Section 5: Rules of Play
Match Structure
- International matches are played in four 15-minute quarters
- Quarter-time and three-quarter-time intervals are 4 minutes; half-time interval is 12 minutes
- The team scoring more goals at the end of the fourth quarter wins; tie-breaking procedures (typically two 7-minute halves of extra time) apply in knock-out competition
Centre Pass
- The match begins with a centre pass taken by the Centre of one team standing wholly within the centre circle
- Centre passes alternate between the two teams thereafter, regardless of which team scored the previous goal
- The centre pass must be received in the centre third
- The umpire signals the start of play with a whistle; the centre must release the ball within three seconds of the whistle
Footwork Rule
A player in possession of the ball may not let the landing foot touch the ground a second time after lifting it, while still in possession. The player may pivot on the landing foot or take a step on the other foot — effectively 1.5 steps before throwing or shooting. Pivoting on the landing foot does not constitute a step. A breach of footwork is penalised by a free pass to the opposing team.
Three-Second Rule
A player in possession of the ball must throw or shoot within three seconds of receiving it. Failure to release within three seconds is "held ball" and is penalised by a free pass to the opposing team.
Movement of the Ball
- The ball is moved exclusively by passing or shooting; players may not run or dribble with the ball
- A pass must be released to a different player; a pass thrown by one player and caught by the same player is "replayed ball" and penalised
- The ball must be touched by a player in each adjacent third — a pass thrown over an entire third without being touched is an "over-a-third" infringement
Contact and Obstruction
- Contact: Contact with an opponent that interferes with their play is an infringement, penalised by a penalty pass to the contacted player from where the contact occurred
- Obstruction: A defending player must be at least 0.9 m (3 ft) from the landed foot of the player in possession before extending arms to defend or before attempting to intercept the ball; closer-than-0.9 m defence is "obstruction" and penalised by a penalty pass
- The 0.9 m distance is measured from the landed foot, not from the body or hands
Advantage
The umpire may apply advantage if penalising an infringement would penalise the non-offending team — the umpire calls "Advantage" and play continues. The 2024 Edition refined the wording around when advantage may be applied.
Out of Court
The ball is out of court when it touches the ground outside the court, or when it touches a player or any object in contact with the ground outside the court. The ball is brought back into play by a throw-in by a player from the opposing team to the player who last touched the ball before it went out, taken from outside the court at the point where the ball crossed the line.