World netball make big changes to sport ahead of 2024 season

Players across the Territory will soon need to pay extra attention to their coaches at training, with updated rules to come into effect this season. Find out the updated rules.

Players across the Territory will soon need to pay extra attention to their coaches at training, with updated rules to come into effect this season.

World Netball have released a dozen changes to the rules of the game, all of which came into effect earlier this month.

These changes will bring a level of ‘clarity’ for coaches, players and officials, as well as ‘streamline’ how the game is adjudicated.

“These updates will bring about more clarity for everyone, which will lead to better game experiences,” Netball NT Chief Executive Officer Penny Shearer said.

“Some of the changes relate more to interpretation of the rules, which will hopefully lead to ease and consistency of decision making for umpires and less confusion for players and coaches.”

Per International Netball Federation’s rules, every competition, division and age group across the NT and the country will have to adopt the rules for the upcoming season, with a couple holding more weight than others.

“The tactical change will be noticed the most,” Ms Shearer said.

“Particularly in our local competitions which may not be running the SSN rolling substitute rule.

“This tactical change rule will allow much smoother transitions in player changes made, where in the past these were restricted to stoppages for injury, coaches can change players after a goal has been scored.

Some of the game management changes like the centre pass checks and player safety will also make a noticeable difference in how the game is experienced.

“When a player is injured the umpire can make the call now to hold time without a request from an on court player, ensuring better safety and management of injuries.

“It will be interesting to see the impact of the clarification regarding the short pass, which can be contentious and is still based on interpretation by the umpire in determining whether or not a defending player can make a genuine attempt to deflect or intercept.”

Shearer also said that the netball community need not to worry about the changes as all of the associations will be supporting education around the changes to coaches and umpires who in turn will educate the players.