Rules and Updates

2024 Rules of Netball update – 11/11/2024

New – Proactive Advice

We have been made aware of an ongoing discussion regarding the use of Proactive Advice.

Below is an extract from the World Netball Rules FAQ which covers this specifically and provides the required level of clarity.

Rule 18, 13 – 16

Question
Do you give proactive advice for each infringement (for example, obstruction and then contact and then….)?

Answer
No. Proactive advice is given only once. If a player needs to be spoken to specifically more than once then this is treated as repeated infringing and the Game Management action is a penalty
pass which is advanced [Rule 18.16].

In addition to the above the following FAQs below cover the section of the Rules Book which relates to advancing sanctions and multiple Game Management considerations.

Question
Rule 18.21 – What does multiple mean? The rule talks about an individual player having multiple advanced and/or escalated sanctions and Rule 18.23 states that following proactive advice or
an advanced and/or escalated sanction then a warning will be issued.

Answer
Multiple means more than 1. A player must be warned if they have more than 1 advanced or escalated sanction.

Question
Rule 18.21 – If a player has had a sanction advanced for unfair play (e.g.intentional infringing) and this player intentionally infringes
again, may the umpire penalise and advance again or is it expected that the umpire must warn the player?
If the 2nd infringement was a different unfair play action (e.g. 1st was intentional 2nd was delay) what action should the umpire take?

Answer
Rule 18.21 provides that if an individual player has multiple advanced and/or escalated sanctions, the umpire must issue a warning. “Multiple” in plain English is read as “consisting of,
including, or involving more than one.” Therefore, the next instance of unfair play requires that a warning be given.
Rule 18.21 refers to an individual player having multiple advanced and/or escalated sanctions and does not state that these must be for the same type of unfair play. The next instance of unfair play would require that a warning is given.

Question
Rule 18.22 What does cumulative advanced and/or escalated sanctions for a team mean?

Answer
The plain English definition of cumulative is; ‘increasing by successive additions’. This rule refers to a team rather than an individual receiving advanced and/or escalated sanctions. The application of this rule requires the umpire to consider both the number and type of infringements along with game context.

England Netball did liaise directly with World Netball prior to the roll out of our 2024 Rules of Netball Update Webinars so these remain current and provide the current interpretation of these Rules from both a World Netball and England Netball point of view. Video links can be found below.

Following an extensive consultation period, World Netball have updated the Rules of Netball. These updates will become effective for international matches from 1st January 2024 and will include the Nations Cup later in January. England Netball has made the decision to also implement the 2024 Rules in the Netball Super League this year, which will give our elite athletes and coaches, umpires, and technical officials the best platform for continued international success and to provide the netball family with the opportunity to see the 2024 updates in practice.

For us to update our educational materials and offer training materials to the netball family, domestic implementation in England will be from 1st September 2024. This means that all recognised and authorised netball must continue to be played to the 2020 Rules of Netball until this time.

Click here to view the – 2024 Rules of Netball

Click here to view the – World Netball Summary of Changes document

Click here to view the – 2024 World Netball Technical Officials manual

Click here to find out more about the key updates to the Rules of Netball

World Netball have created several fantastic resources which are shown below and at the bottom of the page. These display the main updates in video form, accompanied by helpful fact sheets.

Click here to see the Fact Sheets

Should you have any questions regarding the 2024 Rules of Netball update, please submit these using the link below. The questions submitted will be answered in due course and these will help formulate an FAQ document which will be shared with members in the New Year.

2024 Rules of Netball Update – Question Submission – Click Here

2024 Rules of Netball FAQ – To view the answers to FAQ questions – Click Here

Download the 2020 International Netball Rules Book