Playing the Ball A player is considered to have possession of the ball when they have control of it with one or two hands. Once a player has possession of the ball, they must play the ball by bouncing or throwing it to another player, or attempting a shot at goal, within three seconds. Players cannot punch, kick, roll or fall onto the ball; nor play the ball while kneeling or sitting. Once the ball has been played, it cannot be replayed by the same player until the ball comes into contact with another player or the goal post. Offside Players are offside if any part of their body touches a playing area other than their designated one. On the line is in . You may lean on the ball in an offside area to regain balance as long as no part of your body touches the court. Over a Third The ball may not be thrown over a complete third without being touched by a player in that third. A player is considered to have thrown from the third they landed in when they gained possession of the ball, even if they step into another third as they throw. Out of Court A ball is out of court if it touches the ground, any player, any other person or any object that is in contact with the ground outside the court. A throw-in is taken by a member of the opposing team to who was in possession of the ball when it went out of court. Stepping The first foot a players lands on as they catch the ball is their grounded foot. The grounded foot may be lifted but the ball must be thrown before the grounded foot can be placed on the court again. So, you can land on one foot, take a step or jump onto the other foot, but must then play the ball before the first foot is placed back down. If the player has both feet on the ground as they catch the ball, or lands on both feet simultaneously, the players decide which foot is to be the grounded foot. Centre Pass All players must be onside when the umpire starts play. If a player is onside and subsequently moves into the centre third before the whistle has been blown, they are breaking. The centre pass must be caught or touched in the centre third. The penalty for all of the above rules is a free pass where the infringement occurred. eg for offside the free pass is taken from the area the offside player went into. For the next set of rules, the penalty is a penalty pass, where the offending player must stand at the place of the infringement and take no part in the play until the ball has been thrown by the opposing team. If the offending player is not out of play, the umpire may call the pass back to be taken again if there was no advantage to the non-offending team. Obstruction A player who is actively defending a pass being thrown or received must be at least 0.9 metres (3 feet) from their opponent. A player may be lass than 3 feet if no attempt is being made to actively defend a pass or shot. A player may also attempt to intercept a pass, feign pass or shot from within 3 feet, but must not actively defend the player. A player may not use intimidating movements or language from any distance, to a player with or without the ball. The distance is measured from the grounded foot of the passer to the nearest foot of the defender. If the passer has both feet simultaneously grounded, then the distance is measured from the nearest foot of the passer and defender. If defense takes position 3 feet from the grounded foot of the passer but the passer then steps forward shortening that distance, the defender is not obliged to step back and the passer must accept the disadvantage they have brought upon themselves. Contact Whether accidentally or deliberately, a player may not come into personal contact with an opponent in a manner that interferes with their play. In attacking a player may not push, trip, knock or throw their body against an opponent. In defense a player may not feel or hold an opponent, feel for their uniform, or keep any partof their body up against the opponent. While holding a ball, a player may not use that ball to push against any part of an opponent. Toss-Ups In the case of two players infringing at the same time, a toss up is taken between those two players or, in the case of two players simultaneously going offside, by any two players allowed in that area of the court. For a toss-up, the two players concerned shall stand facing each other and their respective goals with their arms by their sides. The umpire shall bring the ball in just below shoulder height of the shortest player and toss the ball a small distance into the air blowing their whistle. On the whistle each player makes an attempt to gain possession of the ball or bat it in any direction except directly at an opponent. If one player moves before the whistle is blown, the ball is awarded to other player.
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About Netball 
