Our two major football-netball league, Ballarat and Central Highlands, will introduce rolling substitutions.

Netballing governing bodies laid down a choice - rolling subs or tactical time-outs - and while this is a move that has divided competitions in places like Warrnambool, our choice is exciting on many fronts.

The obvious is to eliminate what one commentator described as the need for netballers to play dual roles as player and actress, if that was how your team wanted to play with exploitative tactics on injuries.

We might not yet have the polarising super shot offering a boost to county netball skills and tactics. (Seriously, imagine the roar in a grand final at Mars Stadium when a goaler sinks a decisive super shot).

We definitely no longer even get to see the most electrifying move ever served up in netball, the rugby-style chair-lift that takes incredible precision in speed and athleticism to pull off. It was awesome, but blacklisted by the game's international governing body about a decade ago.

Netball purists might still blanch but finally, we have rolling substitutions.

Make no mistake, clubs will need to finely tune this new tool in their arsenal.

Wendouree Netball Association has been on a roll with it since early February in what for many has been a game of trial and error.

This is not a free-for-all. There are penalties for issues like impeding an umpire, running off-side or not changing over properly in the box.

Tracking sheets have the potential to be a new kind of headache but, as a former player who used to wear a number on her skirts, it is not that hard for teams to creatively make players distinct - especially for best on court purposes.

The Central Highlands and Ballarat football netball leagues will further educate and reiterate details with clubs later this month.

The trick will be in tactically finding a balance in how many substitutions and at what stages of play to keep legs and tactics fresh.

In the top grades, this will undoubtedly inject more excitement.

Where rolling substitutions will be particularly helpful in promoting the game, should be in young junior grades or lower-ranked divisions where players are predominantly learning the game, returning to the game, or, as in the latter, finding a pace to stay in the game.

This is a chance for participation to really shine and, ideally, long quarters trying to stay ready on the bench to be an outdated far-from-inclusive thing of the past.

Injury time-outs are not wiped-out - these are still an essential part of the game when used for injuries. Unlike the new tactical time-outs option, rolling substitutions does not drag a match into time on.

This is not about overhauling the game or introducing a new format - netball has its share of these, such as Fast5 and walking versions.

In an evolving sports landscape of codes no longer able to rely on tradition or loyalty. In the United States this week, college volleyball's new double contact rule has sparked a skills versus entertainment value debate.

Rolling substitutions are bringing country netball into a modern era with greater impact than even the long sleeves option for under dresses introduced in the 2022 season.

This will be a great play.