Grimsby & District Senior Netball League
England Netball Officiating Pathways
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Umpiring
Have you thought about becoming a qualified England Netball Umpire?
Or do you want to progress through the qualifications?
If you have, you are in the right place !
Ann-Marie Tuplin GDSNL Officiating Secretary
Umpiring is not as easy as it looks !
Netball umpire responsibilities include conducting inspections and making rule decisions (using clear communication skills).
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Umpires are also responsible for ensuring the general health and safety of all the players with extra accountability to spectators who may be watching the game. Netball umpires focus on enforcing the regulations and controlling fair play in line with England Netball rules.
There is a lot to think about when you have 14 players on court - see below
Into Officiating Course
The Into Officiating Course is the first step on the officiating pathway. It will help you to understand the basic rules of the game, as well as cover some of the basic positioning and movement required to enable you to ‘whistle well’ whilst being an umpire.
C Award Officiating Course
This course is the next step on the umpire pathway for those holders of the Into Officiating Award. It’s perfect for those of you aspiring to umpire at a higher level within your County. The course builds on the knowledge you learnt on your Into Officiating course and introduces the basics of Contact/Contest and Advantage.
Booked on an Officiating Course?
Once you have booked on the course please do not forget to email Ann-Marie with your course dates to officiating@grimsbynetball.com
DID YOU KNOW...
In Netball the ball has to be passed at least every three seconds. This results in the ball being passed (at an absolute minimum) 1,200 times a match.
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Every time a player catches the ball, an umpire has to check seven things involving the player with the ball and their opponent (footwork, contact, how they got the ball, obstruction, offside etc.).
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Almost simultaneously, the umpire has to look down the court and check other players are in their correct areas and are not blocking each other in their attempts to move. This could involve scanning 10 different players, while keeping one eye on the player with the ball and their opponent.
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So that’s seven things, involving the player with the ball, plus potentially another 10 players to watch, each with three actions involved (contact, obstruction and offside).
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That’s 38 different actions to watch for per pass, including the held ball rule. 38 times 1,200 passes equals 45,600 decisions umpires make per match. Even if that figure is split between the two umpires, that’s still 22,800 decisions each.
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22,800 decisions a match! And that’s assuming players take the maximum three seconds to pass the ball. The real figure is probably much higher.
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We need to respect our umpires! They are the ones out there giving it a go. And as the saying goes no umpire, no game. So next time you go to yell at an umpire or say something bad about them have a think of this and just think about it you were in their shoes.
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