Capital Football is set to crack down on abuse of match officials in a bid to reverse a worrying trend of whistleblowers walking out on the game.
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Capital Football chief executive Phil Brown says referees have been victims of a spike in abuse at matches over the past three weeks in the run to the Canberra premier league finals series.
The number of referees in Capital Football's ranks is already a concern with a host of match officials hanging up the whistle in the past 18 months largely due to "the environment they encounter at games".
The downturn in the amount of referees comes as Capital Football prepares to launch a National Premier League 2 competition next season, in preparation for the introduction of a promotion and relegation system in 2020.
The decision has caused plenty of angst among clubs and Brown isn't concerned about a potential lack of referees, but he is keen to open discussions with the ACT government about the cost of ground hire to ease financial strain on clubs.
"I think if we waited until we had enough referees, you would never do anything in football," Brown said on ABC Grandstand.
"Having referees is one of the key components to player satisfaction, and one of the hardest things for us to do. If you look at our refereeing base, 2017-18, 45 per cent of our referees aged between 18 and 30 left the game.
"It is a real challenge for us, and a real problem. One of the big problems that we face is the environment they encounter at games.
"Over the last two to three weeks in particular, there has been a bit of a spike in verbal abuse at referees that we are taking a firm stance on. It is something we definitely need to work on.
"Something we need to work more on the government with is access to fields, and as every club will attest, the cost of ground hire.
"I think as a football community, we can all get on board, work together and make this something that is going to help grow more talented players from out of our region."
Some of the region's most talented players will be on hand for a Canberra premier league premiership-deciding showdown between Canberra FC and Canberra Olympic at O'Connor Enclosed Oval on Sunday.
Olympic need a win to steal first place and the league title away from Canberra, who sit two points clear at the top of the table.
The two clubs have been powerhouses in Capital Football's top flight competition for a long time and their dominance will have them extremely well-placed to avoid relegation when it is introduced.
The premier league two competition will be made up of seven teams in the first year, and the last-placed club in next season's nine-team premier league will be relegated.
That will leave the two divisions with eight teams each in 2020, when promotion will begin.
The second division was not welcomed by some club presidents when it was raised at a league meeting and Tuggeranong president Jon Thiele has questioned the process behind introducing the system.
The structure has been endorsed but Capital Football will meet again with clubs to discuss the best possible competition format, with Brown adamant the process has "been quite good".
