Not just for school girls (Netball)

Member Name: sympatic

Product:	Netball
Date:	13/04/08 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great sport and keeps you fit

Disadvantages: Bent fingers ouch

Netball was my favourite team sport while at school and up until a year ago I used to play for a league team however work has got in the way recently but I'm hoping to take it up again soon.


Netball is played on a court and the objective of the game is to score more points than the opposition. Teams comprise of seven players and they have assigned positions. There are estrictions on where each player can go on the court, for exampl only the Goal Attack and the Goal Shooter are able to enter the attacking area and take shots at goal. Similarly on the defense on the goal keeper and goal defence can enter this area as well.

This means that while it is very much a team sport you also have on the court a lot of personal battles as you are matched up against your opposite number. It can be compared to basketball however there are a lot of differences I think. Firstly the net in netball does not have a backboard that you can use when shooting therefore you have to make sure that you get the weight of your shot just right.

Also in netball you cannot move with the ball so once caught you can take one step to plant your feet and then you have to pass the ball. You really do have to think fast and good players will know where the next pass is going. Being tall can be an advantage in some positions however you also have to be agile and mobile so it does require a good level of fitness and good eye hand co-ordination. This is the part of the game that I enjoy as you do burn some calories plus as a team sport you build friendships and a sense of belonging to a group. This also means that the game has a great social side as well.

The rules are fairly straight forward. It is a non contact sport although you can get injuries, it is important to warm up properly, my worst injuries though have been to my fingers when I have not caught the ball correctly or bent fingers trying to intercept a hard pass. There are minor and major rules in the game, minor rules just result in a free pass while major rule violitions result in a free shot and could also result in a suspension although this is really rare in my experience.


It is not an expensive sport to play, the biggest cost is in a good pair of trainers as these are really important, other than that a pleated skirt and a polo shirt as well as good sports socks is all that is needed. Teams also wear either bibs with your position on them or you can get it added to the team shirt however bibs make it easier to swap positions.

If you are interested in playing check out the local paper for teams or go to the England Netball site at http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/ to find a team near you.

It is a great sport that will keep you fit and allow you to make some great friends, mind you the social side often does not help with the fitness bit.

Summary: Fun team sport