Things getting tight in the fourth quarter of a Suncorp Super Netball final?
It always pays to know what happens if a finals game ends in a draw.
Things have never been closer in Australia's national competition, with six of this season's 56 regular season games finishing with the scores tied.
And three of the eight Super Netball finals played since 2017 have been decided by just one goal, so it's fair to say the teams have form when it comes to close results.
So what happens if the scores are locked after 60 minutes?
While draws are a 'thing' in the regular Suncorp Super Netball season, once we get to finals all matches will be played until there is a result.
But the procedure this year differs from previous seasons, where two extra (shorter) periods were played in the event of a draw.
Here's what happens in Suncorp Super Netball finals if the scores are tied after the final whistle.
- A two-minute break will be taken
- The match will then go into sudden death extra time
- Teams will swap ends and the centre pass will follow on
- Teams will play without a break until one team has a two-goal advantage. That team will be declared the winner.
This system departs from previous netball extra time rules for elite competitions, which generally see the two teams play another two seven-minute halves, before the sudden death period is required.
INTEGRATED MATCH TIME SYSTEM (IMT)
For the 2019 Suncorp Super Netball finals, the league will also be implementing a new Integrated Match Time system.
Born out of this season's 'Timing, Scoring and Results Review', the new system will use a single timing device operated from the score bench, which will drive the same time display in the venue and on the broadcast.
The system, which has been trialled over the past five rounds, is aimed at minimising the opportunities for confusion around timing at the end of quarters.
For both semi-finals there will also be additional courtside scoreboard panels set up to display the official match score and time, and will be visible to spectators, players and officials.
