KEY POINTS:
Okay All Black fans, it's time to find solace in the Silver Ferns. To help those who've never paid much attention before, Supersport has put together a basic guide to the game of netball.
A netball game is an hour long, divided into four quarters. It may
seem like the whistle is blown every five seconds, but advantage is sometimes played here too.
Contrary to what you may see when New Zealand meets Australia, there is no tackling. It's deemed to be a non-contact sport - no touching, accidental bumping or pushing the ball out of opposition hands. The rules have eased a little - a ball in flight is equal opportunity, a bit like Aussie Rules.
Netballers wear letters, not numbers, on their shirts denoting their positions on court. The C does not stand for captain (it's for centre).
After every goal, play restarts from the centre circle. Teams take alternate turns making the centre pass - it has nothing to do with who scored the last goal. The coin toss before the start of the game determines who takes the first pass-off.
Forward passes are allowed - in fact they're encouraged to get the ball to the hoop. As the ball makes its way down court, it must be touched by a player in each third (ie no Zinzan Brooke-style lobs from one end to the other).
Each position is restricted in where they can go on court. The centre, for example, covers the most ground, but can't go in the end circles (actually semi-circles). The goal keep and goal shoot must stay in their respective thirds. Put a toe into foreign territory, and you're offside.
A player has just three seconds to pass or shoot the ball. And they can't run with it: whenever a player lands holding the ball they must pass it again before their landing foot takes another step. They can pivot and twist that foot, but they can't hop, slide or drag it. The other foot can do what it likes (except kick the ball).
A defender can use their arms to "follow the ball" in opposition hands, but they can't wrestle it off them, and they must be standing at least 0.9m from their opponent - or it's obstruction. There are no laser measures to determine how far 0.9m is.
Two umpires control the game from opposite sides of the court, and each rules over a circle. There is no TMO upstairs.
Each goal is worth one point. There are no extra points for shooting further out in the circle; nor can you shoot from outside the circle. Only the goal shoot and goal attack can score.
The goalposts, 3.05m high, have no backboard. A defender can't rattle the goalpost to put off the shooter or knock the ball out of the hoop. Shooters cannot slam dunk.
Timeout can only be called for an injury (some teams use this rule shrewdly, especially in the last quarter). Substitutions can be made at quarter breaks or injury stoppages, and there's no limit to how many times a player can leave or return to the court.
Players can be sent off, but there are no red cards; the time off-court is at the discretion of umpires. It might be till the next goal is scored, or two minutes (Temepara George was sent off in the final of the last world champs, but was still player of the match).
Extra time rules are a bone of contention, but in the play-off games at the world champs, teams drawn at the end of regular time will play two seven-minute halves (with no break between). If it's still a tie, play continues until one team has a two-goal advantage.