Radical scoring change, basketball-style coaching in Super Netball shake-up
A radical scoring system rewarding teams for winning quarters and basketball-style coaching from the sidelines will be introduced in a major shake-up for the second season of Super Netball.
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A RADICAL and potentially controversial scoring system rewarding teams for winning quarters and basketball-style coaching from the sidelines will be introduced in a major shake-up for the second season of Super Netball.
A raft of minor changes have also been made for the 2018 season of the world class domestic netball competition including doubling the amount of time outs each team is allowed from two to four.
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However the open import rule will remain, allowing top players from rival nations to continue playing in the league organisers say is one of the best in the world.
A major change is allowing coaches, or a designated support staff, to roam the sidelines for the first time.
“One of the things we know is we have great personality in our coaches. This is an opportunity to add some freedom for the coaches and be vocal,’’ said Netball Australia boss Marne Fechner.
“It will be interesting to see how much impact it has and it will add to the theatre of Super Netball.’’
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The new point scoring system has been introduced to encourage and reward close competition between the eight Australian teams competing in the competition which starts next weekend.
Four points will be awarded for a win, two for a draw and none for a loss which differs from the 2-1-0 system in place last year.
A bonus point will be awarded to the winner of each quarter in a game first.
“We wanted to evolve Super Netball as a sporting product. It’s about growing the fan base,’’ Fechner said. “We want a vibrant and broad fan base. And to grow the group that is currently attracted.
“The ladder evolution, where every quarter counts, is a way we can put more excitement around each quarter.’’
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The flip side of this rule is the potential for teams with less losses to be higher on the scoreboard than those who nail the end of games more often.
The new system means if a team wins the first three quarters of two games but loses the match, they would earn six points (bonus points for six quarter period wins).
But a team who wins one of two matches, but only one quarter of play, would be behind them on the scoreboard with just five points (four points for a win and one bonus point for their final quarter victory).
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However, when the new system was applied to last year’s points table at the end of the preliminary rounds positions remained in the same order, suggesting the overall impact when all games are played will be minimal.
Super Netball kicks off in Sydney with a double-header at Qudos Bank Arena where the Giants play Lightning in a Grand Final rematch on April 29 before the Swifts tackle the Queensland Firebirds.