NETBALL

Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. The sport shares many similarities with basketball, having been derived from early versions of women's basketball. It developed as a distinct sport in the 1890s in England, from where it spread to other countries. Netball is popular inCommonwealth nations and is predominantly played by women. Games are played on a rectangular court divided into thirds, with a raised goal at each short end. The object of the game is for teams to score goals, by passing a ball and shooting it into the opposing team's goal. Players are assigned "positions" that define their role within the team and restrict their movement on court. During general play, a player with the ball can take no more than one step before passing it, and cannot hold the ball for longer than three seconds. Goals can only be scored by the assigned shooting players. Netball games are 60 minutes long, divided into 15-minute quarters, at the end of which the team with the most goals scored wins. The sport is administered globally by the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA), and is reportedly played by over 20 million people in more than 70 countries.
[1]

Local-level participation is

widespread in Commonwealth nations, particularly in schools, although international competition and domestic leagues only receive substantial recognition in a few countries. The highest level of international netball includes the Netball World Championships, the netball event at the Commonwealth Games, and the World Netball Series.

Origins from basketball

Netball emerged from early versions of women's basketball, evolving with the increasing participation of women in sport. Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor working in Springfield, Massachusetts. His new game was played in his school's gymnasium between two teams of nine players, using an association football that was shot into closed-end peach baskets.
[2]

Senda Berenson, a teacher at a nearby women's college,

developed women's basketball the following year, with modified rules designed to accommodate the social norms regarding appropriate conduct and attire for women, and contemporary notions on their limited physical capacity.
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Women's basketball spread across the United States over the next few years, with many variations arising in different parts of the country. In 1893, Clara Gregory Baer introduced her own version of the sport to her female students in New Orleans. Two years later, she released the first published rules for women's basketball, which she called "basquette".
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Baer's game was substantially different to

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Berenson's, but was similarly designed to facilitate women's participation in sport.

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The first unified

rules of women's basketball was published by Berenson in 1901, which included a number of rules from Baer's game. The rules of women's basketball eventually merged with those of the men's game,

although these early versions of women's basketball gave rise to another sport: netball. [edit]Early

development of netball

Basketball spread to England within a few years of its invention. Martina Bergmansterberg introduced one version of basketball in 1893 to her female students at her Physical Training College in London (later in Dartford). Subsequent revisions were made at the college two years later, and in 1897 rules were introduced from women's basketball in the United States. By that time, the game had moved outdoors and the baskets were replaced by rings that had nets; Madame sterberg's sport had also acquired the new name "net ball".
[6] [8]

The first codified rules of netball were

published in 1901 by the Ling Association (later the Physical Education Association of the United Kingdom). From England, netball spread to other countries in the British Empire. Variations of the rules and even names for the sport arose in different areas: "women's (outdoor) basketball" arrived in Australia around the start of the 20th century and in New Zealand from 1906, being played in Jamaican schools by 1909.
[10] [6][9]

while "netball" was

Netball became a popular women's sport in countries where it was introduced, and spread rapidly through school systems. School leagues and domestic competitions emerged during the first half of the 20th century, and in 1924 the first national governing body was established. International competition was initially hampered by a lack of funds and varying rules in different countries. Australia and New Zealand contested the first international game of netball in Melbourne on 20 August 1938, which the host nation won 4011.
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Efforts began in 1957 to standardise netball rules globally: by

1960 international playing rules had been standardised, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball (later the International Federation of Netball Associations) was formed to administer the sport worldwide. [edit]The
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global game

In 1963, the first international tournament was held in Eastbourne, England; this was originally called the World Tournament, and eventually became known as the Netball World Championships. It has been held every four years since, most recently in 2007. The World Youth Netball Championships started in Canberra in 1988, and have been held roughly every four years since. In 1995, netball became an Olympic-recognised sport, allowing its inclusion in future games. Three years later it debuted at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
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Other international competitions also

emerged in the late 20th century, primarily contested between second- and third-tier netball nations: these include the Nations Cup and the Asian Netball Championship. School leagues and nationwide club competitions have existed in countries such as England, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica since the early 20th century. However, franchise-based netball leagues only emerged in the late 1990s. The most prominent of these competitions are the ANZ Championship in Australia and New Zealand, and the Netball Superleague in the United Kingdom. These competitions sought to increase the profile of the sport in their respective countries, which despite widespread local-level participation remains largely amateur. In 2008, efforts were started to include netball in the Olympic Games from as early as 2012.
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A new format of the game,

called fastnet, was also announced in December that year, one that featured shorter matches with modified rules designed to make the game more appealing to spectators and television audiences. [edit]Description [edit]Objective The objective of a game of netball is for players to pass the ball to a teammate within the opposition's goal circle and score goals, which the opposing team will attempt to prevent . The team with the most goals at the end of a game is the winner. [edit]Court
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and rules

and its dimensions

A netball court is divided into thirds.

