“No player may contact an opponent, either accidentally or deliberately, in such a way that interferes with the play of that opponent or causes contact to occur.” Therefore players are not able to: Move into the path of an opponent who’s committed to a particular landing space Position so closely to an opponent that the player is unable to move without contacting (this refers to when a player is being double marked, usually a shooter). Push, trip, hold or lean on an opponent or use other forms of physical contact. Place a hand or hands on a ball held by an opponent or knock or remove the ball from possession of an opponent While holding the ball, push it into the hands of an opponent. The umpire’s role is to watch the game and determine which player is “causing contact to occur”. The umpire is there to judge whether it’s the attacker or defender who is committed to a particular space on court and therefore which player is causing contact to occur. The umpire will inform the teams who the penalty was against and that a penalty pass/shot has been awarded. The umpire swill stand at the position at the side of the court where they want the penalty to be taken from. If you’re ever unsure where to take the penalty from, you need to look at the positioning of the umpire for guidance. Failure to set the penalty correctly in this way will result in a reversal of the penalty and a free pass to the opposing team. A lot of contact disrupts the flow of the game. It also puts your team at a tactical disadvantage because when a player is taken out of play on a penalty, they are not able to contribute to the team’s defence, either physically or verbally. It’s far better to pull out of a challenge if you think you’re going to contact the player and concentrate on defending the next pass instead.

A player attempting to intercept or defend the ball must be at least 3ft (0.9m) away from the landing foot of the player with the ball. The defender may jump to intercept or defend the ball from this 0.9m (3ft) feet distance, but they must ensure that they don't shorten that distance, either by jumping and landing within 3ft and then continuing to defend the ball, or by moving their foot within 3ft of the opposing player, whilst continuing to defend the ball. Should a player be obstructed as described above, a penalty pass will be awarded against the offending player.

FAQs - playnetball

Short Pass

At the moment the ball is passed there must be room for a third player to move between the hands of the thrower and those of the receiver. This rule also applies when taking a throw in.

Contact

“No player may contact an opponent, either accidentally or deliberately, in such a way that interferes with the play of that opponent or causes contact to occur.” Therefore players are not able to: Move into the path of an opponent who’s committed to a particular landing space Position so closely to an opponent that the [...]

Taking free passes and penalties

You have 3 seconds from setting the free pass/penalty in which to take it. If you decide that you would prefer another player to take the free pass/penalty, you must place the ball back on the floor. Do not walk towards a team-mate to pass it to them, as you will be penalised for footwork. [...]

Penalties against a player

“The penalised player must stand beside and away from the player taking the penalty so as not to impede this player in any way. The penalised player may not move or attempt to take part in play either physically or verbally until the ball has left the hands of the thrower.”

Obstruction

A player attempting to intercept or defend the ball must be at least 3ft (0.9m) away from the landing foot of the player with the ball. The defender may jump to intercept or defend the ball from this 0.9m (3ft) feet distance, but they must ensure that they don't shorten that distance, either by jumping [...]

How can I find new players?

There’s are a number of ways of finding new players. Ask us – interest@playnetball.com and we’ll let you know if anyone has contacted us looking to join a team. Try placing an ad on internet message boards or social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Gumtree, Aussies In London, Kiwis in London Ask any Ozzies or Kiwis that you [...]

We only have half a team – help!

Let us know – we can help you to find permanent team-mates and give you some hints for finding new players. Depending on availability we might also be able to place you all on a team that is looking for more than one player.

I want to join the season late – how does payment work?

The team pays a set amount at the start of each season regardless of how many players are on that team. If you wish to join a team late in the season, you will need to speak directly to the captain to ascertain individual payment amounts.

It’s been a while – I want to get back in to netball – can I join?

Of course! We have graded leagues and cater for all standards. We’re a social league and welcome players of all abilities. Send us your details and we’ll add you to the reserves list from which captains find new players.

What happens when it rains?

We play games in the wet and games will rarely be called off for weather reasons, unless it is too dangerous to play. If a game is called off we will notify you in the afternoon of play around 5pm Therefore please make sure we have a valid contact number for you so we can let [...]