The latest official rules of netball were published by the International Netball Federation (INF) in January 2020. These rules apply to all international netball matches, and national netball associations are encouraged to adopt them for their own competitions.
There are a few new rules in the 2020 edition, including:
Changes to the center pass: The center player is now required to have only one foot (instead of both feet) inside the center circle when the whistle is blown for the center pass. This is to ensure that the center player is not able to gain an unfair advantage.
No need to blow the whistle for goals: The umpire will now simply raise one arm vertically in the air to signal that a goal has been scored. This change is designed to speed up the game and reduce stoppages in play.
Blood stoppage rule interpretation: A new interpretation of the blood stoppage rule has been introduced. This states that if a player is bleeding, they must leave the court immediately and cannot return until the bleeding has stopped.
New hand signals: The INF has introduced a number of new hand signals for umpires to use. These new signals are designed to improve communication between umpires and players.
Fast5 Netball rules: The rules for the fast-paced version of netball, known as Fast5 Netball, have also been updated. These changes include the introduction of a "power play" rule, which allows a team to score double points for a limited period of time