3. Warm Up

1. The players will be allowed a warm up on court at the end of the court that they will defend. Teams will not be allowed to throw the ball in the direction of the other team’s half of the court.

2. If, during the warm up, a team throws the ball into the other team’s half of the court, they will be given a warning by the referee. If the same team throws a second ball into the other teams half of the court they will be given a team penalty – Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

3. Length of the Game

1. A game will be a total of 24 minutes divided into 2 halves of 12 minutes each.

2. There will be at least 5 minutes between the end of a game and the start of the next game. At the Paralympic Games and World Championships, there will be a minimum of 15 minutes between the end of a game and the start of the next game.

3. An audible warning will be given 5 minutes before the start of the game.

4. Players who are going to start any half must be ready for eye patching and eyeshade check by the referees, 90 seconds before the start of each half.

5. There will be an audible warning 30 seconds before the start of each half.

6. Half time will be 3 minutes in duration.

7. All teams and players should be ready to start when the table official calls “time” (See rule 12.5) – Failure to comply will result in a Team or Personal Penalty – Delay of Game.

8. Any half will be considered complete at the end of time.

Section c – during the game

3. Game Protocol

1. The referee starts the game by asking the audience to switch off mobile phones and for quiet and reminding everyone to remain quiet while the ball is in play. The referee will call “quiet please” before calling “centre”, and throwing the ball to the team who is to throw first. The referee will throw the ball to the player who is closest to the centre position. The referee will then blow their whistle three times and call “play”.

2. The main clock will be started on the third whistle.

3. The referee will complete any half by whistling and calling “half time”, or “game”, “overtime” or “extra throws”. This is a signal that the half is complete and the players may touch their eyeshades and is to ensure that a penalty situation did not occur before the end of the half.

4. The game clock will be stopped whenever the referee blows their whistle and started again on the next whistle except during a penalty situation. The game clock is stopped during a penalty situation.

5. Any time the ball needs to be put back into play it will be dropped by a referee or goal judge at the sideline 1.5 m in front of the goal post closest to the side it exited the court. The referee will then call ‘play’.

6. If, in the act of throwing, a ball is thrown out over the side line, the referee will call “out” and the ten second clock will be stopped and reset. If the ball also passes the line out line, the referee will whistle and call “line out”. The ball will be dropped back into play by a referee or goal judge at the sideline 1.5m in front of the goal post at the opposite end of the court it was thrown from and on the side of the court the ball exited. If the ball has not crossed the ‘line out line’ and the game clock has not stopped, the referee will call “play” once the ball has been returned to the Team Area. If the game time clock was stopped, the referee will say “quiet please”, whistle and call “play”.

13.7 If a ball is blocked out over the side line within the Team Area, the referee will call “blocked out”. If the ball also passes the line out line, the referee will whistle and call “line out”.

13.8 The ball will be dropped back into play by a goal judge or a referee as described in 13.6.

13.9 If the game time is not stopped, the ten second clock will continue to run and the referee will call “play” when the ball is dropped back into play.

13.10 If the game time is stopped, the ten second clock will be stopped. When the ball is dropped back into play, the referee will say “quiet please”, whistle and say “play”. The team will then have the remaining seconds to get the ball over the centre line.

13.11 Any time the game clock is stopped and the ball is dropped back into play by a referee or goal judge at the 1.5m line in front of the goal post, the referee will call “quiet please”, blow their whistle and call “play” even if no team member is attempting to pick up the ball.

13.12 No additional orientation aids are permitted on court. Failure to comply will result in a team or personal penalty – Delay of Game.

13.13 Following a penalty situation, players may be re-orientated to the goal post by a referee or goal judge. If at any other time a referee must re-orientate a player, a personal Delay of Game penalty will be called.

13.14 When a thrown ball comes to rest in the Team Area of the defending team, without a defending player touching it, this will be called a ‘Dead Ball’. The referee will blow the whistle and call “dead ball.” The ball will be given to the defending team by an official as per rule 13.5. A “dead ball” will also be called if the thrown ball hits the goal post/crossbar without touching a defending player and comes to rest in either the Team Area or first half of the Neutral Area. The whistle will not be blown until the ball has completely stopped its motion.

13.15 A team member will only be allowed to leave the field of play (FOP), regardless of the reason (i.e., medical attention or equipment adjustment), during an official stoppage in play. That team member may not return until the end of that half of the game.

13.16 To ensure the flow of the game, an official time-out to wipe the floor will only be taken when the referee determines that the safety of the players may be compromised. Floor wiping will only take place during an official stoppage in play.