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Back To Netball – Officiating

INF’s Regions and Members are publishing Netball guidelines that are relevant to officiating to help ensure a safe return to the sport for all.

For more information on general guidelines please refer to the Community Netball Guidelines available here.

Published guidelines and resources relevant to officials can be found below.

Netball New Zealand 

Guidelines For Participants

Hygiene and Sanitation Guidelines 

Netball Australia 

Return to Play Guidelines – Volunteers

INF Interim COVID-19 Umpire Appointments Policy

As netball nations begin to emerge from COVID-19 related restrictions in some regions, INF has considered the role and support of the governing body in enabling the return to international play. Specifically, the INF Board has considered the appointment of Umpires to international netball matches and undertook a survey to understand views of the Members and officiating community.

The INF policy on appointing Umpires and Umpires Appointment Panel (UAP) is detailed in the INF Procedure for Appointment of Umpires to Rankings Matches. INF will continue to appoint neutral umpires to all international matches and test series according to this policy during ‘normal times’, the policy is not being changed.

However, whilst COVID-19 restrictions on international travel remain, quarantine and virus testing requirements exist in some Member countries, and to ensure we take into account the understandable concerns that we share with many in our netball community regarding the risk of travelling, etc., INF has agreed to put in place a specific adapted procedure for Umpire Appointments that demonstrates our commitment to supporting the return of international netball.

This interim COVID-19 Umpire Appointments Policy is to be used to appoint umpires and UAP to international matches when returning to international play. The usual process of recommendations and appointments will continue in netWorld, as outlined in the INF Procedure for Appointment of Umpires to Rankings Matches, but with some adaptions to enable matches between the senior teams of Member countries to continue to be used for rankings purposes, even in these exceptional circumstances.

The impacts of COVID-19 are very fluid with respect to travel, border controls and quarantines, and may, therefore, require adjustment of any timelines mentioned as situations unfold. This interim policy provides the spirit and intent of how to manage through any adjustments required with clear and open communication between the host countries and INF.

INF will review the Interim COVID-19 Umpire Appointments Procedure amendment at least every 3 months and report back to all Member countries the outcome of that review.

View the full interim COVD-19 umpire appointments policy here.

Extension of INF issued dates for officials with expiry in 2020 or 2021

INF appreciate the uncertainty that COVID-19 is bringing and have been reviewing the impact on the expiry dates of status issued to INF officials.

To mitigate the immediate impact, those officials whose INF issued status is due to expire in the next 12 to 18 months will have their end date extended by 12 months. This applies to IUA, ITID, ITP, ITP Cadet and ROC whose current status expires in 2020 or 2021.

INF recognise that access to netball (both domestically and internationally) could be limited for a long period of time so the situation will be reviewed again in 6 months to see if any further exceptions need to be made as things progress, e.g. for officials whose INF issued status expires in 2022.

In addition to this, the International Regional Officiating Coordinator (ROC) group will be meeting on a regular basis during this time, to ensure it is best placed to react and respond to the ever changing environment. If you have any questions or queries in relation to international officiating during this time, please don’t hesitate to send them through. We are committed to providing updates as and when information in made available.

INF remain open to review individual circumstances, but please be assured the INF Procedures continue to have the usual measures in place to manage the end of issued status:

  • IUA: A test may be scheduled at any time up to twelve months before or up to eighteen months after the expiry date of the previous grade ‘Met’ test (if deemed appropriate by ITP)
  • ITID: The ITPs and ITP Cadets can make a request to the ROC and IUM for ITID status to be continued after four years should an umpire still be progressing and further time be required for this
  • ITP: ITP status will be reviewed at the end of an appointment by the IUM in conjunction with the Regional Federation, INF Member Country and ROC to determine if there is a recommendation for that appointment to continue
  • ITP Cadet: ITP Cadet status will be reviewed at the end of an appointment by the IUM in conjunction with the Regional Federation, INF Member Country and ROC to determine if there is a recommendation for that appointment to continue, or if there is enough evidence to support that the accreditation pathway has been completed, the issuing of ITP status will be considered by the INF.

All related procedures can be found in the International Umpiring Handbook

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