RULES AND REGULATIONS

http://www.elnc.org/skills.html

The Netball Court

A netball court measures 30.5m (100 feet) long and 15.25m
(50 feet) wide.
The court is divided into three equal parts - a Centre third and two goal thirds.
The goal circles have a radius of 4.9m.
The goalpost is 3.05 metres high and the metal ring has an internal
diameter of 380 mm. BASIC RULES OF NETBALL ( and NETTA)
(Note: Please see Netta link for differences between Netta and Netball in addition to these notes.)
Length of the Game
Netball is played over four 15 minute quarters. There is a 3 minute break between the
first and second quarter and the third and fourth quarters. The half time break is 5
minutes.
Injury time is up to 2 minutes.
Netta is played over four 10 minute quarters with the same break times between
quarters as in netball.

Starting the Game

The game commences and is restarted after each goal is scored and at the beginning of
each quarter by a centre pass taken alternatively by the two centres, irrespective of who
scores the goal. The umpires whistle indicates the beginning and end of each quarter.

Scoring a Goal
A goal is scored when a Goal Shooter or Goal Attack with no contact with the ground
outside the circle throws the ball completely through the goal ring.
The umpires whistle signals the goal is scored.
Netta players have undefended shots for goal and attempts (successful or not are
recorded). Netta goal posts should be 2.4 metres high instead of 3.05 metres. A size 4
netball is used instead of a size 5.Team Changes and Substitutions
A team may make any number of substitutions at the quarter, half or three quarter time
break as well as during a stoppage due to injury or illness. If a substitution or team
change is made due to injury or illness the injured or ill player must be involved in the
substitution or positional change.

Contact
A player cannot accidentally or deliberately come into contact with another player in a
way which impedes their play.
For example, pushing, charging, tripping, throwing the body against an opponent or
using the ball to push or contact an opponent.
Players must not hold an opponent, nor keep their elbows against another player.

Obstruction
A player with arms extended cannot defend closer than 0.9 metres (3 feet) – 1.2 metres
for Netta players. This distance is measured from the first landed foot of the attacking
player to the nearer foot of the defending player.
A player may stand closer to an opponent provided their arms are not extended.
If the attacking player lessons the distance in their throwing or shooting action, then the
defending player is not considered to be obstructing because it was the attacking player
and not the defending player who shortened the distance.
A player must not use intimidating actions against an opponent with or without the ball.

Held Ball
A player must pass the ball or shoot for goal, within three seconds (six for Netta).
Over a Third
The ball cannot be thrown over a complete third without being touched by a player in
that third.
The pass is taken from the third where the player gained possession. It does not matter
if they step into an adjacent third to throw.
A free pass is taken where the ball crossed the second transverse line.

Offside
Players must stay within their designated playing areas.
A player may reach over and take the ball from an offside area provided that no part of
their body touches the ground in that area.
When two opposing players go offside but neither touches the ball, there are not
penalised.
If one or both players are in possession of the ball when they go offside, a toss up is
given in their area of play.

Out of Court
When the ball goes out of court it is thrown in by an opponent of the team which was
last to touch it.
The player taking the throw in should place one or both feet behind the point where the
ball crossed the line and make sure all other players are on the court before throwing
the ball.
If a player has no contact with the ball they may stand or move out of the court but must
make contact with the playing area and have no other contact with anything outside the
court before attempting to touch the ball again.

Footwork (Stepping)
One foot Landing
When a player lands on one foot they may step with the other foot, lift the landing foot,
but must throw before regrounding it.
They may use the landing foot as a pivoting foot, stepping in any direction with the other
foot as many times as they wish. Once the pivoting foot is lifted they must pass or shoot
before regrounding this foot.
A player may jump from the landing foot onto the other foot and jump again, providing
they throw the ball before regrounding either foot.
NB. A player cannot: drag or slide the landing foot, hop on either foot.
Two foot Landing
If a player catches the ball and lands on both feet simultaneously, they may step in any
direction with one foot, lift the other foot but must throw or shoot before regrounding this
foot.
They may pivot on one foot, stepping in any direction with the other foot as often as they
wish. Once the pivot foot is lifted they must throw the ball before regrounding this foot.
They may jump from both feet onto either foot, or step and jump but must throw or shoot
before regrounding either foot. NB. Netta players are allowed to shuffle their feet to
regain balance but are encouraged top use correct footwork.

Playing the Ball

A player who has possession of the ball may not bounce the ball and replay it.
If a player does not catch the ball cleanly, it may be bounced once to gain possession or
batted or bounced to another team mate.
After throwing the ball, a player cannot play it again until it is touched by another player,
or rebounds off the goal post.

Short Pass
There must always be room for a third player to move between the hands of the thrower
and those of the receiver when passing. Passes that do not have this room are called
short passes.
A player cannot: punch, roll, kick or fall on the ball.
Pass the ball in any way while lying, sitting or kneeling on the ground
Use the goal post as a way to regain balance or as a support while stopping the ball
from going out of court.

