Positions, footwork, receiving and passing

1Why this matters

Netball has no dribbling, and a player may hold the ball for less than three seconds. The only way to move the ball up the court is to pass it, so every one of the seven players must be able to get free, catch cleanly and pass accurately. A team that does these simple things quickly will beat a team of taller or faster players who do them slowly.

2The game in brief

• Seven players a side, each with a position that limits where they may go.
• The court is 30.5 m by 15.25 m, divided into three equal thirds, with a shooting circle of radius 4.9 m at each end.
• The goal is a ring 3.05 m above the ground with no backboard.
• A game has four quarters of 15 minutes.
• Only the goal shooter and goal attack can score, and only from inside the attacking shooting circle.

Figure 1. The netball court: three thirds and two shooting circles. Diagram: Ganzaa.

3Where each position may go

Each player wears a bib with the letters of their position. Entering an area you are not allowed in is offside, and the other team gets a free pass.

4Footwork and the three-second rule

• The foot you land on when you catch is your landing foot. You may pivot on it, turning on the spot, as often as you like.
• You may lift the landing foot, but you must pass or shoot before it touches the ground again. Putting it down again is stepping.
• You must pass or shoot within three seconds.
• The ball must not be thrown over a whole third without being touched in it.
• A pass must leave room for an opponent to intercept between the passer's and the receiver's hands; a pass that is too short is a fault.

5Contact and obstruction

Netball is a non-contact game: contact that interferes with an opponent is a penalty. A defender marking the player with the ball must stand at least 0.9 m from that player's landing foot. Closer than that, with arms raised, is obstruction.

6Getting free and receiving

• Dodge: a quick fake one way, then a sharp move the other way to lose your marker.
• Sprint lead: a fast run into space, timed for when the passer is ready to release.
• Catching: hands up and spread in a W shape, thumbs behind the ball; watch it all the way in; pull it towards your body to cushion it; land balanced.

7Choosing the pass

Worked example

Ishimwe (WA) catches the ball on the run, landing on her left foot. She pivots on it to face the circle, lifts her left foot to reach for a better angle, then puts it back down while still holding the ball.

Decision. Stepping. She may pivot on her landing foot, or lift it, but must release the ball before it touches the ground again. The other team gets a free pass.

8Drills with one ball

• Triangle passing. Three players 4 m apart pass around a triangle, each catching, pivoting and passing within three seconds. Change direction every 10 passes.
• Dodge and lead. In pairs with a marker: the attacker dodges and leads to receive a pass from a feeder. Swap roles after five catches.
• Count-down passing. Everyone calls "one, two" aloud on each catch; the ball must be gone before "three".

Safety: on outdoor courts, check for loose gravel and wet patches; take short steps to land and turn safely, because netball's sudden stops put strain on the knees and ankles; remove jewellery and keep fingernails short.

Practice

Solution. Only GD and GK.

Solution. Offside. WA may play in the centre and attacking thirds but not in the circle. The other team gets a free pass.

Solution. Obstruction. She must be at least 0.9 m from the landing foot.

Solution. A shoulder pass: it is long, fast and direct.