The AFL has launched a new program aimed at generating more community support for umpires to help bolster their ranks.

The league hopes the Umpiring is Everyone's Business initiative will reverse worrying trends where umpires are giving the game away because of the abuse they cop from fans during matches.

Up to a quarter of the umpires who officiate in leagues across Australia quit every year because of abuse.

The AFL says football's inability to retain umpires could mean there is a shortfall of up to 23,000 umpires in four years unless things change.

AFL football operations general manager Adrian Anderson said the league wanted fans to show umpires more respect to keep them in the game.

"If in one year you can drop that (annual turnover) from 25 per cent to 15 per cent that will make a massive difference to the amount of umpires we have at community level," Anderson said on Tuesday.

"We will be focusing on recruitment as well, but the first thing to get right is the match day environment and to keep the people in the game who are umpiring.

"Unfortunately we've got some examples of terrific umpires who have umpired a number of games who just, subject to personal abuse on some occasion or another, say that's enough."

AFL umpire Brett Rosebury said while the relationships between umpires and players at the elite level had never been so good, he had witnessed the crowd abuse directed at umpires in community leagues.

"I've been mentoring a couple of young umpires who I see first-hand and it's pretty tough out there," Rosebury said.

"I don't know if I'd want to go back and umpire in those lower levels."

The AFL has encouraged its coaches to umpire community games to gain a greater appreciation of the job, and hopes an education program will help address the problem.

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