What Is Offside in Netball?
Offside in netball explained: how each position's permitted court area works, and what happens when a player strays outside it.
A player is offside if any part of their body touches the floor in a third of the court, or a goal circle, that their position isn't permitted to enter — even briefly.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Written for
- Player, parent, umpire
- Rule group
- Court position
Offside in netball has nothing to do with the offside rule in football — it's entirely about which thirds and goal circles your specific position is allowed into.
The rule in plain English
Every position is permitted into some combination of the three thirds and, for two positions per team, one goal circle. If any part of a player's body touches the ground outside their permitted area, that's offside — whether or not they're near the ball.
Permitted areas by position
- GS — attacking third and attacking goal circle only.
- GA — centre third, attacking third and attacking goal circle.
- WA — centre third and attacking third, excluding the goal circle.
- C — all three thirds, excluding both goal circles.
- WD — centre third and defensive third, excluding the goal circle.
- GD — centre third, defensive third and defensive goal circle.
- GK — defensive third and defensive goal circle only.
See the 7 netball positions explained or each position's own guide for a labelled diagram of its specific area.
A simple example
A Wing Attack chases a loose ball that rolls into the attacking goal circle. Even if they don't touch the ball, the moment their foot lands inside the circle, they're offside — because Wing Attack is never permitted inside either goal circle.
Legal vs illegal
| Legal | Illegal |
|---|---|
| Staying within your position's permitted thirds and circle at all times | Any part of the body touching the floor in a non-permitted third or circle |
| Reaching an arm into a non-permitted area without touching the floor there | Stepping, even briefly, into a non-permitted area while chasing the ball |
| A Centre moving through all three thirds during play | A Centre entering either goal circle |
What the umpire is looking for
The umpire is watching floor contact relative to the court lines and each player's position, not intent — a player doesn't have to touch the ball to be offside, and "I didn't mean to" doesn't change the call.
Restart
Offside is restarted with a free pass, taken by the non-offending team from the spot where the offside player was standing, or from the nearest point on the boundary of the area they were allowed to be in.
Common misunderstandings
- "I wasn't involved in play." Offside applies to position on the court, not involvement in the passage of play — simply standing in a non-permitted area is enough.
- Confusing offside with obstruction. Obstruction is about defending too close to an opponent; offside is purely about court position relative to your own role.
- "I can never step over the line, even to take a restart." There's a narrow 2024 exception: a player positioning themselves to take a free pass or penalty pass is allowed to step over the boundary of their permitted area if the ball is rolling away from them, specifically to reach it. This is about collecting the ball for a restart, not a general loosening of offside during open play.
Player tips
- Learn your own position's permitted area cold — it's the one rule that's completely fixed and doesn't depend on the flow of play.
- In a scramble near a third line or circle edge, take a half-step back if you're unsure rather than risk conceding a free pass.
Umpire tips
- Position yourself with a clear view of the relevant lines for the phase of play, since offside often happens at speed near a boundary.
- Call it immediately on floor contact — don't wait to see whether the player becomes involved in the ball.
Related rules
Offside works alongside the centre pass rule, which also depends on players being in their correct starting positions, and is easiest to understand once you know the 7 netball positions explained.
Common mistakes
- A Wing Attack or Wing Defence stepping into a goal circle while chasing the ball.
- A Goal Shooter or Goal Keeper drifting into the centre third during a scramble.
- Assuming offside is only called if a player receives the ball outside their area — actually, simply standing there is enough.
Official source: checked against the World Netball Rules 2024, published by World Netball. Last checked 19 August 2026.
Always check the official World Netball rulebook for the definitive, current wording. This site explains and illustrates the rules; it does not replace them.