Q. Please can you explain what holding means? I keep hearing the umpires say it when I watch Superleague.

A. It's a form of contact, when one player is holding onto another while marking It's preventative defending but being applied unfairly as netball is a game of fairness (you out play your partner fairly, e.g. out run, out jump, etc...). The umpire is explaining the type of contact she is witnessing as it's very subtle. Whoever is doing the holding is being unfair so in essence it's contact. This normally happens when the defence wants to know where the shooter is, once they locate her they hold onto her (sometimes by placing a hand in her midriff) to prevent free movement rather than moving with her and defending. Therefore it looks as though the shooter has caused the contact but she hasn't, she's being unfairly held onto causing her to not be able to get around. Netball has to be played fairly and this is what A award umpires (in Superleague) are watching for. It's highly unlikely that C or even B award umpires would apply it.

Q. Please could you explain the replay rule.

A. The replay rule, formally known as repossesion refers to the re-taking of a ball after it has been mis-controlled or dropped. Once you have control of the ball, you may not drop or bounce the ball and then re-take possesion without another player first touching the ball. If the umpire feels you did not have full control of the ball and the ball is dropped, you are able to replay that ball without being penalised for repossesion. It is the umpire who will decide whether the player has control of the ball and therefore whether a free-pass is awarded to the opposition.

Q. Please could you explain how to intercept the ball when standing on the edge of the shooting circle as a WD.

A. It is always difficult to make an interecption on the edge of the circle without stepping offside or causing contact to your opponent. The best way to do this is get ball-side (position yourself at the circle edge between the player with the ball and your WA) you will then find it easier to intercept the ball when it is worked around the circle and you will be in a good position to catch any stray balls that your defenders manage to get a tip on. Make sure you are standing side on to the WA as this will make it easier to use either hand to stretch for the ball without causing contact to your WA.

Q. Please could you clarify for me the ruling for receiving the ball from a centre pass as to landing and when the ball is deemed to have not been received in the centre third.

A. The ball must be caught or touched in the centre third and the receiving player must have no contact with the goal third whilst in the process of catching or touching the ball. If the ball makes any contact with the goal third without first being caught or touched by a player in the centre third, it is deemed as not received and a free pass is awarded. However if a member of the other team takes possession of the ball in these circumstances then the umpire can call advantage and play continues. You cannot land astride the line. If the feet land simultaneously, one in the centre third and one in the goal third it is classed as not received and a free pass is given to the opposition where the foot landed in the goal third. If on the other hand one foot goes down in the centre third whilst the other is still in the air and the ball is caught before the foot in the air comes down in the goal third then that is O.K. It is permissible to take off from the goal third, catch the ball whilst in the air and then land in the centre third but you have to be pretty good to pull it off.

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