RULES OF PARTICIPATION

Game Rules

1. Rotation rules - Year 1 – Year 5 teams MUST rotate positions each week ensuring that over 7 weeks each position is played. Year 1 will rotate fully in six weeks. This is to ensure that all players have the opportunity to learn all the positions. Once all the players in a team have played all the positions, rotations start afresh.
   Substitutions cannot be made except when players are on a half game. Then the new player must go into the position vacated at half time. NO players can be moved around during the game.
   Year 6 teams play straight netball with no compulsory rotations of positions. Players may be swapped at half time. Minimum half a game per player.
2. Umpiring - Each team is to supply their own umpire or pay the applicable umpire fee to use a pool umpire. Umpires must be over the age of 10 years (Year 6) and must have completed a recognised 7-aside umpiring course. Two umpires control the game in the Netball NZ format, with some small variance based on age group and ability. Refer to our Umpiring Guidelines on the Umpires page.
   Please note: Year 6, Year 5 and Year 4 Grade A netball will have qualified umpires (Junior Badge or higher qualification) for the competition round.
3. Jewellery - NO jewellery and adornments. Players are NOT allowed on court wearing earrings of any kind (including keepers), watches or other jewellery. Taping of ears or bangles is NOT allowed. All adornments and jewellery (except for medical alert bracelets, which must be taped) must be removed. This rule is for all grades and is for the safety of all players. No exceptions will be made.
4. Nails & Hair - Players’ fingernails must be short and smooth and long hair must be tied back.
5. Boys - A maximum of two boys may play per team. Only one boy per team is permitted in the goal circle at any given time.
6. Grades - Teams may enter combined teams, e.g. Year 1 may play in a Year 2 team, Year 2 in a Year 3 team, etc.
7. Interchanging players - Players CAN NOT play down a Year level/Grade. (Some exemptions for teams in lower grades may be approved.) 
   Once teams have been placed into competition grades following grading, where a school has multiple teams in the same grade, players may not move down between those teams. Teams needing additional players must source fill-in players from a lower grade, rather than from a higher-ranked team within the same grade.
8. Scorecards - Teams are required to list their players on the back of the scorecards in their playing positions.
9. Scoring - One person from each team on the scorecard at all times. NO disputes are accepted and cards cannot be changed after the game.
10. Behaviour - We expect supporters on the sideline to leave the coaching of the teams to the coaches, umpiring to the umpires and ask that they give only positive support to all. 
    ​​​​​​​We expect teams and their supporters to respect the Kidzplay Netball officials, all umpires, all players and all coaches.
11. Wet Weather - Games will not be cancelled due to the weather. In the case of extreme weather warnings this decision may be changed. If an Extreme Weather warning has been issued by the Met Service a notice will be posted on this website if games are cancelled. See the FAQs page for further detail.
12. Have fun!

Umpiring and Scoring

Changes to these guidelines/rules may be made at any time by the Kidzplay Netball management at their discretion.