What is Netball?
Netball is:
- a collective sport between two teams of 7 players,
- a sport of speed, agility and which requires good physical condition,
- a sport practiced by 20 million people in more than 10 countries around the world,
- a derivative of basketball which originated in England in the 1890s and a very popular sport in Commonwealth countries,
- the first sport played predominantly by women, and which is more successful among women at international level than men,
- since the 1960s, a standardized sport with the creation of the International Netball Federation and recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1995,
- in New Zealand, the 3rd community on social networks after rugby and football,
- Netball was discovered in France in 2010, and there are now around ten clubs throughout the country.
A sport originally created for women
“Netball became a women’s sport because it embodied feminine attributes and was considered by doctors, reformers, politicians, the media and middle-class women to be the best team sport for women and girls. .
Moreover, Netball flourished because women controlled it as their game outside of male influence.
General rules
Matches are played on a rectangular field divided into three,
At the ends, 2 semi-circles which represent the marking zones, with a basket at each end,
There is a clearance zone around the field,
The ball is a little smaller than a basketball,
There are 2 referees who cover each side of the field.
Each team tries to score points by passing the ball across the court and shooting through the baskets.
Players are assigned to specific positions, which define their roles within the team and restrict their movement in certain areas of the field. (see image opposite)
In the team there are only 2 out of 7 players who can score: GA and GS.
During the match, a player with the ball can only take one step, and can only possess it for three seconds before passing it to another player or shooting at goal.
It is forbidden to dribble the ball, and the opponent must be 90cm from the player in possession of the ball.
The winning team is the one that will score the most baskets during the sixty minutes of a Netball match.
