KEY POINTS:
Twelve of the 17 umpires who will control the world netball championships are from New Zealand and Australia, meaning that if the two countries meet in the final there will be only five umpires in contention to run the match.
The umpiring of test matches between the two
countries has been a contentious issue for some time.
The problem is that the best umpires tend to come from New Zealand and Australia, so to have neutral umpires in those matches often means settling for officials who interpret the rules differently and are not used to the speed the game is played Downunder.
However, Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken believes the World Championships tend to bring out the best in umpires. "I am hopeful that the world champs environment tends to favour the umpires a bit, in terms of that they have got back into umpiring at that level.
"If we are looking forward to the final, say it is New Zealand and Australia, and all of those umpires are not available, the fact that the umpires from the other countries will have at least been in that elite netball for a week I think it really helps them in terms of their judgment.
"We have felt that the world champs have seen better performances from umpires than one-off series. I am hoping they will be consistent."
The international umpiring committee named their umpires for the world champs last month. Some umpires, including Alison Cormack and Mandy Nottingham from New Zealand are taking part in their first world championships.
Others such as Sharon Kelly from Australia, Dalton Hinds from Jamaica, Bobbi Brown, Bronwyn Meek, David Palaamo and Pauline Sciascia from New Zealand, Maggie Du Plessis from South Africa and Anne Marie Dixon from Trinidad and Tobago have done it before.
To umpire at the world champs, you have to be an international umpire of which there are about 24. The international umpiring committee then decides who will umpire at the sport's premier event.
New Zealander Jan Teesdale, who is on the international umpire appointment panel, said the best umpires will be selected to control the final. "If New Zealand and Australia are in the final - and that is a big if - there are five umpires that will be working hard to get that game or any other games.
"I think it is easier when you have got umpires in for a number of days before the finals. It is easier from my point of view at a Commonwealth Games or world championships where the umpires are coming in and working over those days and full-on concentrating on umpiring, and they don't have to worry about work or the other bits and pieces they would normally be doing in between umpiring."
Teesdale said it would be nice to see the number of international umpires increase. "I think it is disappointing that we can't get more from the rest of the world. It is disappointing that for a country of the playing strength of England that there aren't more umpires of very good ability who are available to come to this tournament.
"While I am sure they have got processes and are working on it, IFNA [International Federations of Netball Associations] doesn't have a lot of money to spend on the international game and they are working really hard in the areas they feel a need development, so I suppose countries like England need to work harder at developing their own umpiring structures."
* WHISTLE-BLOWER - THE RULES OF PLAY
Netball is played on a rectangular court which is 30.5m long and 15.25m wide. It is divided into areas called thirds. There are two goal thirds and between them is the centre third. At the end of each goal third is a 'goal circle', which is actually a semicircle around the goal hoop.
All goals must be shot by a player within the goal circle.
Goal posts are 3.05m high.
Each player is allowed in only a certain area of the court.
Play is started with a pass from the centre circle. 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 be anywhere in the centre third, but all other players must stay in the goal thirds until the umpire blows the whistle to start play.
Offside: 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, they will be ruled offside.
Stepping: 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.
Players have three seconds to shoot or play the ball.
Obstruction: When defending a player must be at least 0.9m (three feet) away from the player with the ball.
Contact: A player is not allowed to physically touch an opponent if it disrupts or stops that person from playing.
Penalty pass or shot: For contact, obstruction or moving the goalpost penalties, the offending player must stand down from play, away from the shooter. A goal shooter or goal attack taking the penalty pass or shot in the goal circle can either pass the ball or shoot.
A throw-in is taken by a player from the opposing team close to where the ball went out of court. The player has three seconds to get the ball back in play.