GFNA - Rules & Constitution

Timings & Scoring

Each quarter is 15 minutes you then get a 3 minute break before being invited back on court, this means that each game will take around 69 minutes to play. Timing is normally done by one of the two scorers, both scorers independently score the game and they must match and be in agreement at the end of each quarter. When scoring, you must use numbers and not a tally system, for example you would write 1 then when another goal is scored you put a line through the 1 and write 2.

The Court

The court is broken up into 3 sections, the center section also holds the middles circle which is where games are started from. Both ends of the court have a D which contains the net and only certain players can enter this and this is detailed below.

The Umpires

Netball umpires play a crucial role in ensuring the fairness and safety of netball matches. They are responsible for interpreting and applying the rules of the game, making impartial calls, and maintaining a positive and respectful environment for all participants. In short, they are in charge and should not be challenged.

Goal Keeper

The Goal Keeper is the last line of defence for a team. They guard the goal circle and the defensive third and must stop the Goal Shooter from scoring. Goal Keepers are also responsible for taking throw-ins from the goal-line.

Goal Defence

The Goal Defence patrols the defensive third, the goal circle and the centre third. Their main job is to stop the opposition from scoring and to get the ball out of the danger area! The Goal Defence has to keep a close eye on the other team's Goal Attack.

Wing Defence

The Wing Defence can go into the centre and defensive thirds, but NOT in the attacking third or the goal circle. Their main job is to stop the ball reaching the opposition's goal circle. They must intercept passes and feed them back to the attacking areas. As well as getting the ball forward they have to mark the opposite Wing Attack.

Centre

Centres are able to move in the whole court, with the exception of the goal circles. They have to help out in defence and attack. But they are mainly relied upon to shift the ball away from the defensive area into attack. Centres also restart the game each time a goal has been scored. They do this by making a pass from the centre circle. The Centre is the engine of the team so they have to be quick and creative with their passing.

Wing Attack

The Wing Attack is the key playmaker of the netball court. It is their job to create as many goal scoring chances as possible by passing the ball to the shooters. The Wing Attack can move in the attacking and centre third BUT not in the goal circle or the defensive third. The Wing Attack has to have solid passing and collecting skills. They also need good footwork and the ability to open up space on the court.

Goal Attack

The Goal Attack's primary role is scoring and setting up goals. They can play in the centre third, the attacking third and the goal circle but NOT the defensive third. The Goal Attack's main duty is to feed the Goal Shooter so they can fire the ball into the net close to the post. But if the defenders are marking the Goal Shooter then the Goal Attack will often have a shot from nearer the edge of the goal circle.

Goal Shooter

The Goal Shooter's main job is simply to score goals. They are allowed in the attacking third and the goal circle BUT nowhere else on the court. The Goal Shooter must have sharp shooting skills.
They have to be able to react quickly, dealing with passes and rebounds.

The Centre Pass

After each goal is scored it will go back to a centre ball, the team that takes the centre changes every time a goal is scored. It is irrelevant who scored the goal it will go to whoever's turn it is. for example, team A could have started the game with the centre, they could then score but despite this is would still be Team B's centre.

Line Outs

This is much more straight forward, if one team allows the ball to go out of play then it is the other time that will throw the ball back into play from the Line, the position of the line will roughly match where the ball went out of play.

The Pole

The pole that the net sits on must not be touched, it is considered an foul should any part of your body make contact with it.

The Points

For every win your team gets 4 points, for a draw you get 2 points. For a loss you get no points unless your score is over half of the winning teams then you get 1 point, if your score is 20:5 the losing team get no points but if you have a score or 20:10 the losing team will get 1 point.