Hello lovelies. How have you guys been doing? Great nor not great? Better keep your health in shape if you want to play netball. At last! Today we will be learning about the basic rules of netball. Netball, my dear lovelies, are all about tactical. That's all there is to it. So, here are some basic rules of netball which differentiates it from basketball.
- Players are not allowed to move around while the ball are in their possession and they can only pass it around to their teammates.
- Only 7 players are allowed in the game unless they are sent out by the referee,
- Every players are given not more than 3 seconds to hold the ball at a time.
- Players are prohibited to move outside of their designated area.
- Defenders must be at least 3 feet away from the opposing team that holds the ball or they will lose the ball.
- Whenever the ball goes out of bounds, the team who last touched the ball will hand it over to the opposing team.
- Netball players must keep at least one foot on the ground once they have landed holding the ball. They are not allowed to step, jump up or drag that foot.
Now you know the basic rules. Let's move a little bit deeper into the rules of netball which includes footwork, contact, obstruction, short pass, over a third and penalty. Do not worry. We will get to it one by one. Chills.
Footwork
- Centre circle: As soon as the Center (C) steps into the circle, their leading leg becomes their pivot foot. They cannot lift or move their pivot foot and place it down again.
- Receive ball: If both feet are landed simultaneously, they can take a step in any direction with one foot and pivot on the spot of the other foot. But if the player landed on one foot, the landed foot cannot be moved.
"If you break the footwork rule, a free pass is awarded to the opposing team"
Contact
A player cannot:
- Move into the path of an opponent who's committed to a particular landing space
- Position so closely to an opponent that the player is unable to move without contacting
- Push, trip, hold or lean on an opponent or use other forms of physical contact
- Place a hand or both hands on the ball held by an opponent or use knock or remove the ball from possession of an opponent.
- While holding the ball, push it into the hands of an opponent.
"No player may contact an opponent, either accidentally or deliberately, in such a way that interferes with the play of that opponent or causes contact to occur"
Obstruction
A player attempting to intercept or defend the ball must be at least 3ft away from the player with the ball. It is measured from the landing foot of the player who possess the ball. Defender may jump to intercept but must ensure that if they jump, they do not land any nearer that 3ft.
Short Pass
The moment the ball is passed, there must be room for a third player between the hands of the thrower and receiver.
Over A Third
The ball cannot be thrown over a complete third of the court without being touched or caught by a player.
Penalty
The penalised player must stand beside and away from the player taking the penalty so as not to interfere this player in any way. The penalised may not move or attempt to take part in the play either physically or verbally until the ball has left the hands of the thrower.