What is Netball?
If you tell people in the Netherlands that you play netball, the most common response is: “What is netball?”
While the sport is still relatively unknown in the Netherlands, netball is played by more than 20 million people in over 80 countries worldwide. It is especially popular in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where it is one of the leading team sports.
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For Dutch audiences, the easiest way to understand netball is to think of it as a sport with some similarities to Korfbal: both involve passing a ball, shooting into a raised goal, and emphasise teamwork, positioning, and strategy rather than physical contact. However, netball has different rules, positions, and a much larger global community.
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Netball is a fast, tactical, and highly skill-based team sport, played by two teams of seven players. The game focuses on quick passing, movement, teamwork, and precision shooting. Although historically played mostly by women, netball is increasingly growing as a mixed-gender sport, with many teams and competitions now including both men and women.
Netball and Korfbal
Netball shares some similarities with Korfbal, but there are key differences — particularly in team structure, gameplay, and global reach.
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Global participation
Netball is played by more than 20 million people across over 80 countries worldwide, making it one of the most widely played team sports globally. In comparison, Korfbal has an estimated 100,000–150,000 players, mostly concentrated in the Netherlands and Belgium. This means netball offers Dutch players the chance to connect with a much larger international community of players.
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Goal structure
In netball, players shoot into a ring-shaped hoop with netting, similar to a basketball hoop but without a backboard, mounted on a 3.05 metre post on the goal line. In Korfbal, the basket is on a post within the field of play rather than at the end line. This makes netball shooting more precise, as the hoop is clearly positioned at the edge of the court.
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Team structure
Netball teams consist of seven players, each with a defined position and restricted areas of the court where they can move. In Korfbal, teams have eight players and can move more freely within their half of the court. These differences make netball more structured, with each player’s role and court positioning strictly defined.
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Movement and gameplay
Netball is mostly a non-contact sport, though modern rules allow some controlled physical contact, particularly in defence. Players must move strategically, pass quickly, and work as a team. They have three seconds to pass the ball when they receive it, making timing and positioning essential. Compared to Korfbal, netball restricts player movement to specific areas and limits contact, emphasising structured teamwork and court awareness.
The origins and growth of netball
Netball developed from basketball in the late 19th century. The sport emerged in 1899, when a physical education teacher in New Orleans misunderstood the recently created rules of basketball (originally established in 1891), creating a modified version with different movement rules and court structure.
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As netball grew in popularity, the first official rules were published in 1901. From its earliest days, the game was played primarily by women and quickly became one of the most popular women’s sports in Commonwealth countries, particularly the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
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Today, netball continues to grow internationally, with increasing participation and expanding opportunities for mixed-gender teams. Its fast-paced, tactical style, combined with a strong emphasis on teamwork, has made it a sport enjoyed by millions of players worldwide.
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Netbal Nederland was established in 2020 to support the growth of the sport locally. Our mission is to introduce more people to netball, support the development of local clubs, and create opportunities for players to compete, develop, and connect with the international netball community.
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Through clubs, leagues, and events, we aim to make netball more accessible and visible across the country, building a strong national community while linking Dutch players to the broader global netball network.
The Netball court
A netball court is 30.5m long and 15.25m wide. The longer sides are called the side lines and the shorter sides the goal lines. The court is divided into three equal parts, a centre third and two goal thirds. These sections are marked by two transverse lines parallel to the goal lines.
The goal posts are round, 3.05m high and placed at the midpoint of each goal line.
Netball positions
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GS (goal shooter) – is allowed to shoot, and only allowed in the goal third.
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GA (goal attack) – is also allowed to shoot but is allowed in the goal third and centre third.
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WA (wing attack) – is allowed in the goal third (not goal circle) and centre third, and has to feed the ball into the goal circle.
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C (centre) – is allowed everywhere apart from the goal circles. Its job is to move the ball down the court.
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WD (wing defence) – is allowed in the centre third and goal third (not goal circle). Marks the WA trying to stop the WA from the getting the ball (defending).
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GD (goal defence) – is allowed in the goal third, including goal circle and in the centre third. Marks the GA defending the ball and trying to not let the GA shoot.
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GK (goal keeper) – is only allowed in the goal third, marking the GS to stop the GS from shooting.