Netball is
a ball sport played by two teams of seven players. Its
development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960,
international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the
International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball (later renamed the International Netball
Federation (INF)) was formed. As of 2011, the INF comprises
more than 60 national teams organized
into five global regions.
Games are played on a
rectangular court with raised
goal rings at each end. Each team attempts to score goals by passing a ball
down the court and shooting it through its goal ring. Players are assigned
specific positions, which define their roles within the team and restrict their
movement to certain areas of the court. During general play, a player with the
ball can hold on to it for only three seconds before shooting for a goal or
passing to another player. The winning team is the one that scores the most
goals. Netball games are 60 minutes long. Variations have been developed to
increase the game's pace and appeal to a wider audience.
Netball is most popular in Commonwealth nations,
specifically in schools, and is predominantly played by women. According to the
INF, netball is played by more than 20 million people in more than 80
countries.[12][13] Major transnational competitions take place, including the Netball Superleague in
Great Britain and the ANZ Championship in Australia and New Zealand. Three
major competitions take place internationally: the quadrennial World Netball Championships,
the Commonwealth Games,
and the yearlyWorld Netball Series. In
1995, netball became an International Olympic Committee
recognised sport, but it has not been played at the Olympics.
History
Netball emerged from early
versions of basketball and evolved into its own
sport as the number of women participating in sports increased. Basketball was
invented in 1891 by James Naismith in the
United States. The game was initially played indoors between two teams of nine
players, using an association football ball that
was thrown into closed-end peach baskets.[14] Naismith's game spread quickly across the
United States and variations of the rules soon emerged. Physical Education instructor Senda Berenson developed modified rules for women in
1892; these eventually gave rise to women's basketball. Around
this time separate intercollegiate rules were developed for men and women.[15] The various basketball rules converged into a
universal set in the United States.
Martina Bergman-Österberg introduced
a version of basketball in 1893 to her female students at the Physical Training
College in Hampstead, London.[16] The rules of the game were modified at the
college over several years: the game moved outdoors and was played on grass;
the baskets were replaced by rings that had nets; and in 1897 and 1899, rules
from women's basketball in the United States were incorporated.[15][17] Madame Österberg's new sport acquired the name
"net ball".[18] The first codified rules of netball were
published in 1901 by the Ling Association, later the Physical Education Association of the United Kingdom.[11][19] From England, netball spread to other
countries in theBritish Empire. Variations
of the rules and even names for the sport arose in different areas:
"women's (outdoor) basketball" arrived in Australia around 1900
and in New Zealandfrom 1906,[11][20] while "netball" was being played in
Jamaican schools by 1909.[21]
From the start, it was
considered socially appropriate for women to play netball; netball's restricted
movement appealed to contemporary notions of women's participation in sports,
and the sport was distinct from potential rival male sports.[11][22] 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,[23][24] and in 1924 the first national governing body
was established in New Zealand.[20] International competition was initially
hampered by a lack of funds and varying rules in different countries. Australia hosted New Zealandin the
first international game of netball in Melbourne on 20 August 1938; Australia won 40–11.[20]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 theInternational Netball
Federation (INF), was formed to administer the sport worldwide.[12]
Representatives from
England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the West Indies were part of
a 1960 meeting in Sri Lanka that standardised the rules for the game.[25] The game spread to other African countries in
the 1970s.[26][27] South Africa was prohibited from competing
internationally from 1969 to 1994 due to apartheid.[28][29] In the United States, Netball's popularity
also increased during the 1970s, particularly in the New York area, and the United States of
America Netball Association was created in 1992.[30] The game also became popular in the Pacific
Island nations of the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa during the 1970s.[31] Netball Singapore was created in 1962,[32] and the Malaysian Netball Association was
created in 1978.[33]
In Australia, the term women's basketball was used to
refer to both netball and basketball.[34] During the 1950s and 1960s, a movement arose
to change the Australian name of the game from women's basketball to netball in order to avoid confusion between the two sports.
