There was mixed feelings from those involved as well as supporters. For me, the jury is still out, but I realise I am a traditionalist at heart!
I mean, I’d settle for watching any ‘live’ netball at the moment! Who knows when we’ll get to see any netball or get back on courts ourselves? This ‘lock down’ time has given me the opportunity to reflect on what the future game might look like though!
There has been one lot of substantial rule changes in my lifetime that I can think of, that I remember anyway! It happened a few years ago now: the main change being you don’t have to wait for ‘play’ and there was no whistle when the ball went out of court. The idea was to quicken up the game and I think that has been a success.
I couldn’t imagine watching Superleague Games on TV nowadays and waiting for Gary Burgess or Chris Obin to say ‘play’ before Mikki Austin or Yas Parsons could take a throw in!
With the growth and success of the game, nationally, as well as internationally, there is more frequent talk about rule changes. There is also plenty of debate, on social media in particular, about what may work and what doesn’t or wouldn’t. This has lead to some trial ‘implementations’ like we saw at the Bushfire Relief event.
Suncorp Super Netball, had things been different, were introducing rolling substitutions for the new season. This would have ‘done away’ with the extremely irritating ‘fake injury’ scenarios we’ve been putting up with, so coaches can make tactical changes. It would have been really interesting to see it in practice and how these rolling substitutions would have effected games and also the actual practicalities of how they happen.
It is definitely one of the rules I would change about our great game. I get very frustrated when opposition ‘calls time’ for an injury to make a change when there is just no injury. That’s not to say we haven’t used the rule to our advantage of course, it just seems so bloody dishonest and indeed, not ‘in keeping’ with our great game!
I am, by nature, rather cautious when talk is of ‘making changes’ to netball. I am a traditionalist but I do realise that can be a good and bad thing! More than that though I just don’t like change for change sake. If a rule is genuinely effecting the game and needs to be changed then so be it, but change just for the sake of it? No thanks.
We are all experiencing a lot of change during this Corona Virus pandemic - it’s something we’ve all had to get used to and completely out of our control. Obviously these changes are at a different end of the spectrum to any netball changes that may or may not be being considered. The changes we are implementing for our own safety are completely different, but we still take ownership of them, they are for our own well being.
I think if major rule changes are to be considered they must take all views and opinions into play (pardon the pun!) and that’s everyone involved: players, coaches, umpires and yes, even, fans!
There are areas of the game where I would welcome rule changes to netball. For example professional Players are stronger and fitter than ever before. (Because they are professional!)
I see that that is impacting on our game, it is far more physical. (A debate for another day maybe!) If there were rule changes that can limit injuries, for example, I think that would be a positive change. That may well be my 3 years of ACL rehab talking though!!!
Change is one of the considerations netball has to be very careful of when attracting and negotiating with sponsors and commercial partners. Money talks after all.
Would netball consider a drastic change to the game, for example: no centre passes, back lines to be taken after each goal. If, Nike said they’d double their investment? (I’ve no idea why Nike would want to do away with Centre passes, but hopefully you get my drift!)
To a certain extent this already happening ‘down under’. Nissan Net Points anyone!?!
I was a huge football fan when I was a kid - followed it almost religiously. But it’s my opinion that the vast, bewildering and often immoral amounts of money involved in buying players, paying wages and even the price of replica kit, has completely ruined the sport.
I can’t see netball following suit but I would hate us to even contemplate following a similar path. We could be so much more.
As well as debating changes to the ‘traditional’ game. We’ve also seen the evolution of ‘Fast Fives’ and other forms of netball, like the Red Bull switch up.
I am much more comfortable with these different variations and events. There’s room for changes, sponsorship and income generation.
Everyone knows where they stand with these different forms - Fast Fives is a great example: the rules are easy to follow (even if the format is not, in the UK competition!), the game is entertainment based and the audiences expectations are met. It ticks all boxes. It’s also a separate product to our ‘traditional’ game and is treated as such, where, I think the success lies!
To conclude, netball isn’t broken, so there is nothing to fix!
It’s a great product in its own right. Leave it alone and let the game do the talking.
Peddle the other forms of the game to the sponsors who want changes and profitable sponsorship deals.
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