The new rules, 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.
Netball Australia, in partnership with the Member Organisations, have a responsibility to educate and train its 1.2 million membership base, including umpire, bench officials, coaches, players and administrators, on the new Official Rules of Netball.
A series of informative and instructional videos explaining the new rules and relevant interpretations are being developed by Netball Australia and will be freely available online from early December ahead of the implementation.
Work has commenced on updating Netball Australia’s online training and education modules with the new rules, including the Level 1 Officials course, which are available via the MyNetball e-Learning Portal. The updated course and exam will be available mid-December.
“We understand the enormity of the challenge we face to educate and implement the new rules across the netball family but Netball Australia will work closely with our relevant stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition,” Phippard said.
“We’re anticipating a teething period initially as the rules are implemented from grassroots through to high performance competitions but we’re excited about the benefits for umpires, players, coaches and spectators.”
The Australian Diamonds’ three-Test tour of England in January 2016 will be the first international matches contested under the new Official Rules of Netball.
The new Official Rules of Netball are available from the International Netball Federation (INF) website by clicking here.
