Section 4: Players & Officials
Team Composition
Each team fields seven players on court at any time, drawn from a match squad of up to twelve. Each on-court player wears a position bib indicating their assigned position; the seven positions and their permitted areas are:
- Goal Shooter (GS) — attacking goal third including the shooting circle
- Goal Attack (GA) — centre third and attacking goal third including the shooting circle
- Wing Attack (WA) — centre third and attacking goal third, excluding the shooting circle
- Centre (C) — all three thirds, excluding both shooting circles
- Wing Defence (WD) — centre third and defensive goal third, excluding the shooting circle
- Goal Defence (GD) — centre third and defensive goal third including the shooting circle
- Goal Keeper (GK) — defensive goal third including the shooting circle
Substitutions and Position Changes
- Substitutions and position changes may be made at the quarter-time intervals, the half-time interval, and at the three-quarter-time interval
- Additional substitutions are permitted for an injured player, a bleeding player, or an unwell player at any time, subject to the umpire authorizing a brief stoppage
- A substituted player may return to the match in any subsequent permitted substitution period
Captains
Each team has a designated captain who represents the team in dealings with the umpires and may request clarification of an umpire's ruling at the next available stoppage. The captain wears a captain's armband.
Match Officials
- Two umpires, one for each half of the court along the sideline; each umpire is responsible for one sideline and one goal line and shares responsibility for play that crosses between halves
- One timekeeper
- One scorer (and an assistant scorer in international competition)
- A reserve umpire and a Bench Official may be appointed for international and elite competition
Coaches and Bench
Coaches, team officials, and substitute players occupy the team bench, located along one sideline outside the runoff. Coaching is permitted from the bench only during permitted breaks and must not interfere with on-court play.