Send-off saga: Why the ANZ Premiership umpires have got it wrong this year

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Stars wing defence Fa'amu Ioane was in disbelief when she was sent from the court in her side's round two ANZ Premiership match against the Mystics.

OPINION: One small step over the line, one giant leap into uncharted netball territory.

The extraordinary decision to order a player from the court in last weekend's ANZ Premiership match between the Mystics and the Stars has prompted another high-level inquiry for the sport's embattled administrators as they seek to ensure the actions of the umpires this season do not have more far-reaching implications down the track. 

The removal of Stars midcourter Fa'amu Ioane mid-way through the final quarter of her side's tense round two clash against the Mystics was described in various quarters as a rarity in the sport. It is not just rare it is unprecedented.

In one and a bit seasons of the ANZ Premiership, it has never happened. It never happened in the nine seasons of the trans-Tasman league. And it never happened in 10 years of the former domestic league before that.

If it ever were to happen, it was thought it would take dangerous play, malicious intent, violence or an extreme act of dissent towards the umpire to take the drastic step of removing a player from the game. Instead, Ioane earned the dubious honour of being the first player to be sent off in a top level netball match in New Zealand for.... going offside a few too many times.

As a result, the young wing defence has inadvertently become the face of a philosophical battle waging in netball.

A Netball NZ judicial review panel last week ruled Ioane didn't have a case to answer. Nor did Stars captain Grace Kara and coach Kiri Wills, who expressed their confusion and disappointment at the decision in the aftermath of last week's match.

Instead, the review panel said it was the umpires' actions that warrant further investigation.