A netball court.

Like basketball, netball is played on either a hard or soft court with scoring hoops or "rings" at both ends. The court is slightly larger than a basketball court, being 30.5 m long and 15.25 m wide. The longer sides are called "side lines" and the shorter sides are called "goal lines"or "back lines". Court markings are no more than 50 mm wide. The court is divided into thirds which regulate where individuals of each position are allowed to move. A 90 cm-diameter "centre circle" is located in the centre of the court. At each end of the court there is a 4.9 m-radius semi-circular "shooting circle" or "goal circle" from within which all scoring shots must be taken. The goal posts are 3.05 m high from the top of the ring to the ground and have no backboards. The rings have an internal diameter of 380 mm and are located 150 mm forward from the post and are made of 15 mm diameter steel. The

height is the same as a basketball hoop, but in netball the diameter of the rings is 3 inches smaller. It is possible to play netball using a basketball hoop but if there is any contact between the ball and the backboard, the ball is considered out of play. If a goal is scored off the backboard it does not count. Some versions of the rules allow a goal to be scored from a backboard rebound if a player who can catch the ball throws the ball in without touching the ground. [edit]Ball The ball resembles a basketball but is lighter, smaller, slightly softer in construction, and generally white. A netball will often have patterns engraved or stitched into its design similar to a volleyball. Gilbert is the official ball supplier of the International Federation of Netball Associations. [edit]Positions There are seven players on each team, who are given nominated, named positions (some junior/training variants have only five players per team, and the indoor short version has 6 players). Each player must wear a "bib" showing one of the abbreviations below, indicating that player's position. Each player is only allowed in certain areas of the court: a player in a section of court that is not part of their playing area is deemed "offside". The positions are described below:
Netball positions

Position Name

Abbreviation

comments

Goal Shooter

GS

This player must get past the Goal Keeper of the other team. He or she can move within the "attacking" goal third, including the shooting circle.

Goal Keeper

GK

This player must stop the GOAL SHOOTER from scoring. He or she can move within and across the defensive goal third and the shooting circle.

Goal Attack GA

This player acts as the "goal attack," and can move within and across the "attacking" goal third, shooting circle, and center third areas.

Goal Defence

GD

This player must protect against the GOAL ATTACK player, and can move within and across the "defensive" goal third and center third, as well as within the shooting circle.

Wing Attack

WA

This player functions as the "wing defence," and can move within and across the "attacking" goal third and center third, but not in the shooting circle.

Wing Defence

WD

This player"s function is to "defend" the wing areas, so he or she can move within and across the "defensive" goal third and center third, but never in the shooting circle.

Centre

This player can move in all areas except the shooting circles.

[edit]Scoring

goals

By the combination of the above, only the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter are able to score goals directly, and this may only be done from the inside of the circle. The job of the Goal Defence and Goal Keeper is to block the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter from shooting, however they must be three feet or more away from the shooter, otherwise it is called an obstruction. In this, the Goal Keeper or Goal Defence must stand by the shooter's side and are now not allowed to block. A ball that passes through the hoop, but has been thrown either from outside the circle or by a player not the GA or GS, is deemed a "no goal". Furthermore, a shooter (GA or GS) may not shoot for a goal if a "free pass" has been awarded for an infringement such as stepping, offside, or using the post. If a player misses and the ball does not touch the rim or any part of the post, the player cannot catch it otherwise it is called replay. This results in a free pass to the other team. [edit]Starting

and restarting play

A netball game in Australia.

A netball game in action.

