong recognition for their contribution
State sporting associations can elevate the recognition of women officials in their sport by:
- establishing awards and recognition programs for women officials
- promoting stories and achievements of women officials in media and organisational communications
Key challenges and suggested actions for community sporting clubs
Community sporting clubs can create a more welcoming and supportive environment for women sport officials, encouraging more women to take up and continue in these important roles.
The below outlines key challenges faced by women officials and recommends actions that can support progress. Pick what feels most relevant to your club and start from there.
Clubs can lack clear, effective policies that ensure a safe and supportive environment for women officials
Community sporting clubs can put strong governance and protective measures in place by:
- ensuring women officials are represented in decision-making for officials
- promoting an inclusive culture by ensuring women's representation within leadership roles
- creating policies that promote gender equity in all aspects of the club
The culture within local clubs can impact the treatment of officials
Community sporting clubs can address their organisational culture by:
- role model appropriate behaviour towards officials by club committee, coaches and players
- introducing awards and incentives for women officials who demonstrate excellence and commitment
- featuring stories and interviews with women sport officials on social media platforms to highlight them
Pathways often focus on reaching the elite level, when many women officials are happy at the community level
Community sporting clubs can address pathways for women officials by:
- implementing a buddy system pairing new women officials with more experienced ones for guidance
- offering scholarships and grants for women to attend training, conferences and other professional development
- partnering with local business to secure funding for initiatives and programs that support women in sports officiating
The operating environment may not support women officials
Community sporting clubs can address a lack of support to manage game day misconduct from participants by:
- organising interactive workshops where women can learn officiating skills in a supportive environment
- inviting experienced women officials and sport personalities to speak at club training and events
- organising women only events on officiating to provide practical experience
Community sporting clubs can tackle changeroom facilities that have not been designed to make women and girls feels safe by:
- creating access schedules for changerooms for officials that provide a safe environment on game and training days
- reviewing changerooms to identify what options are available to improve access and safety, such as cleanliness, lighting, individual showers/toilets, hygiene disposal units
- seeking feedback from officials on their use of changeroom facilities
- reading the Sport and Recreation Victoria Female Friendly Sport Infrastructure Guidelines for further ideas and insights on how to create and maintain an environment where women and girls officials feel safe and welcome
Officials can experience gender discrimination and abuse from spectators
Community sporting clubs can address poor spectator behaviour by:
- developing a spectator code of conduct that outlines appropriate behaviour and consequences
- conducting campaigns to educate spectators on the importance of sportsmanship
- enforcing strict penalties for bad behaviour, such as ejections, bans or fines
Officials can experience gender discrimination and abuse from players and coaches
Community sporting clubs can address poor player and coach behaviour by:
- partnering with clubs and teams to encourage players and coaches to advocate for respectful behaviour
- ensuring strong polices against harassment and discrimination
Officials can experience abuse from peer officials
Community sporting clubs can address negative peer behaviour by:
