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 8: Centre pass

Rule 8 outlines the procedures for the centre pass and the responsibilities of the umpire in managing this.

Tracking the Centre Pass Direction

Accurately tracking the centre pass is an essential part of umpiring. Most umpires use a band on their wrist or fingers to indicate which team has the next centre pass, swapping it after each goal. Whether you keep the band on the side of the team with the next pass or the opposite, consistency is key.

Common Sources of Error
Source of Error How to Avoid
Tactical changes or other distractions after a goal Always change the band immediately after a goal before dealing with anything else
Goal scored but centre pass not taken before end of quarter Reverse the band to indicate the same team retains the pass. Confirm direction with your co-umpire and scorers at the end of each quarter
Additional Checks
  • Both umpires should clearly signal centre pass direction after each goal. The controlling umpire should also verbally confirm the team.
  • If an official bench is available, the bench-side umpire should reconfirm direction after stoppages before a centre pass (e.g. for a tactical change).
  • Scorers should notify umpires if both signal the wrong direction (with either a buzzer or audible notification) - in practice this will only happen at higher-level games.
  • Players may appeal before a centre pass is taken. Umpires should verify with scorers. Repeated incorrect appeals may be penalised for delaying play.
Centre Pass Check Procedure
  1. Hold time and announce a centre pass check.
  2. Bench-side umpire confirms direction with scorers.
  3. Communicate direction to all players and the co-umpire.
  4. The scorers' direction should be used even if both umpires signalled differently. In local games, the scorers may need assistance confirming odds/evens, particularly if a centre pass was not taken at the end of one of the quarters.
  5. The controlling umpire restarts play.
Important: Once the centre pass is taken, no correction can be made. If an error is discovered after the pass, alternate centre passes from that point. Do not compound the error by reverting back to the 'correct' sequence (meaning a team would get 3 centre passes in a row instead of just 2).

Controlling Umpire

At the Start of a Quarter

The umpire controlling the goal end of the team with the centre pass.

After a Goal

The umpire controlling the end where the goal was scored.

Note: If time is held before the centre pass is taken, the controlling umpire remains the same and restarts time.

Centre Pass Not Taken

A centre pass is ruled not taken if, when the whistle is blown to end the quarter:

  • The Centre still holds the ball and no player from that team has been penalised.
  • An infringement (e.g. breaking) by the opposing team has been penalised and the resulting sanction has not been taken.
Time Wasting: Be aware of teams deliberately wasting time before taking a centre pass to try to retain it for the next quarter. If the ball is materially slower getting back to the Centre than usual, consider holding time and if necessary, giving proactive advice or penalising the Centre for delaying play. You may use the scoreboard (if visible) to check whether more than 3 seconds remained at the time of the centre pass whistle as an indicator for whether to penalise for held ball.
Advantage Considerations

For the second point, if the infringement is by the team not taking the centre pass and there are only a few seconds left in the quarter, you may choose not to play advantage—even if you normally would. Awarding the sanction means the team retains the centre pass into the next quarter, whereas if advantage is played, there may not be enough time for them to score. In this case, penalising could actually be to their benefit, so it's important to judge the situation carefully.

Infringements at the Centre Pass

Categories of Infringement
Before the Whistle

Contact, obstruction, or delaying play.

The whistle is blown for the centre pass and then blown again to penalise the infringement. The sanction should be set where the infringement occurred.

At the Whistle

Incorrect position (by the Centre or by other players) or breaking.

After the Whistle

Held ball, footwork, untouched, or other standard infringements.

Umpiring Process
  • Check for breaking/incorrect position while blowing the whistle.
  • Glance back to confirm the Centre's positioning (for the controlling umpire). Ideally you are also monitoring this in your peripheral vision while watching the transverse line.
  • Non-controlling umpire should pause briefly after the whistle is blown before penalising any minor infringements to avoid conflicting calls (in any case, the controlling umpire's call would take priority).
Umpiring Positioning
Ball Towards Your Goal End

Stand halfway between centre circle and transverse line.

Ball Away From Your Goal End

Stand in line with the centre circle.

Positioning Tip: Step back or adjust if visibility is compromised, for example due to players setting up very close to the side line or there being clusters of players at the transverse line which requires a wider view.
Infringements by the Centre

The Centre must have one foot wholly within the centre circle (including the lines bounding the circle) when the whistle is blown for the centre pass. If the Centre runs up and the first foot straddles the circle, but the second foot immediately steps fully into the circle, delay the whistle slightly until that second foot lands. This avoids unnecessarily penalising the Centre for incorrect positioning.

If the Centre delays getting back to the centre circle or lingers before stepping in, penalise for delaying play. If possible, you may hold time (to avoid further delays) to give the Centre proactive advice to hurry up.

Breaking/Incorrect Position
  • Players must return to their goal thirds after a goal. They can't block others from returning but can hold their ground.
  • Address issues proactively with a quick word 'allow the players back onside'. Penalise for delaying play if needed (the whistle is blown for the centre pass first and then again to penalise delaying play).
  • Once back in the goal third, players may not enter the centre third before the whistle. They may stand on the transverse line or jump from the goal third and be in the air over the centre third when the whistle is blown.
Two Types of Infringement:
Incorrect Position

Player failed to return to the goal third (sanction is set in the centre third) or opposing Centre is positioned in the goal third (sanction is set in the goal third).

Breaking

Player re-enters centre third before the whistle is blown for the centre pass. This should be penalised even if the player returns to the goal third before the whislte is blown for the centre pass. Sanction is set in the centre third.

Apply advantage where appropriate, especially for infringements by the opposing team on their attacking transverse line.
Two Opposing Players Breaking

If two opposing players break or are positioned incorrectly at the centre pass, no sanction is awarded (and no advantage is played) unless one of those players touches or catches the ball. In that case, possession should be awarded to the team that took the centre pass, with the sanction set at the point where the two players were positioned (as outlined in Rule 20).

Ball Not Received Correctly
Requirements for Correct Receipt

The first player from the team taking the centre pass to touch the ball must either:

  • Be standing wholly within the centre third (including the transverse lines), or
  • Land their first foot or both feet in the centre third (and land within the court).

If either of these conditions is met, play continues and the team is free to play the ball without further restriction.

Untouched Sanction

Otherwise, the team is penalised for untouched and the free pass is awarded as follows:

  • If contact or first landing was in the goal third, set the sanction by the transverse line.
  • If they landed out of court, set the free pass near the landing point which could be in the centre third (note a free pass is awarded, not a throw-in).
Opposing Player Touches First

If a player from the opposing team touches the ball first and is either standing or lands within the centre third, play continues. In particular, if the ball is deflected by an opposing player in the centre third then caught by a player from the team taking the centre pass in the goal third, play continues as normal.

If an opposing player touches or catches the centre pass in the goal third or lands with feet astride the transverse line, the umpire may penalise the team taking the centre pass for untouched and award a free pass near where the ball was touched or caught at the transverse line in the goal third. Alternatively, the umpire may choose to play advantage—this must be communicated clearly and loudly, as players may expect a free pass to be awarded and could be confused otherwise.

Out of Court: If the ball goes directly over the side line in the centre third from the centre pass, award a throw-in.