There
are twelve players in one team, 10 of them are court players and two are goal
keepers. But not more than seven players do not enter the court at one time.
Six of them are court players and one is goal keeper. The remaining five are
substitutes. The duration of the game is 30 minutes of 2 equal periods with
an interval of 10 minutes. The playing time begins when the court referee whistles
for the throw-off and ends when the time keeper gives an audible signal indicating
that the period of play is ended.
Substitutes
may enter the game at any time without notifying time keeper as long as the
players they are replacing have already left the court. A foul substitution
is penalized by a free throw to be taken from the place where the substitute
entered the court. In addition the player is suspended for 2 minutes.
The
goal keepers must never act as court players. A court player, however may act
as goal keeper. The players are permitted to stop, to catch, to throw, to bounce
or to strike the ball in any manner and in any direction by using hands (fists
or open hands), arms, head, body, thighs or knees. They are permitted to hold
the ball for a maximum time of 3 seconds and to take a maximum of three steps
while holding the ball.
It
is not permitted to touch the ball with any part of the leg below the
knee except when the ball has been thrown at the player by an opponent. It is
not an offence however, if it does not give the offender or his team an
advantage and it is a contravention of the rules if the ball is thrown on the
player's leg or foot by an opponent.
Only
the goal keeper is allowed to enter the goal area. The goal area, is regarded
as entered when a court player touches the ground therein with any part of the
body. Court players who enter the goal area are penalized as follows :
-
free
throw - when the player is in possession of the ball
-
free
throw - when the player is not in possession of the ball, but gains an advantage
or gives his team an advantage by entering the goal area.
-
penalty
throw - when a court player of the defending team by entering the goal area
gains an advantage over the attacking opponent who is in possession of the
ball.
If
a player intentionally plays the ball into his own goal area the referee shall
rule
-
goal
- if the ball goes wholly into the goal
-
penalty
throw - if the goal keeper touches the ball and the ball does not go wholly
into the goal
-
free
throw - from 9m line parallel to foul throw, if the ball comes to rest inside
the goal area or goes over the goal line outside the goal
-
play
continues - if the ball travels the goal area and continues into the
playing area again without having been touched by the goal keeper
