Netball is a great sport for people of all ages and it can be a fantastic sport to introduce your children to. Not only is it fun and a great way to exercise and make friends, but it can teach them valuable lessons in teamwork and cooperation which can help in many aspects of life.
For those who have never played netball before, it can be difficult to understand exactly how to play the sport.
Joining a coaching team and learning how to play with the help of others is a great way to learn and may eventually lead to participation in netball competitions and contests. but having a basic outline of the sport can also be helpful before starting.
First, you need to understand the basics of how the game works. Netball is played. Netball uses a similar court layout to basketball, however, the court is divided into three sections, rather than two, and the ball used is usually several sizes smaller than a basketball.
There are two teams, each with seven players, and each player is only able to move within a specific area of the court, according to their position. There are seven positions in netball which are all marked with initials.
GS is Goal Shooter, GA is Goal Attack, GD is Goal Defence, GK is Goal Keeper, WA is Wing Attack. WD is Wing Defence and C is Centre.
It is important that each player knows their court boundaries and does not cross these, meaning teamwork is essential for winning a game and playing netball effectively. Communication throughout to understand where your teammates are and where they need you to be is essential.
One key point in netball is that the player holding the ball is unable to move, therefore one foot must remain on the ground at all times. Pivoting in order to turn to pass the ball is allowed, but any steps taken will result in a penalty for the team who held the ball at the time.
Once you understand the different positions, where they are allowed and the various specific footwork rules involved in netball, it will be much easier to go out on a court and try your hand at the sport yourself.