Netball is a ball sport game played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own goal ring.

Positions

Centre (C) Centre's are allowed in all thirds, but not in either shooting circle Wing Attack (WA) Allowed in the attacking and centre thirds, but not the shooting circle Wing Defence (WD) Allowed in the defensive and centre thirds, but not the shooting circle Goal Attack (GA) Allowed in the attacking and centre thirds, and the shooting circle Goal Defence (GD) Allowed in the defensive and centre thirds, and the shooting circle Goal Shooter (GS) Allowed in the attacking goal third and shooting circle Goal Keeper (GK) Allowed in the defensive goal third and shooting circle

Rules

Objective

The objective of netball is to score more points than your opposition. This is achieved by scoring goals through the nets positioned at either end of the court. You get one point for every goal you score.

Match start and restart

The match starts with a centre pass, which is taken by the Centre in the centre circle. Other than the opposing Centre, all players must start in either their defensive or attacking goal third, defending on their position e.g. a Goal Defence must start the match in their defensive goal third.When the umpire blows the whistle to signify the start of play, the Centre will attempt to pass the ball to a teammate. The ball must be caught in the centre third. If a player receives the ball in the goal third without it being touched in the centre third, the other team is awarded a free pass.After a goal is scored, players return to their starting positions and another centre pass is taken. The teams take alternate centre passes, regardless of which team has just scored.

Footwork and passing the ball

When a player in is possession of the ball, in accordance with the netball rules, they must pass to a teammate or shoot within 3 seconds. If they fail to do this, the ball goes to the other team for a free pass. This is referred to as a held ball. Players are also not allowed to throw the ball from one goal third to the other goal third without it being touched in the centre third. This results in a free pass for the other team.As well as the three-second rule, players aren’t allowed to replant their landing foot if they choose to raise it from the ground. This means that they can take one step with their free leg and raise their landing foot off the ground, however they must pass the ball or shoot before their foot touches the ground again. Players are also able to pivot with their free foot to manoeuvre into a better passing position. The other team gets a free pass if a player replants their landing foot. This is referred to as footwork.

Shooting

Goal Attack (GA) and Goal Shooter (GS) are the only players allowed to shoot and score goals. Shots must be taken within the shooting circle sometimes referred to as the D or semi-circle. The ball must pass through the net from above for a goal to be awarded. When a goal is awarded, play restarts with a centre pass.

Obstruction and contact

According to netball rules, the sport is not strictly a non-contact sport, however contact is only allowed when not impeding an opponent or general play. When a player is in possession of the ball, their opponent must stand at least three feet away from them when marking. If the player is impeded, an obstruction is called and the offending player must stand ‘out of play’ while a penalty pass or shot is taken. A player can decide to carry on with their pass or shot while being obstructed by their opponent if they think they will gain an advantage. If they complete a successful pass or shot, the umpire will play advantage and play will continue. If the pass/shot is unsuccessful, the umpire will stop play and bring it back for a penalty pass or shot.

These are the main things you will need to know when playing netball.