Talking to umpires.

The game gives players and coaches several legitimate ways to talk to umpires — and most of them go unused, even by teams who feel hard done by. This page covers when to ask, what to ask, and how to ask it so the answer actually helps you.

Umpires are people and their communication styles differ — some will be very open and chatty, and some are more reserved. Like any interaction, you need to adapt how you communicate based on the person you're communicating with.

If you're not sure why you've just been pinged, you can often simply ask — provided the question can be answered in a word or two, and provided you pick your moment. "Was it hands first, or was it just distance?" as the penalty is being set works well: it's a quick question that allows the umpire to give a quick answer, and most umpires will generally give you one.

The other workable window is when the ball is at the other end of the court and the umpire you want to ask is in the support position on the sideline. Even then, keep it to a quick question — not a challenge to the decision — that allows a quick answer. Bear in mind the umpire is still working: they're supporting their co-umpire and watching the game. It's a moment for a quick question, not a conversation.

Asking these questions also generally works better at higher-level games with more experienced umpires. At lower levels, less experienced umpires need to devote their attention to umpiring the game and getting the best decisions — don't expect the same instant feedback you might get from an umpire at elite level.

The rules let players approach the umpires at breaks for rule clarification — the formal procedure, from the umpire's side, is in Match protocols. Hardly any teams use it, including teams who clearly feel aggrieved and clearly don't understand what they're being called for. If that's your team at quarter time, go and ask. How you do it decides what you get back:

• Send one or two players. Sending three or more can look like you're pressuring the umpires, and it's just too many people to have the interaction sensibly — one or two is best. It's players only: coaches and other team officials will be sent back to their bench.
• Let the umpires get their drinks first. Quarter time is also their recovery and their co-umpire chat. Give them a little time before you walk over — at least thirty seconds — so they can focus on the conversation rather than on getting their drinks.
• Ask a rule-based question — framed for the context you actually care about. The rules require the question to be about the rule itself, but nothing stops you from providing some additional framing: "Can you clarify the contact rule? We feel the defenders are pushing us in the back in the shooting circle." That is a legitimate rule question that gives the umpire the context for what you're asking about — it makes for a more productive discussion, and means they're focusing on what you want them to focus on.
• Come from curiosity — "help us understand". "We're seeing our defenders being pinged for a lot of contact and we're not sure why. Can you help us understand what you're seeing?" might get you: "the inside arm is catching the player, even when the outside arm is clean." Now you have something you can fix. "We think you're missing lots of contact in the circle" isn't a question, it's a statement — it's unlikely to lead to a productive discussion or get you any benefit.
• Take the answer, say thank you, walk away. Whatever the answer is — no back-and-forth, no debating. The umpires have their own tasks to complete at quarter time. You've got your clarification; go and think about how to use it and talk it over with your team and your coaches.

At some higher-level games there is an opportunity for the coach to speak with the umpires — generally a few minutes after full time. Check whether your competition has procedures for this: it may be conducted courtside, or the umpires may need their assessors present — if you're not sure, then ask. You shouldn't try to catch an umpire just as they come off the court; letting everybody take a breath first makes for a better conversation. At elite games where a reserve umpire is appointed, they will usually come and ask at the end of the game — normally via the team manager — whether there is anything you'd like to clarify.

Depending on the competition's rules, you may also be able to bring a player into the discussion — but don't bring a crowd. Two people at most, so it doesn't come across as pressuring the umpires and the discussion stays manageable.

It's an opportunity to present your perspective, as long as you don't make it confrontational. If you want to make a point — "We feel our shooters are taking a lot of contact in the back" — make it, and let the umpires respond. Don't turn it into an argument or a chance to criticise. If the game was filmed, the umpires will probably go back and have a watch — they may conclude they missed some things, or that they got it right. Either way, you've put your perspective across respectfully and on their radar.

Think about how you would approach a conversation with a player on your own team. "Here's what we've seen — help us understand what you're seeing" is a far more productive way to get your point across than criticism. There should never be anything personal in it — it's always about the decision-making, and umpires, particularly at the elite level, should be professional enough to detach and have that discussion properly. But if it's criticism, criticism, criticism, you'll likely get defensiveness — emotions are already running high after a game — and it's unlikely to have the effect you want.

Some umpires will be more open after a game than others. If an umpire is happy to talk, you can extend the discussion — more topics, at a deeper level. If they clearly don't want the conversation, that happens too: umpiring 60 minutes of high-level netball is tough and can be stressful, and you won't get much by pushing harder. As always, adapt your communication style.

Talking to umpires doesn't have to be confined to match day. Every club, at every level, can build its rule understanding by using the umpires it already has. If you have umpires within your own club, use them: bring them into team discussions, ask for their feedback after games, ask whether they have suggestions. You may have to tease it out of them — umpires are used to nobody asking — but they have real value to add. The same goes for any other useful skill in your club: if the knowledge is there, put it to work.

At lower levels the payoff can actually be bigger, because the gaps are more basic and easier to close. Take the throw-in: Rule 6 requires at least one foot within 15 cm of the line, and plenty of players have been pinged for an incorrect throw-in without ever knowing that requirement existed — the umpire had to move on and never had time to explain. Asking an umpire in your club can help players understand why they've been pinged and stop them repeating it in future — an easy fix, and a quick win.

At a high-performance level, you can go further — potentially inviting external umpires to your training sessions who are umpiring at the level you're playing at, or higher. These umpires can talk to your players, answer questions, and umpire scenarios. It can be a great environment to get the umpire's perspective, because everything is calm and the stakes are low. It's usually best done in the off-season, particularly if you want elite umpires from your top competitions — mid-season it can end up a bit awkward, particularly for top-level umpires who may be visiting a team's training session shortly before games where they're umpiring the teams involved. That's why the off-season is best, but you can still do it mid-season and the benefits are all still there.

The best way to understand an umpire's perspective is to become one.