Every team requires an Umpire. As part of our commitment to the development of Netball for our young players we offer a variety of support to those taking up the challenge of controlling games. People interested in umpiring must be over the age of 11 years (Year 6) and must have completed an umpiring course.
Click here for more info.
To find out more, please click here.
Kidzplay Netball and Netball North Harbour both offer Umpire Training courses. We encourage all umpires to take the opportunity to attend one of these courses each year. There is always something new to learn.
N.B. Spaces are limited in these courses, so registrations are essential.
Once you have completed one of these courses, you are able to umpire juniors to gain experience. After a year's worth of experience (both Winter and Spring League), you are eligible to trial for the Kidzplay umpire pool. To find out more, please click here.
Beginner Junior Umpiring course
First Steps to Umpiring course
Netball North Harbour also offers Umpiring courses. You are welcome to attend one of them if the dates suit better. Please refer to the Netball North Harbour website for full information on their courses.
We will have a pool of umpires from which we may be able to supply an umpire for your game, if required. This can either be a long standing arrangement or a one off request. If you require an umpire each week please mark this on the registration form.
One-off requests need to be booked by the Tuesday prior to the game so that we can arrange to have someone available. If you cancel your umpire request you must let us know before the Wednesday (10am) prior to the game or the $10 will still be payable to the umpire (please hand into the control table)
The Umpire fee of $10.00 per game is to be paid directly to the pool umpire, preferably before the game.
Want to become a pool umpire? To find out more, please click here.
Kidzplay Netball provides umpire mentors who are at the courts to support ALL umpires. These ladies are experienced umpires who will be available to offer advice and encouragement and to answer those queries that arise from time to time. They are easily identified by their white, blue or orange jackets.
Please do not hesitate to ask them for assistance if you have any issues at all during your games. Always remember it is best for them to come and observe whilst the problem is happening as we cannot fix problems after the event.
If advice is given to an umpire we ask this be accepted and acted upon in the intent it was expressed – to improve the netball experience for our players.
We ask all umpires to wear the umpire jackets suppled to make them easily identifiable to players and supporters alike. Umpires can pick these up and return to the control tables. All Team Umpires are to wear the yellow jackets and the Kidzplay Netball Pool Umpires are to wear the white jackets.
In December 2023 World Netball (WN) launched the Rules of Netball 2024 Edition, along with free educational rules resources. The new rules came into play on 1 January 2024.
The rules changes focus specifically on player safety and game management along with clarification and streamlining of existing rules such as contact and advantage. The layout of the Rules has also been updated to simplify and encourage use by all of the Netball Family, not just umpires.
To view the new rules book in English, click here.
You can also download the Rules of Netball App for free via Apple or Google Play Stores.
The Rules remain at all times the property of World Netball and copies of the Rules downloaded here are strictly not for sale or re-print.
To ensure that all members of the Netball Family are educated on the new rules of netball, World Netball has created educational resources detailing these changes.
Click the below rules changes to view the PDF explainers.
With this application you can review the rules, match guidelines and umpire hand signals along with the latest rules’ updates and clarifications. The application features a mixture of text and images to develop your knowledge and skills which will be extended to include examples and animations to build understanding of how the Rules should be applied during a game.
Download for iOS (App Store)
Downlowad for Android (Google Play)
Two umpires have control of the game and make the on-court decisions about the run of play.
Play is started with a pass from the centre circle – this is called the centre pass. There is a centre pass at the beginning of each quarter and half, and after each goal is scored. The teams take turns making the centre pass. The person making the centre pass must stand in the centre circle. The opposing centre can stand anywhere in the centre third but all other players must stay in the goal thirds until the umpire blows the whistle to start play. The centre pass has to be received in the centre third.
Once a player has landed with the ball, the first landed foot is called the grounded foot and must either stay on the ground or in the air until the ball is passed on. Re-grounding that same foot a second time while still in possession of the ball is a step which will result in a free pass to the opposition. Similarly, a hop, slide or drag of the grounded foot is not permitted.
The ball must be caught or touched in each third of the court by any player who is standing in the correct third and/or any player who lands in the correct third after catching the ball in the air.
Once the ball has been caught, the player must pass it or shoot for goal within three seconds.