At the beginning of every quarter or after a goal is scored, play starts from the centre of the court with a "centre pass". These passes alternate between the teams, regardless of which team scored the last goal. A centre pass is made by a player in the "centre" position who must have one foot grounded within the centre circle. As the game restarts, only the player in the 'Centre' position from each team

are allowed in the centre third of the court. When the umpire blows the whistle to restart play, players in the positions "Goal Attack", "Goal Defence", "Wing Attack" and "Wing Defence" can move into the centre third, where the centre pass must be caught. If the ball touches the ground outside the court boundaries, then a member of the team that was not the last to touch the ball before it went out is able to throw the ball back into the court to restart play. [edit]Stepping,

footwork, and passing

Netball rules do not permit players to let their landing foot touch the ground again if it is lifted at all while in possession of the ball, so players can take 1.5 steps while holding the ball. Players are entitled to balance on the other foot if the landing foot is lifted. Consequently, the only way to move the ball towards the goal is to throw the ball to a team-mate. The ball cannot be held by a player for more than three seconds at any time. A player may tap (deflect) the ball let it bounce and then take possession and throw it. The player cannot catch the ball (with both hands), drop it and pick it up again; this is called a replayed ball. The duration before it is called a drop is determined by the umpire. These rules, combined with the restrictions on where one player of a particular position can move, ensure that everyone on the team is regularly involved in play. [edit]Contact

and obstruction

Contact is only permitted provided it does not impede with an opponent or the general play and players must be at least three feet (90 centimetres) away from a player with the ball while attempting to defend. If impeding contact is made, a penalty is given to the team of the player who was contacted, and the player who contacted must stand "out of play", meaning they cannot participate in play until the player taking the penalty has passed the ball. [edit]Playing

time

A game is played in four quarters, each one lasting fifteen minutes, with intervals of three minutes between the first and second quarters, and between the third and fourth quarters. There is also an interval of five minutes at half time. If a player has an injury, a team-mate or umpire calls time, and the time keeper pauses the timer. When the game starts and the player has swapped places with another player, or is healthy, play is resumed and the timer is restarted. [edit]Variations [edit]Indoor netball Main article: Indoor netball Indoor netball is a variation of netball, played exclusively indoors, in which the playing court is surrounded on each side and overhead by a net. The net prevents the ball from leaving the court, reducing the number of playing stoppages. This gives indoor netball a faster pace than netball. In places where indoor netball courts are not available, this version of the game can be played in a smaller hall (such as a school gymnasium) using the walls instead of a net. This version of the game is played with 6 players; 2 Attacks, 2 Centres and 2 Defence. The Attacks and Defence can each go

in one half of the court including the goal circle, while the centres can play in the whole court except the goal circle. A unique feature of this form of the game is that players can shoot from outside the goal circle for a 2 point goal, while shots taken inside the goal circle still earn 1 point. [edit]Fastnet Main article: Fastnet (netball) Fastnet is a variations on the rules of netball designed to make games faster and more televisionfriendly. It is employed in the World Netball Series with the ultimate aim of raising the sport's profile and attracting more spectators and greater sponsorship. below.
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The modified rules are outlined

Timing: Each quarter lasts only six minutes, compared with 15 minutes in normal international netball competition. Breaks in between quarters are two minutes each. Injury time-outs are 30 seconds only; standard rules allow for one initial two-minute injury time-out.

Coaching: Coaches can give instructions to players from the sidelines during play, from in front of their playing bench. Standard international rules do not allow coaching during play.

Substitutions: As in basketball,

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teams will be allowed to use rolling substitutions, with no

stoppages in play per substitution and with unlimited substitutions per quarter. Standard international rules only allow substitutions either between quarters or when a player is injured. Power plays: Each team can separately nominate one "power play" quarter, in which each goal scored by that team counts for double points. This is somewhat similar to powerplays in One Day International and Twenty20 cricket,
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although it is not a feature of standard netball.

Two-point shots: Similar to three-point field goals in basketball and two-point goals in six-aside indoor netball, the goal shooter (GS) and goal attack (GA) may shoot goals from outside the shooting circle. These goals count for two points; in a power-play quarter, they would count for four points. Umpires raise one arm for a single-point goal and two arms for a two-point goal. In standard netball rules, goals can only be shot from within the shooting circle and count for one point only.

Centre passes: After each goal, the team that conceded the goal takes the next centre pass; teams alternate taking the first centre pass of each quarter. Under normal rules, a coin toss determines the first centre pass of the match, after which centre passes alternate between the two teams.

Tied scores: Ties will be decided by penalty shoot-outs, similar to those in association football.
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Often in competitive netball, tied games simply continue until one team wins in extra

time, or else subsequently achieves a two-goal advantage.