Netball Umpire Hand Signals
All 23 official netball umpire hand signals from the 2024 rules, illustrated and explained, plus when signals are used and how to practise them.
World Netball's 2024 rules set out 23 umpire hand signals. When penalising an infringement, the umpire blows the whistle, states the infringement, uses the relevant hand signal and indicates where the sanction is taken. The most common include footwork (palms-down hands moving up and down in opposite directions), held ball (three fingers up) and contact (a hand tapping the opposite forearm).
A whistle tells players that play has stopped; a hand signal tells them why. Together with the umpire's call, signals let both teams understand a decision at a glance — which matters in a fast game where the restart can be taken within seconds.
How signals fit into a decision
Under the 2024 rules, when penalising an infringement the umpires (Rule 4.7):
- blow the whistle;
- state the infringement, using the correct terminology (see umpiring terminology);
- use the relevant hand signal, if there is one;
- indicate where the sanction or action is to be taken.
The sanction itself may also be stated if clarification is needed — for example "penalty pass or shot" in the circle.
The 23 official signals
The illustrations below are simplified; each caption gives the description from the World Netball rulebook. Numbers follow the rulebook.
Arm held high, angled towards goal end of team with centre pass.
Facing timekeeper, one hand vertical and other horizontal to form 'T'.
For centre pass, sanction or action: arm outstretched to side pointing to goal end of team with pass.
For attacking team at its goal end: arm angled down, pointing to base of goalpost.
Arm sweeps across body towards goal end of team with advantage.
Hands, palms inward a short distance apart in a catching motion.
Arm held vertically.
Arms move from side to side across each other above waist.
Hand traces horizontal circle.
For offside, breaking, over a third, untouched centre pass, not set, preventing re-entry, defending from out of court, leaving the court, incorrect throw-in and incorrect shot: hand traces medium upward arc in direction of incorrect position or area.
Hand traces small arc in front of face.
Circular motion of both forearms around each other above waist.
Arm held vertically with three fingers displayed.
Hands, palms inward a short distance apart, twist from side to side in a parallel motion.
Also for playing ball on ground, using the goalpost, replayed ball: one hand, palm down, move vertically up and down in a bouncing action.
Hands, palms inward a short distance apart, one hand moves towards the other held stationary.
Hands, palms down, move vertically up and down in opposite directions.
Hands, palms inward, held short distance apart.
Arms angled out from body below waist.
Hand, palm facing down, taps opposite forearm.
Arms crossed above head.
Arm held vertically with two fingers displayed.
Hand sweeps from player towards their team bench.
Simplified illustrations, seen from the front. Captions give the description in the World Netball Rules of Netball (2024 edition); the rulebook's own drawings are definitive.
The signals players see most
| Call | Signal | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Footwork | Hands, palms down, moving up and down in opposite directions | Footwork |
| Held ball | Arm up, three fingers shown | Held ball |
| Contact | Hand, palm down, tapping the opposite forearm | Contact |
| Obstruction (with the ball) | Hands, palms inward, held a short distance apart | Obstruction |
| Offside, over a third and other position calls | Hand tracing an upward arc towards the area | Offside, over a third |
| Advantage | Arm sweeping across the body towards the team with the advantage | Advantage |
Advantage is different
Advantage is the one call where play doesn't stop. Instead of blowing the whistle, the umpire indicates advantage by calling "advantage", stating the infringement and the playing position of the infringer, and using the advantage signal (signal 5) — while play carries on. See advantage.
Signals for misconduct
The last three signals are for game management: warning (arms crossed above the head), suspension (arm up, two fingers shown) and ordering off (a hand sweeping from the player towards their team bench). A suspension lasts two minutes of playing time and an ordering off four minutes. See netball sanctions explained.
Practising signals
Signals need to be automatic, so you can concentrate on watching play. Practise away from a match first — in front of a mirror, or with a partner calling out infringements for you to respond to with the full sequence: whistle, call, signal and where the sanction is taken. Then practise them during training games, where the decisions come quickly.
Where to go next
See whistle technique for how the whistle and signals work together, and beginner umpiring for getting started.
Sources
All information on this page is given to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing (October 2026), after referring to the official sources below.
- World Netball: Rules of Netball, 2024 edition — "Umpire hand signals", Rule 4.7 (penalising an infringement), Rule 7 (advantage) and Rule 5 (suspension and ordering-off periods).
Common mistakes
- Signalling without stating the infringement — the rules require both.
- Forgetting to show where the sanction is taken, so players don't know where to restart.
- Using a home-made signal instead of the official one.
- Signalling advantage with the whistle — advantage is called and signalled while play continues.