NET BALL

Net ball
Net ball is essentially a women’s game. It is quite similar to basket ball. In net ball instead of basket with a rebounding board there is a net with a ring on vertical pole without any rebounding board.
Rules of net ball

• The court is 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. It should be hard surfaced and clearly marked with lines. The court is divided in to three equal parts by transverse lines. A centre spot 3 inches in diameter is marked in the centre of the court. Shooting circle consist of a semicircle with a radius of 16ft, and is drawn round each goal post.
• The goal posts are in the middle of the goal lines. These consist of a metal ring 15 inches in diameter, placed horizontally, 13feet above the ground.
• The ball is between 27 and 28 inches in circumference and between 13 and 16 ozs in weight.
• Players should wear rubber soled shoes without heels. No projection nails are permissible.
• The team consists of seven players with the following, position:

• Shooter                                                                                                                      
• Attack
• Attacking Centre                                                                       
• Centre                                                                                           
• Defending Centre
• Defence
• Goal keeper

• The captions toss for the choice of goal for first centre pass.
• There are two umpires, each of whom controls half of the field. They do not cross over at half time. The decision of the umpires are final and should be given without appeal
• The game should be played for two periods of twenty minutes each. The players change ends at half time. The length of the half time is five minutes but it can be increased by mutual agreement.
• The lines bounding the court are a part of it. “a player is considered to be in the court when her foot or part of it is on the line, but not out side it.”
• The team in position of the ball is known as the attacking team. The opposing team is known as the defending team. The centre of the attacking team shall stand with one foot in contact with centre spot. She may face in any direction. No other player may be within 3 feet of her.
• Each member of the attacking team, except the centre, shall take up a stationary position in the place in her own section of the court indicated by her opponent. She may face in any direction. Each member of the defending team shall then take up any position in her own section of the court. She must not touch her opponent and must be stationary.
• Play shall be started by a centre pass which should be taken alternately by the two teams after each goal and after half time. Immediately the whistle sounds, all players are free to move except the centre holding the ball which she must pass within three second.
• The players in the defending team (ie. Goal keeper and defence) shall be offside if they enter the attacking court, but they may play in their own court and in the centre court. Players in the centre court (I e. centre, attacking centre and defending centre) shall be offside if they enter either circle. If a player is on the line bounding the offside territory, she is not offside.
• A free pass to the possible side is taken from the place where the infringement occurred, by a player allowed in that area.
• To be in possession of the ball a player must have control of it or have hold of it with one or both hands.
• She may throw it with one or both hands to another player.
• Bounce it with one or both hands to another player.
• A goal (other than one resulting from a free shot) is scored when the ball is thrown or batted over and completely passes through the ring in to the net, by shooter or attacker, from any point within the shooting circle, including the line bounding the circle.
• A player shall not hold the ball for more than three seconds in the following events:

1. While it is in play
2. While taking a shot or free shot at goal
3. While taking a free pass
4. After she has taken her stand for the throw in
5. After the whistle for the centre pass

Penalty for above offenses will be as follows:
1.    free pass to the opposite side for offences

1. While it in play
2. While taking a shot or free shot at goal
3. While taking a free pass

Scoring goals
By the combination of the above, only the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter are able to score goals directly, and this may only be done from the inside of the circle. The job of the Goal Defence and Goal Keeper is to block the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter from shooting, however they must be three feet or more away from the shooter, otherwise it is called an obstruction. In this, the Goal Keeper or Goal Defence must stand by the shooter's side and are now not allowed to block. A ball that passes through the hoop, but has been thrown either from outside the circle or by a player not the GA or GS, is deemed a "no goal". Furthermore, a shooter (GA or GS) may not shoot for a goal if a "free pass" has been awarded for an infringement such as stepping, offside, or using the post.
If a player misses and the ball does not touch the rim or any part of the post, the player cannot catch it otherwise it is called replay. This results in a free pass to the other team.
Starting and restarting play
At the beginning of every quarter or after a goal is scored, play starts from the centre of the court with a "centre pass". These passes alternate between the teams, regardless of which team scored the last goal. A centre pass is made by a player in the "centre" position who must have one foot grounded within the centre circle. As the game restarts, only the player in the 'Centre' position from each team are allowed in the centre third of the court. When the umpire blows the whistle to restart play, players in the positions "Goal Attack", "Goal Defence", "Wing Attack" and "Wing Defence" can move into the centre third, where the centre pass must be caught.
If the ball touches the ground outside the court boundaries, then a member of the team that was not the last to touch the ball before it went out is able to throw the ball back into the court to restart play.
Stepping, footwork, and passing
Netball rules do not permit players to let their landing foot touch the ground again if it is lifted at all while in possession of the ball, so players can take 1.5 steps while holding the ball. Players are entitled to balance on the other foot if the landing foot is lifted. Consequently, the only way to move the ball towards the goal is to throw the ball to a team-mate. The ball cannot be held by a player for more than three seconds at any time. A player may tap (deflect) the ball let it bounce and then take possession and throw it. The player cannot catch the ball (with both hands), drop it and pick it up again; this is called a replayed ball. The duration before it is called a drop is determined by the umpire. These rules, combined with the restrictions on where one player of a particular position can move, ensure that everyone on the team is regularly involved in play.
Contact and obstruction
Contact is only permitted provided it does not impede with an opponent or the general play and players must be at least three feet (90 cm) away from a player with the ball while attempting to defend. If impeding contact is made, a penalty is given to the team of the player who was contacted, and the player who contacted must stand "out of play", meaning they cannot participate in play until the player taking the penalty has passed the ball.
Playing time
A game is played in four quarters, each one lasting fifteen minutes, with intervals of three minutes between the first and second quarters, and between the third and fourth quarters. There is also an interval of five minutes at half time. If a player has an injury, a team-mate or umpire calls time, and the time keeper pauses the timer. When the game starts and the player has swapped places with another player, or is healthy, play is resumed and the timer is restarted.