Rule Changes for 2016
Netball Australia, along with the eight state and territory Member Organisations, will implement the new Official Rules of Netball across all associated competitions and events from 1 January 2016. The new rule changes, released by the International Netball Federation (INF), will include the elimination of whistles following goals and obvious ball out of court, amendments to injury time and changes to the out of play rule.
The new rules were voted upon and approved by the International Netball Federation Congress, as part of the INF’s ‘Game Plan’ strategy, during the Netball World Cup SYDNEY 2015 in August.
“The new rules aim to meet the changing needs of the game, reflect the modern forward looking sport of netball, improve players’ enjoyment of the game, create consistency in the interpretation of the rules across all world regions, and make the game more attractive to spectators,” Netball Australia’s Head of Community Strategy and Netball Development Anne-Marie Phippard said.
As well as these changes, the rule book has been revamped to include a new definitions section, new technical specifications, including new court terminology, a clarification of interval times, a clarification of team officials, match officials and the terminology of the court and related areas. It is important to note that the rules remain unchanged in relation to a player’s responsibility. Players on the court are still expected to respond to rulings by the umpires and adjust their play accordingly. Similar requirements apply to team officials and bench players.