When the ball goes out of court, the umpire takes note of which team touched it last. The throw in is then taken by a player from the opposing team close to where the ball went out of court. Standing close to the line from the outside of court, the player has three seconds to get the ball back in play.
Each player is allowed in only a certain area of the court. If a player steps into an area or any part of their body touches the ground in an area their playing position is not allowed to go, will be ruled offside.
There must be room on the court for an opposing player to be able to intercept the ball as it moves from the hands of the thrower to the hands of the receiver (this distance is not measured on the ground).
When a player is defending another player or trying to intercept the ball they must be at least 0.9 metres away from the grounded foot of the player who has the ball.
A player is not allowed to physically contact an opponent if it disrupts or stops that person from playing. Pushing the ball out of an opponent’s hands is also not permitted.
For contact, obstruction or moving the goalpost penalties, the offending player must stand beside or away from the thrower and where the umpire has indicated. A goal shooter or goal attack taking the penalty pass or shot in the goal circle can either pass the ball or shoot for goal.
The ball is out of court when:
• It touches the ground outside the court.
• It touches any person or object in contact with the ground outside the court. [Note: a player may have their foot on a line and it is not out of court].
Our aim is to allow players to develop from novice to skilled players in a fun and friendly environment. To assist this aim we ask umpires to apply the following variations to the normal netball rules.
Infringement | Year 1 | Year 2 & 3E | Year 3B, C, D, & 4E | Year 3A | Year 4B, C, & D | Year 4A & Year 5 & 6 |
Held Ball | 5 seconds | 4 seconds | 3 seconds | |||
Stepping | All travelling – allow for balancing | All stepping (give warning for 1st stepping or dragging) | All stepping | |||
Contact | All contact | |||||
Obstruction | Remind about distance – enforce if no attempt is being made to correct | All obstruction | ||||
Replay Ball | Be lenient | All replayed ball | ||||
Short Pass | All short passes | |||||
Offside | All offside when ball is involved | All offside | ||||
Over a Third | All over a third |
1. First Steps to Umpiring Course
Beginning on Pathway
2. Junior Theory
Development Junior Grades
3. Junior Badge
Primary/Intermediate Competitions
4. Centre Theory
Primary/Intermediate/College Competitions
5. Centre Badge
Intermediate/College/Club Competitions
6. Zone Theory
Zone Comp, Centre Comp, Age Group Rep Tournaments, SS Zone Comp
7. Zone Badge
Zone Comp, Centre Comp, Age Group Rep Tournaments, SS Zone Comp
8. NZ Theory
Zone Comp, Centre Comps, Age Group Rep Tournaments, SS Zone Comp
9. NZ C Badge
NZAGC, National Umpires Squad, NZ Development Squad, Centre Comps, Age Group Rep Tournaments, SS Zone Comp, NZTD Dev Camp, Super 12
10. NZ B Badge
NZ Camps, NZAGC, National Umpires Squad, NZ Development Squad, Centre Comps, Age Group Rep Tournaments, SS Zone Comp, NZTD Dev Camp, Super 12
11. NZ A Badge
NZ Camps, NZAGC, National Umpires Squad, Centre Comps, Cadet to Panel at NNZ Events, Age Group Rep Tournaments, SS Zone Comp, NZTD Dev Camp, Super 12
12. International
International Matches & Fixtures, World Champs, World Youth Champs, Commonwealth Game, ANZ Games, Fast 5
A meeting will be held for all the Team Umpires*, during which we will outline our programme, rules, and Kidzplay Netball expectations of umpires.
Please note it is compulsory for team umpires to attend this meeting.
*Team Umpires = All umpires allocated to a team by a school.
Umpires must be over the age of 11 years (Year 6) and must have completed an umpiring course.
Coaches may also attend the meeting; it will help them to understand the rules and the expectations of umpires.
PLEASE NOTE: New netball rules became effective on 1 January 2024. At the meeting, we will discuss the new rules and how they have been amended for Kidzplay Netball.
Kidzplay Netball
75 Bush Road, Albany, Auckland, 0632
Email: info@kidzplaynetball.co.nz
Saturday Phone: 021 172 9644 (for defaults and urgent matters)
Welcome Haere Mai | Respect Manaaki | Together Tūhono | Have Fun Kia Ngahau