In Australia this question would never arise. Netball is one of the most popular sports in the country and part of most young girls' 'schooldays' experience. Not mine of course; I am completely incompetent when it comes to team games and only ever managed volleyball because you stood in one place on the court and had a net between you and the other team! One of my most vivid, and traumatic, memories of high school involves training up in all the skills of
basketball, relatively successfully, only to be faced in the first match with all these people running around me and at me and all appearing to have some purpose that was completely outside my sphere of understanding. Being used to understanding things quickly and easily, I did the only sensible thing. I ran off the court crying.
But back to netball. Most girls play netball at school. The Saturday family routine for many includes Dad taking the boys to football and Mum taking the girls to netball, except my parents of course who took me to ballet and drama classes (did I mention I was no good at team sports?). Girls start as young as 7 and, knees permitting, many play well into adult life.
So how does it work?
Netball started life as Women's Basketball in the United States but really came to prominence after it was exported to the UK.
There are seven players on each team and the aim of the game is to get the ball in the opposing goal hoop as many times as possible throughout a 60 minute match.
The netball court is 100 ft long by 50 ft wide, approximately the size of a tennis court. The court is split by two lines that divide the court into thirds. At both ends of the court there is a shooting semicircle and a ten ft goal post with no back board.
There are 3 dedicated attack positions, Goal Shooter, Goal Attack and Wing Attack.
These play in the opposing team's goal third and the centre third.
There are 3 dedicated defence positions, Goal Keeper, Goal Defence and Wing Defence.
They play in their goal third and the centre third.
The Centre player plays over the whole court except the semicircle.
Only the players with Goal in their title are allowed into the semicircle.
Some of the main rules are
· Once the player has caught the ball a player may not move her 'grounded' foot.
· A player can only hold the ball for three seconds.
· A defending player must be three feet away from an attacking player with the ball.
· Only two positions on the court can shoot
· Shots can only be taken from within the semicircle
Although primarily a girl's sport, more and more boys are playing and teams can be mixed up to about the age of 12. After that there seem to be insufficient boys to make up a league so they all drift off to basketball.
So that is netball. Any questions? There will be a short quiz!
Today, Baby Angel is off to play in her semi finals although we don't hold out much hope that they'll win. I think they're lucky to have made it this far but it is only their first year in the Under 13 division and only the first season the team has played together. I will try and get some better photos but it is hard as it all moves so quickly.
Wish her luck!!!!!!
4 comments:
Now the mystery is revealed. I was thinking netball was another name for basketball, like football is soccer to my American ears. But now I see! Interesting!
I'm also just a dunce at team sports. As it seems my lazy-eyed boy child is, too (he can't see out of that left eye and has hardly any depth perception). He's into drama outside of school, so it's not the "team" part, just the sport part. He has an interest in golf, though, which he may be able to do in school in the next few years.
I think the one Austrailian couple I know is from Adelaide, too. :-)
Thanks so much for explaining. Being an American (do you call us all Yankees?), I haven't heard of netball, but didn't want to ask. That's an interesting concept and even more interesting to me that it is primarily a girls' sport. Girls around here are still encouraged to do ballet, play the piano, and play with their dollies. I'm glad girls are encouraged to be athletic somewhere in the world.
Sounds too confusing. Tennis anyone?
Haha! Try being asked to coach a team knowing as much as you know now. That was my position in 2003 when she first started playing!!! I had a hat which read
"I am their leader, which way did they go?"
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