Rules of the Game
Rules can shape the game in many ways.
Netball is a pretty straightforward game, and it can fall into two basic categories: Minor (or “technical”) rules and Major rules.
Minor rule=held ball, stepping, breaking offside and over a third.
Major rule=obstruction, intimidation, contact and discipline.
If a player breaks a minor rule the opposition is awarded a free pass, which is a pass taken from the same spot where the rule was broken.
Breaking a major rule is more serious, and results in the opposing team being awarded a penalty pass.
A penalty pass is similar to a free pass, except the player who broke the rule must stand out of the way until the pass is taken. i.e. beside the player
If a player gives away a penalty pass in the goal circle then the shooter can take a free shot at goal.
A game consists of 4 x 15 minute quarters with an interval of 3 minutes between the first and second and third and fourth quarters and a 5-minute half time interval. There is up to 2 minutes of time allowed for injury
IFNA Official Rule Book £4.50
The Executive Officer IFNA. Belle Vue Leisure Centre, Kirimanshulme Lane, Longsight, Manchester England M12 4TF
Position and there roles
The goal shooter's main job is simply to score goals! They are allowed in the attacking third and the goal circle BUT nowhere else on the court. The GS must have sharp shooting skills. They have to be able to react quickly, dealing with passes and rebounds. Goal shooters have the steadiest hands on the court and are often among the taller players.
The goal attack is also allowed to try to score goals. They can play in the centre third, the attacking third and the goal circle but NOT the defensive third. The GA's main duty is to feed the goal shooter so they can fire the ball into the net close to the post. But if the defenders are marking the GS then the GA will often have a shot from nearer the edge of the goal circle. The GA must have both strong passing and shooting skills.
The wing attack is the key play-maker of the netball court. It is their job to create as many goal-scoring chances as possible by passing the ball to the shooters. The WA can move in the attacking and centre third BUT not in the goal circle or the defensive third. The wing attack has to have solid passing and collecting skills. They also need good footwork and the ability to open up space on the court.
Centres are able to move in the whole court, with the exception of the goal circles. They have to help out in defence and attack. But they are mainly relied upon to shift the ball away from the defensive area into attack. Centres also restart the game each time a goal has been scored. They do this by making a pass from the centre circle.
The wing defence can go into the centre and defensive thirds, but NOT in the attacking third or the goal circle. Their main job is to stop the ball reaching the opposition's goal circle. They must intercept passes and feed them back to the attacking areas. As well as getting the ball forward they have to mark the opposite wing attack. The wing defence must be focused and good at controlling the ball.
The goal defence patrols the defensive third, the goal circle and the centre third. Their main job is to stop the opposition from scoring and to get the ball out of the danger area! The Goal Defence has to keep a close eye on the other team's goal attack. They must have good skills of anticipation so they can block passes and get the ball out to their own attacking players.
The goalkeeper is the last line of defence. They guard the goal circle and the defensive third and must stop the goal shooter from scoring. They have to stay alert so they can collect rebounds off the post and intercept passes. Goalkeepers are also responsible for taking throw-ins from the goal line. They are often tall and physical players who are prepared to fiercely protect their goal post!
Equipment
The ball is made of leather, rubber or similar material, weighing 400-450 grams and measuring 70cm (27-28in) in circumference.
The goal posts are 3.05m (10ft) in height. The goal rings have an internal diameter of 38cm (15in). The goal ring projects horizontally from the post on a single attachment measuring 15cm (6 in) in length. There is netting attached to the diameter of the ring hanging approximately 30cm (12in).
The Court
(1)
The court is 30.5 metres (100ft) long and 15.25metres (50ft) wide, the court is divided into thirds. There is a center circle with a diameter of 0.9 metre (3ft) this is in the middle third of the court and two goal D semi-circles measuring 4.9 metres (16ft) in radius. One at each end of the court on the back line.
All marked lines are part of the court and measure 5cm (2in) in width.
The goal posts are placed mid point on the back line in the semi-circle.
National Governing Bodies
All England Netball Association Australian Netball
Netball Scotland Netball Singapore
Welsh Netball Association Netball New Zealand
Nevis Netball Netball Victoria
Netball Coaching/Umpiring Qualifications and Types of Awards (2)
AENA = All England Netball Association
Level 1 Assistant Coach Certificate
Level 1 Coach assessment module
Level ½ bridging course
Level 2 club coach award
Level 3 county coach award
Young netball organiser
Athlete talent identification and development workshop.
Umpiring beginner award
FENA C award
FENA B award
FENA A award
Country accreditation
IFNA international umpire award
Structure of Netball
Netball is derived from an early form of basketball, which was brought to England from America at the turn of the Century Netball is played mainly by women but an increasing number of men are discovering the game. Netball is played in over fifty countries and on all 5 continents, the IFNA governs world Netball that was founded in 1960. Wales was a founder member the IFNA congress meets every two years and consists of delegates from member countries and representatives from each of the following regions Asia Americas Africas Europe and Oceania Events organised by IFNA include the World Championships which have been held every four years since 1963 and the World Youth Championship for U21 teams which has been held every four years since 1988, The worlds leading netball countries are Australia and New Zealand and between them they have won all the world titles that have been played for so far.
IFNA’S MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD (3).
What are the major changes in the rules?
The 1998 changes were brought in with the intention of "speeding up" the game, making it more "spectator-friendly" and less "pedantic" (to quote from IFNA's news bulletin). Most of these changes were pretty self-explanatory, were unlikely to have a major impact on the "ordinary" player's approach to the game, and may well have something of the desired effect; but two of the changes, regarding contact and taking of penalties, made a lot of difference and were been the subject of much anecdotal complaint.
Whilst the concept of taking a penalty "near" the point of the offence (in an attempt to speed up the recommencement of play) might seem reasonable in theory, in practice it was a big pain: how near is "near"? Suggestions as to interpretation included anywhere on a line parallel to the point of the infringement (as currently being done by the Australian national squad - to boos from the crowd when done by the shooter inside the circle, so a first-hand account reports to me) or anywhere behind such a line. It strikes me that the former of these in particular is hardly in keeping with what most people would consider the intention of the change (to speed up and simplify play), and guidelines were subsequently suggested to keep penalties within natural areas of the court.
The changes to the contact rules likewise caused difficulties to many players (and umpires) I spoke to. Quite apart from the fact that many players didn't like the idea that they could no longer block down court (one could even interpret the changes to invalidate blocking entirely), the possibilities of injury through contact increased by this relaxation of the rules. It was suggested to me that this change was in part to reduce the number of contact calls slowing up the game (and I freely admit that, personally, I don't believe incidental contact should be pulled unless there is disadvantage, to keep the game flowing) but surely, if this is supposed to be a non-contact sport, that's how it should be played? Watch any high level game and the majority of contacts are waived away on the advantage rule. A good umpire uses his/her judgment - another point that was said by some to be an issue, in that this led to inconsistency - but surely there will still have to be judgement as to what constitutes "impeding"? As those of you who know me know, I am a big proponent of mixed netball, and this sort of rule change made many female players I know far more wary of playing mixed because they no longer had the protection against contact by the (usually bigger, faster and thus in their minds more "dangerous") men. (4)
Reference
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(Andy Dawson)