Dame Lois Muir was no shrinking violet in her coaching days but wonders whether the game is getting too physical.
It is an old debate which is raised periodically, but in round two of the ANZ Championship Pulse shooter Donna Wilkins was floored when Firebirds defender Laura Geitz elbowed her in the back, and Silver Ferns and Magic shooter Irene van Dyk complained of rough treatment following her side's bruising encounter with the Fever in Perth on Sunday.
The shooting circle is starting to resemble a wrestling ring, with players grappling and jostling for position. And the collisions appear to be getting harder.
Muir wanted to avoid a knee-jerk reaction, but agreed defenders were getting away with more and more.
''Netball is a game of skill and we have to make sure the skills win,'' Muir said.
''I think, at the moment, the game is on a razor's edge. That is not to say the umpires are not doing a good job, but they don't look at anything until the ball is right there.''
Muir believes a lot of the rough tactics are happening away from the ball while players are jockeying for position and the umpires need to stay vigilant.
Muir was not in favour of a basketball-style foul system to help stem the tide of heavy impacts because she believed it would be too complicated and slow the game down too much.
However, she was pleased the discussion was back in the spotlight because it would help netball address the issue.
''It is a good time for it to come out now. Everyone is going on about what is happening in the game but the rules have not changed. They [the players] are getting away with more. We have a system which can fix this and it is called a whistle.''
Muir felt the Australian umpires, who are used to seeing teams employ tight ''man-on-man'' marking, tend to let defenders get away with more off the ball.
''New Zealand teams can beat Australian teams when they come here because they get pinged.''
Ultimately, Muir said it comes down to how the umpires are interpreting the rules. If the game is getting too physical, it is because the whistle has gone quiet.