The Australian Basketball Union offered to pay the costs involved to alter the
name, but the netball organisation rejected the change.[34] In 1970, the Council of the All Australia
Netball Association officially changed the name to "netball" in
Australia.[11]
In 1963, the first
international tournament was held in Eastbourne, England. Originally called the World Tournament,
it later became known as the World Netball Championships.[35] Following the first tournament, one of the
organisers, Miss R. Harris, declared,
England could learn from
the mistakes in the past from the empty stands at Eastbourne. To get the right
publicity and the right status desired, the game must emerge from the school
playground. Netball should be part of a sports centre where social events could
also be held.[35]
The World Netball Championships
have been held every four years since, most recently in 2011. The World Youth Netball
Championships started in Canberra in 1988, and have been held roughly every four
years since. In 1995, the International Olympic Committee designated
netball as an Olympic recognised sport.[11] Three years later it debuted at the1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.[12] Other international competitions also emerged
in the late 20th century, including the Nations Cup and the Asian Netball Championship.[36][37]
Gender
As of 2006, the IFNA
recognises only women's netball.[38] Men's netball teams exist in some areas but attract less
attention from sponsors and spectators.[39] Men's netball started to become popular in
Australia during the 1980s, and the first men's championship was held in 1985.[38] In 2004, New Zealand and Fiji sent teams to
compete in the Australian Mixed and Men's National Championships.[38] By 2006, mixed netball teams in Australia had
as many male participants as rugby union.[40][41] Other countries with men's national teams
include Canada, Fiji, Jamaica, Kenya, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.[42] Unlike women's netball at elite and national
levels, men's and mixed gendered teams are largely self-funded.[38]
An all-transgender netball team from Indonesia competed at the
1994 Gay Games in New York City.[43] The team had been the Indonesian national
champions.[43] At the 2000 Gay Games VI in Sydney, netball and volleyball were the two sports with the highest rates of
transgender athletes participating.[44] There were eight teams of indigenous players,
with seven identifying as transgender.[44] They came from places like Palm Island in
northern Queensland, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.[44] Teams with transgender players were allowed to
participate in several divisions including men's, mixed and transgender; they
were not allowed to compete against the cisgenderwomen's teams.[44]
Description and rules
The objective of a game is
to score more goals than the opposition. Goals are scored when a team member
positioned in the attacking shooting circle shoots the ball through the goal
ring. The goal rings are 380 millimetres (15 in) in diameter and sit atop
3.05-metre (10.0 ft)-high goal posts that have no backboards.[45] A 4.9-metre (16 ft)-radius semi-circular
"shooting circle" is an area at each end of the court. The goal posts
are located within the shooting circle. Each team defends one shooting circle
and attacks the other.[45] The netball court is 30.5 metres (100 ft)
long, 15.25 metres (50.0 ft) wide, and divided lengthwise into thirds. The
ball is usually made of leather or rubber, measures 680 to 710 millimetres (27
to 28 in) in circumference, and weighs 397 to 454 grams (14.0 to
16.0 oz).[46][47] A normal game consists of four 15-minute
quarters[46][48]and can be played outdoors or in a covered stadium.
Each team is allowed seven
players on the court.[49] Each player is assigned a specific position,
which limits their movement to a certain area of the court. A "bib"
worn by each player contains a two letter abbreviation of indicating this
position.[50] Only two positions are permitted in the
attacking shooting circle, and can therefore shoot for a goal. Similarly, only
two positions are permitted in the defensive shooting circle; they try to
prevent the opposition from shooting goals. Other players are restricted to two
thirds of the court, with the exception of the Centre, who may move anywhere on
the court except for a shooting circle.[51]
Australia
v England 12 October 2011 test match held in Canberra
At the beginning of every
quarter and after a goal has been scored, play starts with a player in the
centre position passing the ball from the centre of the court. These
"centre passes" alternate between the teams, regardless of which team
scored the last goal. When the umpire blows the whistle to restart play, four
players from each team can move into the centre third to receive the pass. The
centre pass must be caught or touched in the centre third.[52][53] The ball is then moved up and down the court
through passing and must be touched by a player in each adjacent third of the
court. Players can hold the ball for only three seconds at any time. It must be
released before the foot they were standing on when they caught it touches the
ground again.[46] Contact between players is only permitted if
it does not impede an opponent or the general play. When defending a pass or
shot players must be at least 90 centimetres (35 in) away from the player
with the ball. If illegal contact is made, the player who contacted cannot
participate in play until the player taking the penalty has passed or shot the
ball.[54] If the ball is held in two hands and either
dropped or a shot at goal is missed, the same player cannot be the first to
touch it unless it first rebounds off the goal.[55]
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, permitting faster play by reducing playing stoppages.[56]
Different forms of indoor
netball exist. In a seven-per-side version called "action netball",
seven players per team play with rules similar to netball. However, a game is
split into 15-minute halves with a three-minute break in between. This version
is played in Australia,[57] New Zealand,[58] South Africa[59] and England.[60]
A six-per-side version of
the sport is also played in New Zealand. Two Centres per team can play in the
whole court except the shooting circles; the remaining attacking and defending
players are each restricted to one half of the court, including the shooting
circles. The attacking and Centre players may shoot from outside the shooting circle
for a two-point goal.[61][62]
A five-per-side game is
also common in indoor netball. Players can move throughout the court, with the
exception of the shooting circles, which are restricted to certain attacking or
defending players.
