NETBALL

Netball is a thrilling game played on a court. It was born in England and has become very popular in countries that are part of the British Commonwealth. In netball, I pass the ball to my teammates while we try to shoot it through the hoop and score points.

SETTING UP

Netball Court

Do you know how big a netball court is? It’s 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. The court is marked by side lines and goal lines to show the out of bounds area. There are also two lines that go across the court, splitting it into three equal parts. In the middle of the court, there is a circle that marks the center point. Above the ring, you’ll see two goal circles arcing over it.

Players

When it comes to netball, players have specific areas on the court where they’re supposed to stay. It’s not like in other sports, such as basketball. Each player even has the initials of their position on their back, so you know who’s who.

Goal Keeper (GK): The goal keeper’s job is to stop the goal shooter and goal attack from scoring. They have to stay in the defensive third of the court, the one closest to their net.

When it comes to playing netball, it’s crucial to have a strong defense. The goal defense (GD) is like the goalkeeper’s sidekick. They work together to protect their net and stop the other team from scoring points. While the goalkeeper stays close to the goal, the goal defense can move around in the defensive third and the center third of the court. They are the only players, besides the goalkeeper, who are allowed to go inside the goal circle.

Another key player on the defensive side is the wing defense (WD). The wing defense is responsible for stopping the opposing team from getting the ball into the goal circle. They are skilled at intercepting passes and can cover a large area of the court. However, unlike the goal defense, they are not allowed to enter the goal circle. Instead, they can play in the back two-thirds of the court.

Center (C): I’m the player who has the freedom to move around anywhere on the court, except for the goal circles. My role is crucial because I can play defense and offense. The most important task I have is to snatch the ball away from the other team and give it to my team.

Wing Attack (WA): Hey there! I’m the wing attack, and my job is to support the goal shooter and goal attack. I don’t score points myself, but I create opportunities for them to score. You can find me in the offensive and center third of the court, but I’m not allowed in the goal circle.

In netball, there are two primary positions for scoring goals: goal attack (GA) and goal shooter (GS).

The goal attack works closely with the goal shooter to create opportunities to score. They pass the ball to the goal shooter but can also shoot and score goals themselves. The goal attack can operate in the offensive and center thirds of the court and is even allowed to enter the goal circle.

On the other hand, the goal shooter is the team’s main goal scorer. They excel at shooting baskets and collaborate with the wing attack and goal attack to aim the ball towards the ring. The goal shooter can only play in the offensive third of the court.

GAMEPLAY

In a netball game, there are four quarters, each lasting for 15 minutes. At the end of each quarter, the teams switch their positions on the court.

Let’s Get Started

A netball match begins with a coin toss to determine which team starts with the ball. All players must be in their correct positions when the game begins. To start the play, the center player tries to pass the ball from the center circle to one of their teammates. This is called a center pass and happens whenever a goal is scored or a new quarter begins.

The Art of Passing

When a player has the ball, they can only hold it for a maximum of 3 seconds before they must either pass it to a teammate or take a shot at the goal. If they fail to do so, the opposing team will be awarded a free shot.

When it comes to playing netball, there are a few important rules that you need to understand. One of the key rules is that the ball cannot skip a third of the court. This means that if a player is passing from the defensive third to the offensive third, they must first pass the ball to a player in the center third.

SCORING

Scoring in netball is different from basketball. In netball, only the goal attack and goal shooter are allowed to shoot the ball. These players must shoot the ball from within the goal circle. To score a point, the ball must go through the ring from above.

OBSTRUCTION

When playing netball, marking an opponent is a crucial defensive strategy. The defensive player must stay three feet away from the opponent who has the ball. Breaking this rule results in an obstruction. The defender is then required to step out of play, while the ball carrier receives a free pass or a free shot if they are in a scoring position.

THE ADVANTAGE

Sometimes, in netball, a penalty occurs, but the obstructed player chooses to continue playing rather than stopping for a free pass or shot. This is known as an advantage. If a goal is scored during the obstruction, the umpire will let it go without any penalty. However, if a goal is not scored, the obstructed player will be awarded a free pass or shot.

THROW INS

When the ball goes out of bounds, whether it’s past the side line or the goal line, the team that didn’t touch the ball last throws it back into play. They have to throw it in from around the same spot where it went out.

The Game’s Conclusion

The team with the most points after four quarters is the winner. But if the game is tied at the end of four quarters, it goes into sudden death. In sudden death, a coin is tossed again to decide which team gets to start with the center pass. The first team to score a goal in sudden death wins the game.

I love writing and I love encouraging people to play games and have fun. For three years, I organized a pub crawl where we played drinking games almost every day. Games are just part of who I am – I come from a big family of game enthusiasts.

I’m also a big fan of travel and music. In fact, I’ve started my own personal blogs about travel and music.