‘Failures in our system’: How Super Netball scoring error fell through the cracks

NA has conceded failures within its system allowed Saturday night’s dramatic scoring error to take place, giving the Giants its first win of the season, but it wasn’t the only time this round it happened.

Netball Australia has conceded poor communication and the absence of a formal process to notify parties of a score error compounded failures in the calamitous Giants-Lightning match on Saturday night.

In one of her first acts as chief executive, having only been officially named in the post on Friday, NA boss Stacey West has apologised to fans and both teams involved, saying the failings had been addressed to ensure the situation would not be repeated.

The Giants eventually won the clash 86-80 after extra-time was played almost an hour after the Sunshine Coast had been declared one-goal winners of the match at Ken Rosewall Arena.

An official NA review, released on Sunday afternoon, found a bench official incorrectly adjusted the score during a time-out late in the final quarter, with the in-venue scoreboard showing the Lightning ahead 71-70 when the correct score was 71-71.

That’s likely to be little comfort to the Lightning though, who under World Netball rules, have no avenue to appeal the result of the match.

“Under World Netball’s rules of netball and the SSN (Super Netball) rules of the game, there is no avenue for appeal of the final score,” an NA source said.

“Further, there is no appeal right of any decision within a match.”

The league has apologised for the incident. Picture: Getty Images

The Lightning, who had the ball in the dying stages of the match, played to the in-stadium scoreboard and maintained possession rather than going for goal to ensure their rivals would have no chance of levelling the scores from the following centre pass.

Captain Steph Fretwell and coach Belinda Reynolds said the Lightning’s tactics would have been markedly different had the scoreboard been correct.

“Our biggest thing was just keeping possession,” Wood said.

“I think if we knew it was a draw we probably would have gone for a goal but when you’re playing to a scoreboard and the scoreboard’s wrong ... We probably would have played our last 30 seconds a bit differently.”

The Lightning were initially declared winners but a score discrepancy was quickly identified by bench officials and a review undertaken, while the Giants bench had always believed the game to be a draw and were already questioning the result.

The review’s second main finding was there was a major communication failure.

“The League failed to have a formal process in place to officially notify umpires, Giants Netball and Sunshine Coast Lightning a score review was being undertaken and advise of next steps,” the review said.

We are aware of a scoreboard error at the end of tonight's match. After a score review, the game between Lightning and GIANTS has been declared a draw (71-71). The players are on court warming up and we are heading into extra time.

— Suncorp Super Netball (@SuperNetball) May 11, 2024

“Once the score review was complete and the final score was confirmed as 71-71, players and umpires returned to the court for extra-time.

“Suncorp Super Netball’s Rules of the Game allow for a delay of up to an hour, with an agreed warm-up period determined by team medical staff and bench officials.”

That hour was almost up by the time the teams made it back on to the court to warm-up for extra time but the Giants made the best use of the period, to seal their first win of the season.

Diamonds captain and Lightning recruit Liz Watson said the review had provided some understanding of the situation if not closure.

“Obviously everyone was very flat because we go from winning a close game to, have we won, get into the change rooms, nope, you’re back out (on court),” Watson told Fox Netball’s Pivot on Sunday.

“So there were lots of emotions but I guess that (NA) statement, that first point where they noticed there was a score error, we actually had a delay in play in starting after that time-out … so it was picked up, so why wasn’t the score changed then?

“That last 30 seconds … if (we had know) it was a draw, we obviously would have scored quicker and not played around with it.”

NA said in its statement it had: “immediately reviewed its systems and processes and is working with all match officials to ensure these errors do not happen again”.

The Giants claimed its first win of the season. Picture: Getty Images

But it did occur just 24 hours later, with the official stats in the close NSW Swifts-Melbourne Vixens game missing a goal in the third quarter despite the overall scoreline being correct. It was corrected shortly after the match.

And there was another error in the Fever-Firebirds match on Friday night - corrected during the West Coast’s blowout win - which awarded the Queenslanders an extra goal in the opening term.

“Netball Australia is implementing a formal process for the notification of any score review at the completion of regulation time, which will be communicated to match officials, teams and umpires ahead of Round 6,” the review statement said.

Chief executive Stacey West apologised to fans and both teams for the errors that occurred.

“We apologise to our fans – both in stadium and at home – and to both teams for the errors that occurred,” West said.

“These errors should not have occurred and caused significant confusion in venue and also for those watching at home.

“There were failures in our systems, processes and communication that have been addressed to ensure this does not happen again.”

Originally published as ‘Failures in our system’: How Super Netball scoring error fell through the cracks