Team Official's Guide to NSA World Netball Rules Senior 2026

World Netball Rules 3.3, 10.2 and 18.43-18.44:

• Each team has a team bench in the bench zone, on the same side as the official bench. Team officials and bench players stay there during play.
• Bench players may leave the bench for a valid reason, such as warming up.
• Team officials may move onto the court surround to coach and give drinks only during a stoppage for injury, illness or blood. They must stay at the bench during a tactical change after a goal.
• Intervals (quarter-time, half-time and extra-time breaks) are when teams normally coach, rehydrate and make changes.
• Only people accredited by the event organiser may enter the playing enclosure during a match.

The rules don't ban talking to players from the bench, but bench officials must not criticise the umpires, use abusive language, make excessive noise or interruption, or encourage foul play. These are penalised with a penalty pass to the other team, and can lead to a warning and removal from the playing enclosure.

Leaving the bench during play without a valid reason gives the other team a free pass.

World Netball Rule 10.1-10.4. Substitutions (a bench player replacing an on-court player) and team changes (on-court players swapping positions) are unlimited, as long as you only use players named for the match.

When:

• during any interval;
• when play is stopped for injury, illness or blood, within the time the umpires allow;
• as a tactical change immediately after a goal, if an on-court player asks the umpire to hold time for it.

Tactical change conditions:

• the umpire must be clear it's a tactical change, not an injury;
• players leave or change positions without delay, and substitutes take their places quickly;
• all team officials, including primary care persons, stay at the team bench;
• the umpire must be able to restart quickly.

Penalties: taking undue time is penalised as delaying play (for a tactical change, straight after the next centre pass whistle). If tactical change requests become frivolous, the umpires may refuse them or penalise the team.

Paperwork: at events using the World Netball Technical Officials Manual, the team manager tells the official bench of every change on a Substitution/Team Change Form as soon as it's made.

World Netball Rules 3.16 and 10.9-10.22. A primary care person is a team official qualified to diagnose and treat injury or illness, with no other role (and never a player). They wear the identification set by the event organiser, such as an arm band.

Getting time held: the umpires hold time after a verifiable request from an on-court player (or a primary care person), straight away for an obvious or serious injury, and whenever they see active bleeding, an open wound or blood-stained clothing.

During the stoppage:

• Only primary care persons may go on court to assess the player.
• The player must leave the court within 30 seconds and be treated off court. If the player can't be moved safely in that time, tell the umpires: they'll extend the time. The umpires may let others, including team officials, help the player off.
• Team officials may move onto the court surround to coach and give drinks during an injury or blood stoppage (Rule 3.3).
• Both teams may make substitutions and team changes within the time allowed.
• Blood-stained clothing must be changed within the stoppage time (it can be done away from the playing enclosure). A player with blood on them who isn't actively bleeding may leave to clean up without being substituted.

If you don't substitute, play restarts with the position empty (someone must move to Centre if needed). The player or a substitute can only come back on at the next break in play.

World Netball Rules 3.16 e, 4.14 h and 10.10-10.11:

• A primary care person (or the independent concussion observer, where the event organiser has appointed one) may tell the reserve umpire they want play stopped so an on-court player with a suspected concussion can be substituted. The reserve umpire passes this to the umpires, who hold time.
• In extreme circumstances where player safety is endangered, a primary care person or the concussion observer may go on court while play is in progress. The umpires then hold time straight away. Misusing this can lead to discipline.
• Once time is held, normal injury procedures apply: the player must leave the court (within 30 seconds unless the umpires extend it for safety) and is treated off court, and both teams may make substitutions.

Advantage is never played when there's head or neck contact, or when a player may be seriously injured.

World Netball Rule 18.27-18.42. The umpire holds time, signals the official bench and tells the player why.

Suspension (2 minutes of playing time):

• The player leaves the court straight away and sits at the umpires' bench under the reserve umpire.
• No substitute. The position is left empty, unless it's the Centre, in which case another player must move to Centre.
• The 2 minutes start when play restarts and only count playing time.
• When it's over, the suspended player or a substitute comes back into the original position at the next break in play, and anyone who moved to Centre goes back.
• The player may join the team during an interval, but returns to the umpires' bench when play restarts.
• A player can only be suspended once in a match.

Ordering off (4 minutes of playing time):

• The player takes no further part in the match.
• The team plays short (someone moves to Centre if needed) for 4 minutes of playing time, then a substitute may come on at the next break in play.
• The ordered-off player then goes to the team bench and may not re-enter the field of play.

A penalty pass is also awarded, and nobody from your team stands out of play for it.

World Netball Rule 18.43-18.47. Team officials and bench players must behave in a sporting way for the whole match, including intervals and stoppages.

Further action:

1. A warning, to one person or to all of the team's officials and bench players.
2. If the warning is ignored, the umpire asks the event organiser to remove them from the playing enclosure for the rest of the match, with no contact with the team at intervals or stoppages.
3. In a serious case, removal can happen without a warning.

A primary care person who misuses the right to come on court during play for a safety emergency can also be disciplined this way.

World Netball Rule 3.2-3.8:

• Minimum and maximum: at least 5 and at most 7 players on court, one of whom must play Centre.
• Taking the court: when the umpires signal 10 seconds before a period of play, players must take the court. A team with at least five players present (one playing Centre) must take the court.
• Fewer than five at the start of a period: the umpires wait up to 30 seconds.
  • If the team takes the court in time, play starts and the team is penalised for delaying play straight after the centre pass whistle.
  • If not, the umpires award the match to the opponents.
• Dropping below five at any time: the match is awarded to the opponents.
• Late players: a late player may take the court in a vacant position at the next break in play, after telling the umpire. Coming on at any other time means they're sent off until the correct time, and possession goes to the other team.
• Too many on court: extra players are sent off immediately and possession goes to the opponents. Delay in leaving is penalised as delaying play.
• Slow back on court after a stoppage when asked: penalised for delaying play when play restarts.

World Netball Rule 3.13. Each team names one player as captain before the match.

• Toss: the captains toss on the field of play. The first-named team's captain tosses and the other calls, unless the event organiser says otherwise. The winner picks either the first centre pass or a goal end; the other captain gets the other choice. The captains tell the official bench and the umpires the result.
• Rule questions: during an interval, the captain and/or any other player concerned may ask the umpires to clarify a rule, and the umpires must explain it clearly. During play, a player may only ask an umpire to repeat a call they didn't hear, or where a sanction is to be taken. Anything more is disputing a ruling, which is unfair play.
• On-court captain: if the captain isn't on court, the umpires must be told who the on-court captain is. They wear the identification set by the event organiser (for example an arm band).
• Behaviour: the umpire may hold time and ask the on-court captain to speak to a player whose behaviour needs to change.

A team official may also ask to watch the umpires' toss (Rule 3.17).