The Toss Up
A toss up is used to put the ball into play when:

 opposing players simultaneously contact each other.

 Opposing players simultaneously knock the ball out of court.
 Opposing players simultaneously gain possession of the ball.
 The umpire is unable to decide who last touched the ball out of court.
 Opposing players are simultaneously offside with one in possession of the ball.
 The two players stand 0.9m ( 1.2m for Nettas) apart, facing each other and
 Their own goal ends. Their arms should be straight with hands by their sides.

Once in position, they must not move until the umpire has tossed it up from just below
shoulder height of the shorter player and blown the whistle.
The ball may be caught or batted except directly at an opponent.
A Goal Shooter or Goal Attack may shoot for goal from a successful possession at a
toss up.

Penalties
There are three types of penalties in netball:

 a free pass
  a penalty pass
 a penalty pass or shot:

Free Pass
A free pass is awarded for all other infringements on the court.
The pass is taken where the infringement occurred by any player who is allowed in the
area.
The offending player does not have to stand beside the thrower taking the pass.
If a free pass is awarded in the goal circle, the circle players may only pass the ball –
not shoot for goal.

Penalty Pass
A penalty pass is awarded for contact, intimidation and obstruction infringements.
The pass is taken where the infringer was standing, except if it places the non
defending team at a disadvantage.
The pass can be taken by any player who is allowed in the area.
The penalised player must stand “out of play”. That is, beside and away from the player
taking the pass and make no attempt to take part in play until the ball has left the
throwers hands.
If a penalty is given to a Goal Attack or Goal Shooter in the goal circle they are awarded
a “penalty pass or shot”.
 
Description and rules
http://www.wikipwedia.com

[edit] Objective

The objective of a game of netball is for players to pass the ball to a teammate within the
opposition's goal circle and score goals. The team with the most goals at the end of a game is the
winner.

[edit] Court and its dimensions

A netball court is divided into thirds.

A netball court.

Like basketball, netball is played on either a hard or soft court with scoring hoops or "rings" at
both ends. The court is slightly larger than a basketball court, being 30.5 m long and 15.25 m
wide. The longer sides are called "side lines" and the shorter sides are called "goal lines"or "back
lines". Court markings are no more than 50 mm wide. The court is divided into thirds which
regulate where individuals of each position are allowed to move. A 90 cm-diameter "centre
circle" is located in the centre of the court. At each end of the court there is a 4.9 m-radius semi-
circular "shooting circle" or "goal circle" from within which all scoring shots must be taken. The
goal posts are 3.05 m high from the top of the ring to the ground and have no backboards. The
rings have an internal diameter of 380 mm and are located 150 mm forward from the post and
are made of 15 mm diameter steel. The height is the same as a basketball hoop, but in netball the
diameter of the rings is 3 inches smaller. It is possible to play netball using a basketball hoop but
if there is any contact between the ball and the backboard, the ball is considered out of play. If a
goal is scored off the backboard it does not count. Some versions of the rules allow a goal to be
scored from a backboard rebound if a player who can catch the ball throws the ball in without
touching the ground.

[edit] Ball

The ball resembles a basketball but is lighter, smaller, slightly softer in construction, and
generally white. A netball will often have patterns engraved or stitched into its design similar to
a volleyball. Gilbert is the official ball supplier of the International Federation of Netball
Associations.

[edit] Positions

There are seven players on each team, who are given nominated, named positions (some
junior/training variants have only five players per team). Each player must wear a "bib" showing
one of the abbreviations below, indicating that player's position. Each player is only allowed in
certain areas of the court: a player in a section of court that is not part of their playing area is
deemed "offside". The positions are described below:

Netball positions
Position Name Abbreviation Player to mark Areas permitted
Goal Shooter GS Goal Keeper Attacking third, including the goal circle
Goal Attack GA Goal Defence Attacking and centre thirds, including the goal circle
Wing Attack WA Wing Defence Attacking and centre thirds, but not the goal circle
Centre C Centre All areas of the court, except the goal circles
Wing Defence WD Wing Attack Centre and defending thirds, but not the goal circle
Goal Defence GD Goal Attack Centre and defending thirds, including the goal circle
Goal Keeper GK Goal Shooter Defending third, including the goal circle

[edit] Scoring goals

By the combination of the above, only the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter are able to score goals
directly, and this may only be done from the inside of the circle. The job of the Goal Defence
and Goal Keeper is to block the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter from shooting, however they
must be a meter or more away from the shooter, otherwise it is called an obstruction. In this, the
Goal Keeper or Goal Defence must stand by the shooter's side and are now not allowed to block.
A ball that passes through the hoop, but has been thrown either from outside the circle or by a
player not the GA or GS, is deemed a "no goal". Furthermore, a shooter (GA or GS) may not
shoot for a goal if a "free pass" has been awarded for an infringement such as stepping, offside,
or using the post.
If a player misses and the ball does not touch the rim or any part of the post, the player cannot
catch it otherwise it is called repossession. This results in a free pass to the other team.

