Rules & Interpretations
Home 1: Technical specifications 2: Time 3: Team 4: Match officials 5: Technical and event officials 6: Sanctions and actions 7: Advantage 8: Centre pass 9: Scoring a goal 10: Stoppages 11: Playing the ball 12: Passing distances 13: Footwork 14: Offside 15: Out of court 16: Obstruction 17: Contact 18: Game management 19: Foul play 20: Simultaneous and mutual infringements 21: Variations for other levels of play

Rule 1: Technical specifications

There's not a great deal to interpret in Rule 1, as it largely covers specifications as the name suggests. However, there are a few things that it's good to be aware of.

Court Areas

To interpret other rules effectively, it's important to understand the defined areas:

Field of Play

Court + Court Surround

Playing Enclosure

Field of Play + Bench Zone
Court + Court Surround + Bench Zone

Key Point: These definitions are commonly referenced throughout the rule book and are essential for understanding other rules.

Court Dimensions & Layout

Court dimensions are set out in the rules, but in practice, umpires aren't going to get the tape measure out. The key is to use common sense—if something looks clearly off (e.g. the court is unusually small), raise it with the home team and report it to the league or competition organiser.

Pre-Match Court Check
  • Identify Netball Lines: Because many courts have multisport markings, identifying the netball lines during your warm-up is essential.
  • Walk Key Positions: Walk your key umpiring positions to check how lines appear from different angles.
  • Watch for Distractions: Look out for visual distractions, such as similarly coloured lines nearby.
  • Safety Check: Do a quick check of the court and goalposts to ensure they're safe—look out for things like loose tape, debris, or stray shuttlecock feathers that could cause a trip hazard.

Goalposts

Key Points to Remember:
The Net is Part of the Goalpost

If the ball touches the net, players may regain possession (Rule 11.6).

The Base is NOT Part of the Goalpost

If the ball contacts the base (or any ground-level attachment extending beyond the post), this is considered out-of-court (Rule 15.1(a)).

Safety Requirements

The rules require goalposts to be padded and securely fixed to the ground. We're often not afforded this luxury at local leagues, so a degree of flexibility is needed—but safety must always come first.

Safety First: If a post is clearly unstable (e.g. at risk of tipping), you're within your rights to refuse to start the match and should report the issue to the league or competition organiser.

Ball

While you're not expected to measure the ball, a few basic checks are important to ensure it's suitable for play:

Size

Make sure the ball appears to be the correct size—occasionally, a smaller junior ball can be provided by mistake.

Inflation

The ball should be firm but not overinflated. You should be able to press your thumb into it slightly; if it's too hard, it becomes more difficult to catch and increases the risk of finger injuries.

Bounce

Drop the ball from waist or shoulder height—it should bounce to roughly half that height. This is particularly useful for balls with a spongey outer layer where pressure is harder to gauge by feel.

Replacement Balls: Be alert to the condition of any replacement balls. At higher-level games, these are provided at the official bench and can be checked before the match begins. At local leagues, however, a replacement ball may simply be thrown on from the team bench—so take a moment to check it before restarting play.