versatility netball

Our friends at playversatility.com have now started a number of leagues on various nights in Angel. Below are a few basics but for more information please go to playversatility.com

versatility netball is a fantastic game played indoors at playnetball.com in Angel. The basic idea is the same as netball (get the ball through the ring!) and many of the rules are the same (obstruction, contact, footwork etc) but there are a number of fundamental differences. So...

It's played indoors on a basketball court and the basketball hoop is used to score.

The game is played as two 18 minute halves with a two minute break at half time.

Versatility is played with 5 players on court for each team - GS, GA, C, GD, GK.

Players rotate positions each time their team scores a goal. The GS goes to GA, GA to C, C to GD, GD to GK and GK to GS. The team that has conceded a goal do not rotate.

Substitutes can also be used so that the GK goes to the sub position (off court) and the player who was the sub goes straight into the GS position. No more than 5 subs may be registered for each team (10 players in total).

Substitutes may not be rotated unless a goal is scored or there is an injury. When an injury replacement is made, the replacement player goes to the position of the injured player and remains on court until it is their turn to be substituted naturally.

If a sideline player interferes with play, the opposition is automatically awarded a free throw.

There are no sidelines - the ball can bounce off the walls (although the player that throws the ball is not allowed to receive it until it has touched another player).

The centre pass must be received in the centre third. After this the ball may be thrown the entire length of the court.

No more than 2 men on court for each team at any one time.

The two male players cannot play in the same end together (i.e. GS and GA or GK and GD).

The team must manage the order of their players and substitutes so that these rules are adhered to.

Of course! Versatility is based on netball after all...

The basic rules of netball still apply. Like netball, versatility is a non contact sport and rules such as obstruction, contact, footwork, playing advantage, offside, and replayed ball are still fundamental.

Each player can only go in the same areas of the court as they would expect to if they were playing netball, the centre pass is still rotates each time a team scores, three feet is still three feet and three seconds is still three seconds (even if it still feels like less!).

Equally, all of our expectations and code of conduct still apply. We absolutely do not tolerate dangerous behaviour or talking back to the umpires and as usual, only the captain should approach the umpire.