World Netball have updated the rule book for 2024 to help refine and enhance the game, ensuring it remains accessible, fair, and enjoyable for everyone involved. World Netball have also taken a look at those more tricky rules and have re-defined them to make them more clearer for everyone. These rules will come into effect for recreational netball from the 1st September and all Play Netball leagues will be implementing these rules.
Tactical Changes Are Now Allowed.
Gone are the days where teams had to fake an injury to be able to swap players on court. Now teams can request a ‘tactical change’ directly after a goal has been scored. This can take the form of a team change (switching positions on court) or bringing on a substitute (taking a player from the bench to replace a player on court).
Goals After The Whistle
Any goal which is now scored after the umpire has blown their whistle to end each quarter will now count, so long as the ball had already left the shooting players hands before the whistle was blown.
Centre Pass Checks
Players on court can now appeal to the umpires before the centre pass is made if they believe the team with the next centre pass is incorrect. However, once the centre pass has been taken, any mistakes cannot be rectified.
Toss Up Removal
Say goodbye to toss ups. Toss ups were used when an infringement happened at the same time. Now umpires will penalise the infringement which occurs first. However, there will still be moments of simultaneous infringements, if this does happen the umpire will award possession to the team that was last in possession of the ball.
Short Pass
This rule has been updated so when a player passes the ball there must be sufficient space on the court for the opposing player to be able to deflect or intercept the ball as it moves from the hands of one player to another.
Throw In
If you’re waiting to take a throw in you no longer have to wait for every player to be on court. This rule has been updated to help speed up the game and ensures momentum isn’t lost.
Player Safety
Blood: A player who is bleeding, has an open wound or blood stained clothing must leave the court and be substituted. But it is now no longer a requirement for players with dry blood to leave the court – they must now clean up quickly and continue playing. If any clothing becomes blood stained it must also be replaced quickly.
Injuries: Umpires can now hold time for injury and illness without a request being made by a player on court. Players can still request to umpires to hold time for injured or ill players.
Foul Play
Foul play rules have been updated into three categories: unfair play, unsporting behaviour, and dangerous play. Players can be warned, suspended, or ordered off. The umpire can also choose to advance the ball further up the court.
Game Management
Cautions have now been removed and umpires can now advance or escalate a sanction. Usually umpires will work through these game management actions in order unless a serious offence has occurred on court. The order goes:
Proactive advice
Advance/Escalate
Warning
Suspension
Ordering Off
Advantage
This is a refresh to the existing rule. A team should not be disadvantaged when an opponent infringes. If an infringement occurs, and the non-infringing team would be disadvantaged by the umpire blowing their whistle they will refrain and instead call advantage, allowing play to continue.
Contact
Is netball a non-contact sport? A key principle to netball is equal contest, and the ability for players to compete fairly for playing position and possession of the ball. There are two main components for contact:
Interference. A player must not engage in physical contact that unfairly interferes with an opponent’s play.
Causing. There are two sections for causing:
- Moving player: a player must not take up a position so near to or quickly in the path of a moving opponent that the opponent does not have enough time or space, either to stop or change direction.
- Playing in the air: when two players jump in the air to contest, the player who gains possession has ‘right of way’ and must be given space to land.
Replaying the Ball
This is probably one of the most confusing rules in netball. This is a refresh to the existing rule on how you can gain possession of the ball. You can:
- Catch the ball with one or both hands
- Roll the ball to oneself
- Catch the ball if it rebounds from the goalpost
- Bat the ball once, then catch it
- Touch the ball in an uncontrolled manner once or more than once, then catch it.
You cannot fall on the ground to gain possession of the ball, or gain possession whilst sitting on the ground. The goal post cannot be used as support to gain or retain possession of the ball.
Without possession of the ball, a player can:
- Bat or bounce the ball to another player
- Bat the ball once, and then either bat or bounce the ball to another player
- Bounce the ball once, and then either bat or bounce the ball to another player
- Touch the ball in an uncontrolled manner once or more than once, and then either bat or bounce the ball to another player.
You cannot kick the ball, strike the ball with a fist, roll the ball to another player, as well as pass or take a shot for goal whilst lying, kneeling or sitting on the ground.
Play Netball has created a PDF that outlines all the new rules, providing a useful reference for both players and umpires. If you would like a copy of this updated rule guide, please click here.
