How must team officials and bench players behave during a match?
Rule- Australia
- Netball Australia
- Club netball
- All ages
- Rules of Netball 2024
- 2024
- Team managers
Under Rule 18 of the Rules of Netball 2024:
- During play, team officials and bench players must stay at the team bench. Bench players may leave it for a valid reason, for example to warm up. Moving away otherwise is penalised with a free pass to the other team.
- At all times in a match (including intervals and stoppages), team officials and bench players must not criticise the umpires or their decisions, use offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures, make excessive noise or interruption, encourage foul play, or enter the court except in extreme circumstances where player safety is endangered. The sanction is a penalty pass to the other team.
- Either umpire may penalise this behaviour and may also give a warning to one person or to all the team's officials and bench players.
- If a warning is ignored, the umpire asks the event organiser to remove those people from the playing enclosure for the rest of the match, including any contact with the team during intervals and stoppages. In a serious case, removal can be requested without a prior warning.
Added 24 Oct 2026