Fast5
Fast5 (originally called Fastnet)
is a variation on the rules of netball designed to make games faster and more
television-friendly. The World Netball Series promotes
it to raise the sport's profile and attract more spectators and greater
sponsorship.[63][64] The game is much shorter, with each quarter
lasting only six minutes and only a two-minute break between quarters.[65] The coaches can give instructions from the
sideline during play, and unlimited substitutions are allowed.[65] Like six-per-side indoor netball, attacking
players may shoot two-point goals from outside the shooting circle.[65][66] Each team can separately nominate one
"power play" quarter, in which each goal scored by that team is worth
double points and the centre pass is taken by the team that conceded the goal.[65]
For children
Netball has been adapted in
several ways to meet children's needs. The rules for children are similar to
those for adults, but various aspects of the game (such as the length of each
quarter, goal height, and ball size) are modified.
Fun Net is a version of
netball developed by Netball Australia for five- to seven-year-olds. It aims
to improve basic netball skills using games and activities.[67] The Fun Net program runs for 8–16 weeks. There
are no winners or losers. The goal posts are 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in)
high, and a smaller ball is used.[68]
Netball Australia also runs
a modified game called Netta aimed at 8- to 11-year-olds.[69] The goal height and ball size are the same as
for adults, but players rotate positions during the game, permitting each
player to play each position.[70] Netta was created to develop passing and
catching skills. Its rules permit six seconds between catching and passing the
ball, instead of the three seconds permitted in the adult game.[69] Most players under 11 play this version at
netball clubs.[70]
A version called High Five
Netball is promoted by the All England Netball Association.[71] It is aimed at 9- to 11-year-old girls and
includes only five positions.[71] The players swap positions during the game.[72] When a player is not on the court, she is
expected to help the game in some other way, such as being the timekeeper or
scorekeeper.[71] High Five Netball has four six-minute
quarters.[71][72]
Governance
The recognised
international governing body of netball is the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA),
based in Manchester, England.[19] Founded in 1960, the organisation was
initially called the International Federation of Netball and Women's
Basketball.[12] The IFNA is responsible for compiling world rankings for
national teams, maintaining the rules for netball and organising several major
international competitions.
