A park or a ground with a grown-up

Netball at home

A ball and a wall or a partner at home; a court for the game.

3 cards at home 5 for a park or court 1 for the club

What should we practise today?

Tell us where you are and who is playing. You get one card and the reason.

Where are you?

Who is playing?

Start a session

New to netball? The game in a minute

Read this once before the first card.

The game in short: Two teams of seven pass a ball down a court and score by shooting it through a high ring with no backboard. Every player has a position, shown by letters on a bib, and may only go into certain areas of the court.
How a goal is scored: Only two players, the Goal Shooter (GS) and the Goal Attack (GA), may shoot, and only from inside the goal circle. Each goal scores 1. After each goal, play restarts with a centre pass, taken by the two teams in turn. A game is four quarters of 15 minutes; the team with more goals wins.
The key rules: Nobody runs with the ball: a player who catches it lands, may pivot on the landing foot, and must pass or shoot within 3 seconds. Defenders must stand at least 0.9 m from the player with the ball, and there is no contact. Breaking a rule gives the other team a free pass or a penalty pass.
Rules children break first: Moving the landing foot after catching (footwork).
Holding the ball for more than 3 seconds.
Defending closer than 0.9 m (obstruction).
Going into an area your position is not allowed in (offside).
At home you need a ball and a wall: Landing still, catching and the chest pass, pivoting on the landing foot and the footwork rule; then small games, getting free, defending, and shooting at a ring or a hoop.

Words you will hear (21, in plain language)

Court: The court is split into three thirds: two goal thirds and a centre third.
Goal circle: The half circle in front of each ring, where shooters must be to score.
Ring: The metal hoop with a net, on top of a 3.05 m post.
Positions: Goal Shooter (GS), Goal Attack (GA), Wing Attack (WA), Centre (C), Wing Defence (WD), Goal Defence (GD) and Goal Keeper (GK), each shown on a bib.
Centre pass: The pass from the middle of the court that starts play and restarts it after each goal.
Footwork rule: The first foot to land after a catch is the landing foot; it may pivot but not step away.
Pivot: Turning on the ball of the landing foot while the other foot steps round.
Three-second rule: The ball must be passed or shot within 3 seconds.
0.9 m rule: A defender must stand at least 0.9 m from the player with the ball; closer is obstruction.
Contact: Touching or bumping another player in a way that stops their play; not allowed.
Offside: A player going into an area their position may not enter.
Free pass: A pass given to the other team after a rule is broken.
Chest pass: Passes from the chest with both hands; from the shoulder with one hand over a longer distance; bounced once on the way; and floated high over a defender.
Feint: Pretending to go one way, then going the other.
Drive: A fast run into space to receive the ball.
Clear: Ways of getting free: running out of a crowded space; holding a defender off with the body to keep a space; stepping up, then sprinting back.
Mark: Staying close to an opponent to stop them getting the ball.
Intercept: Catching or tipping a pass meant for an opponent.
Rebound: Catching the ball after a missed shot.
Grid ball: Practice games. Grid ball: throw and catch to keep the ball in your team. End ball: score by passing to a team-mate behind the end line.
Prehab: Exercises that make injuries less likely, such as landing practice.

Try it, nothing to buy

Mark the space once. Every card starts from it.

A suggested first ten sessions (optional)

The cards, level by level

Nobody is late. A beginner of any age starts at Basic.

Basic 4 cards · show· hide A stable body position, landing balanced, catching with two hands, the chest pass and simple games. Movement comes first (stopping, landing, taking off, turning), then ball skills, then attacking, defending and position skills.

Move on when the child meets the self-checks on b1 to b4.

Intermediate 3 cards · show· hide Moving to get free (dodge, clear and drive, up-to-go-back, hold), the shoulder, bounce and lob passes, defending the passer and receiver at 0.9 m, intercepting, shooting and rebounding. Most of every session is spent doing the skill, with only a short show and a short reason why.

Move on when the player can play a position in a full game.

Advanced 2 cards · show· hide Fast, accurate passing under pressure, movement that fools defenders, planned centre passes, defenders switching players, controlling the speed of the game, and knee-injury prevention.

Teaching this at home

More space and a second person. A grown-up can run every card.

You do not need to know the sport. Each card tells you where to stand, what to say and what to look at. Pick one thing to say in a session and say only that. The first week looks messy; that is normal. End every session on one that works.

Cards marked At a club are taught by a coach. They tell you what the coach teaches, what is safe at home, and what to ask the club before your child joins.

How to warm up before playing is at workonfitness.com. The rules of the game are at sportsmaze.com.