[edit] Starting and restarting play

A netball game in Australia.

A netball game in action.

At the beginning of every quarter or after a goal is scored, play starts from the centre of the court
with a "centre pass". These passes alternate between the teams, regardless of which team scored
the last goal. A centre pass is made by a player in the "centre" position who must have one foot
grounded within the centre circle. As the game restarts, only the player in the 'Centre' position
from each team are allowed in the centre third of the court. When the umpire blows the whistle
to restart play, players in the positions "Goal Attack", "Goal Defence", "Wing Attack" and
"Wing Defence" can move into the centre third, where the centre pass must be caught.

If the ball touches the ground outside the court boundaries, then a member of the team that was
not the last to touch the ball before it went out is able to throw the ball back into the court to
restart play.

[edit] Stepping, footwork, and passing

Netball rules do not permit players to let their landing foot touch the ground again if it is lifted at
all while in possession of the ball, so players can take 1.5 steps while holding the ball. Players
are entitled to balance on the other foot if the landing foot is lifted. Consequently, the only way
to move the ball towards the goal is to throw the ball to a team-mate. The ball cannot be held by
a player for more than three seconds at any time, and players may not tap the ball to themselves.
The player cannot catch the ball, drop it and pick it up again; this is called a replayed ball. The
duration before it is called a drop is determined by the umpire. These rules, combined with the
restrictions on where one player of a particular position can move, ensure that everyone on the
team is regularly involved in play.

[edit] Contact and obstruction

Contact is only permitted provided it does not impede with an opponent or the general play and
players must be at least three feet (90 centimetres) away from a player with the ball while
attempting to defend. If impeding contact is made, a penalty is given to the team of the player
who was contacted, and the player who contacted must stand "out of play", meaning they cannot
participate in play until the player taking the penalty has passed the ball.

[edit] Playing time

A game is played in four quarters, each one lasting fifteen minutes, with intervals of three
minutes between the first and second quarters, and between the third and fourth quarters. There
is also an interval of five minutes at half time. If a player has an injury, a team-mate or umpire
calls time, and the time keeper pauses the timer. When the game starts and the player has
swapped places with another player, or is healthy, play is resumed and the timer is restarted.

[edit] Variations

[edit] Indoor netball

Main article: Indoor netball

Indoor netball is a variation of netball, played exclusively indoors, in which the playing court is
surrounded on each side and overhead by a net. The net prevents the ball from leaving the court,
reducing the number of playing stoppages. This gives indoor netball a faster pace than netball.

[edit] Fastnet

Main article: Fastnet (netball)

Fastnet is a variations on the rules of netball designed to make games faster and more television-
friendly. It is employed in the World Netball Series with the ultimate aim of raising the sport's
profile and attracting more spectators and greater sponsorship.[6][7][8] The modified rules are
outlined below.[9]

 Timing: Each quarter lasts only six minutes, compared with 15 minutes in normal
international netball competition. Breaks in between quarters are two minutes each.
Injury time-outs are 30 seconds only; standard rules allow for one initial two-minute
injury time-out.
 Coaching: Coaches can give instructions to players from the sidelines during play, from
in front of their playing bench. Standard international rules do not allow coaching during
play.
 Substitutions: As in basketball,[10] teams will be allowed to use rolling substitutions, with
no stoppages in play per substitution and with unlimited substitutions per quarter.
Standard international rules only allow substitutions either between quarters or when a
player is injured.
 Power plays: Each team can separately nominate one "power play" quarter, in which
each goal scored by that team counts for double points. This is somewhat similar to
powerplays in One Day International and Twenty20 cricket,[10] although it is not a feature
of standard netball.
 Two-point shots: Similar to three-point field goals in basketball and two-point goals in
six-a-side indoor netball, the goal shooter (GS) and goal attack (GA) may shoot goals
from outside the shooting circle. These goals count for two points; in a power-play
quarter, they would count for four points. Umpires raise one arm for a single-point goal
and two arms for a two-point goal. In standard netball rules, goals can only be shot from
within the shooting circle and count for one point only.
 Centre passes: After each goal, the team that conceded the goal takes the next centre
pass; teams alternate taking the first centre pass of each quarter. Under normal rules, a
coin toss determines the first centre pass of the match, after which centre passes alternate
between the two teams.
 Tied scores: Ties will be decided by penalty shoot-outs, similar to those in association
football.[11] Often in competitive netball, tied games simply continue until one team wins
in extra time, or else subsequently achieves a two-goal advantage.