As of July 2012, the IFNA
has 49 full and 24 associate national members in five regions.[73][74] Each region has an IFNA Regional Federation.[75]
International competition
Netball is a popular
participant sport in countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.[77][78] Non-Commonwealth entities with full IFNA
membership include Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Argentina, Bermuda, the
Cayman Islands and the United States, along with former Commonwealth members
Zimbabwe, Ireland and Hong Kong.[73] According to the IFNA, over 20 million
people play netball in more than 80 countries.[12][13] International tournaments are held among
countries in each of the five IFNA regions, either annually or every four
years. School leagues and national club competitions have been organised in
England,[79] Australia,[11] New Zealand[20] and Jamaica[21]since the early 20th century. Franchise-based
netball leagues did not emerge until the late 1990s. These competitions sought
to increase the profile of the sport in their respective countries. Despite
widespread local interest, participation was largely amateur.[80]
Netball was one of three
new sports included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games and
has been a fixture ever since.[81] Twelve teams competed there in 2010.[81] Australia and New Zealand have won two golds
and two silvers each, while England has three bronzes and Jamaica one bronze.[82]
The major international
tournament in Africa is organised by the Confederation of Southern African Netball Associations, which
invites teams from Botswana, Namibia,
Zambia,Malawi, South Africa,
Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the Seychelles to take part.[83] The tournament is hosted by a country within
the region; senior and under 21 teams compete.[83] The tournament has served as a qualifier for
the World Championships.[84] South Africa launched a new domestic
competition in 2011 called Netball Grand Series. It features eight regional
teams from South Africa and is aimed at increasing the amount of playing time
for players. It runs for 17 weeks and replaces the National Netball League,
which was played over only two weeks. According to Proteas captain
Elsje Jordaan, it was hoped that the competition would create an opportunity
for players to become professional.[85]
The American Federation of
Netball Associations (AFNA) hosts two tournaments each year: the Caribbean
Netball Association (CNA) Under 16 Championship and the AFNA Senior
Championship.[86] The CNA championship involves two divisions of
teams from the Caribbean islands. In 2010 five teams competed in two rounds of round robin matches
in the Championship Division, while four teams competed in the Developmental
Division.[87] Jamaica, which has lost only once in the
tournament,[88] decided not to play the 2011 tournament.[87] The AFNA Senior Championship includes Canada
and the USA along with the Caribbean nations. The tournament serves as a
qualifier for the World Championship. Jamaica, with its high ranking, does not
have to qualify; this leaves two spots to the other teams in the tournament.[89]
The Asian Netball Championship is
held every four years. The seventh Asian games were held in 2009 and featured Singapore, Thailand,
Maldives, Taiwan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Hong
Kong, India and
Pakistan.[90] There is also an Asian Youth Netball
Championship for girls under 21 years of age, the seventh of which was held in
2010.[91]
The major netball
competition in Europe is the Netball Superleague, which
features nine teams from England, Wales and Scotland.[92][93] The league was created in 2005.[18] Matches are broadcast on Sky Sports.[94]
Netball has been featured
at the Pacific Games, a multi-sport event with
participation from 22 countries from around the South Pacific.[95] The event is held every four years and has 12
required sports; the host country chooses the other four. Netball is not a
required sport and has missed selection, particularly when former French or
American territories host the games.[96]
The ANZ Championship is a Trans-Tasman competition that has been broadcast on
television in both New Zealand and Australia since 2008.[97] It is contested among ten teams from Australia
and New Zealand. It began in April 2008, succeeding Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy and
New Zealand's National Bank Cup as
the pre-eminent netball league in those countries.[98] The competition is held annually between April
and July, consisting of 69 matches played over 17 weeks. The ANZ Championship
saw netball become a semi-professional sport in both countries, with increased
media coverage and player salaries.
Major championships
There are three major international
netball competitions
Netball's important
competition is the World Netball Championships,
held every four years. It was first held in 1963 at the Chelsea College of Physical Education at Eastbourne, England, with 11 nations competing. Since its
inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australian and
New Zealand teams, which hold ten and four titles, respectively. Trinidad and
Tobago is the only other team to win a championship title. That title, won in
1979, was shared with New Zealand and Australia; all three teams finished with
equal points at the end of the round robin, and there were no finals.[101]
The World Series is a
competition among the top six national netball teams, as ranked by the INF World Rankings.[102] It is organised by the INF in conjunction
with the national governing bodies of the six competing nations, UK Sport, and the host city's local council.[103] The All England Netball Association covers
air travel, accommodation, food and local travel expenses for all teams, while
the respective netball governing bodies cover player allowances.[104] It is held over three days, with each team
playing each other once during the first two days in a round-robin format.
The four highest-scoring teams advance to the semi-finals; the winners face
each other in the Grand Final.[105] The competition features modified fastnet
rules and has been likened to Twenty20 cricket and rugby sevens.[106][107] A new format featuring shorter matches with
modified rules was designed to make the game more appealing to spectators and
television audiences.[106] The World Netball Series was held annually in
England from 2009 to 2011.
Netball gained Olympic recognition in
1995 after 20 years of lobbying.[11][108] Although it has never been played at the Summer Olympics, politicians and administrators have been
campaigning to have it included in the near future.[109][110] Its absence from the Olympics has been seen
by the netball community as a hindrance in the global growth of the game by
limiting access to media attention and funding sources.[26][111][112] Some funding sources became available with
recognition in 1995,[113] including the International Olympic Committee,
national Olympic committees, national sport organisations, and state and
federal governments.[113][114]
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