Netball officials and players from the BCM area were offered an opportunity to participate in an umpiring Level 1 accredited course held at the Buffalo City Youth advisory offices in King William’s Town over the weekend.
Picture: DESMOND COETZEE
The two-day course saw 28 participants from King, Mdantsane and East London equipped with the latest rules and regulations as prescribed by the International Netball Federation (INF).
Participants were taught updated game theory, taken to the court for practical assessments and sat down for a written test on all they had learnt.
South African umpire Gabriel Simon conducted the workshop after he was introduced by BCM sport department head Manelisi Lwana.
Lwana said the course is fully catered for by BCM and accredited.
“With this initiative, we want you to return and give back into your communities what you have been taught here today,” Lwana said.
His assistant, Zukelwa Cwaba, added that the course must be taken seriously and could prove to be highly beneficial for the development of netball within the BCM region.
Simon said it’s the responsibility of umpires to apply the rules of the game with impartially, fairness and consistency and the responsibility of controlling bodies to ensure that the game is conducted and developed in accordance with disciplined and sporting behaviour.
He then touched on technical specifications which include court and related areas, goalposts and ball before speaking about match duration, match personnel and match procedures.
Other topics also explained are sanctions, controlling play, substitutions, stoppages, scoring of goals, obstruction as well as the safety procedures and the different hand signals.
Bomikazi Magoloza from Tshatshu-based Red Lion Centre said the course was informative and taught her valuable information.
“The information gained will be of great value to my team and community,” she said.
