 At the beginning of every quarter and after a goal has been scored , play starts with a player in the centre position passing the ball from the centre of the court . These " centre passes " alternate between the teams , regardless of which team scored the last goal . When the umpire blows the whistle to restart play , four players from each team can move into the centre third to receive the pass . The centre pass must be caught or touched in the centre third . The ball is then moved up and down the court through passing and must be touched by a player in each adjacent third of the court . Players can hold the ball for only three seconds at any time . It must be released before the foot they were standing on when they caught it touches the ground again . Contact between players is only permitted if it does not impede an opponent or the general play . When defending a pass or shot players must be at least 90 centimetres ( 35 in ) away from the player with the ball . If illegal contact is made , the player who contacted cannot participate in play until the player taking the penalty has passed or shot the ball . If the ball is held in two hands and either dropped or a shot at goal is missed , the same player cannot be the first to touch it unless it first rebounds off the goal . 
