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SCORING - "Odds and Evens" – What it means!

For the purpose of this exercise the team names are Black and White.

Start of Game

TEAM A has won the toss and takes the first centre pass, pencil an E (evens) in the first box below their name on the score card. Team A will always have this pass during the first quarter when the Total of goals scored is an even number.

TEAM B will be O (odds). Pencil the “O” in the box underneath their name on the scorecard. After the first goal, Team B has the next centre pass, e.g., score is 1 / 0 (1+0) = odds. White will always have this pass during the first quarter, when the Total of goals scored is an odd number.

Example

First Quarter Score

0-0 (evens) - first centre pass Team A
1-0 (odds) - next centre pass Team B
2-0 (evens) - next centre pass Team A etc.

Another simple method is to keep a hair tie on the hand facing the team’s goal who threw the centre pass. After each goal is scored change to the other hand and indicate with that hand whose pass it is.

Re-Starting After ¼, ½ and ¾ Time

There are two possibilities - if the score is say 10-8

1. If a goal was scored prior to the end of the quarter and the next centre pass had not been thrown -
In this case the centre pass in the second half will remain the same, i.e. Team A on `evens' and White on `odds'.
Example- score 10-8 = 18
First pass in next quarter is Team A. Team A remain `evens', Team B on `odds' or

2. The ball is in play when the whistle goes to end the quarter -
In this case CHANGE the ‘odds’ and ‘evens'. Team A will change to “odds”. Team B to “evens” giving Team B the next Centre Pass. Pencil these changes in the square boxes below those you wrote in for the first quarter. Example- score 10-8.

The ball was in play from Team A’s Centre Pass (following the 18th goal), so in order to keep with alternative passes the odds and evens are changed thus giving Team B which is now on “evens” the first centre pass after the interval.

Please Note- The International Rules of Netball states in rule 12.1.4
If at a Centre Pass the ball is still in the Centre's hands when the Umpire’s whistle is blown to signal the end of a quarter or half and provided no infringement by that team has been penalised, that team will take the Centre Pass after the interval.