What is netball?

A fast, tactical team sport built around passing, movement, teamwork and precision.

If you tell someone in the Netherlands that you play netball, there’s a good chance their first question will be: “What is netball?”

While the sport is still relatively new to the Netherlands, netball is played by more than 20 million people around the world and has a strong following across more than 80 countries. It is particularly popular in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica and South Africa.

So, what exactly is it?

Netball in 30 seconds

Netball is a team sport played between two teams of seven players. The aim is simple: score more goals than the other team.

But getting the ball to the goal takes teamwork. Players pass the ball around the court, using speed, movement and positioning to create opportunities for their shooters.There is no dribbling, players have three seconds to release the ball, and every player has a specific position and areas of the court where they are allowed to play.

The result is a game that is fast, strategic and constantly changing — where every player has an important role.

A truly global sport

Netball may still be unfamiliar to many people in the Netherlands, but internationally it is a major sport. More than 20 million people play netball across the world, with established communities spanning more than 80 countries. The sport has particularly strong roots in countries including Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Uganda, Singapore, Malawi and many more!

Netball is also growing across Europe. Europe Netball supports a growing network of national organisations, competitions and development programmes across the region, with new countries continuing to develop the sport and build their own netball communities.

For the Netherlands, this growth is opening an exciting new chapter. In May 2027, the Netherlands will take the court at its first official international competition, joining other European nations such as France, Italy, Switzerland, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Malta. It will be a landmark moment for Dutch netball giving Dutch players the opportunity to represent their country, test themselves against international opposition and become part of the wider European netball community.

New to netball? Think korfbal meets basketball

If you're from the Netherlands, one of the easiest ways to understand netball is to think of it as korfbal meets basketball. Like korfbal, netball is a passing-based team sport built around movement, teamwork, positioning and shooting at a raised goal. But netball has its own rules, positions and style of play.

A global sport

While korfbal has a strong international community, the scale of netball is much larger. More than 20 million people play netball worldwide, compared with an estimated 150,000 people playing korfbal. For Dutch players, that means netball offers a much bigger international community, with opportunities to connect with teams and players around the world through clubs, tournaments, coaching, officiating and international competition.

Some of the key differences

Seven players with specialised positions: Netball has seven players on each team, and each player has a specific position with defined responsibilities and areas of the court. While korfbal also uses specialised roles, netball's seven positions and court restrictions create a different style of play.
No dribbling: Like korfbal, netball is built around passing rather than dribbling. However, netball players must release the ball within three seconds of receiving it, making quick passing and movement particularly important.
Three seconds to pass or shoot: Once you receive the ball, you have three seconds to pass or shoot.
Your position determines where you can go: Netball has strict positional restrictions. Each of the seven positions is allowed to move only within certain areas of the court. This creates a structured game where players need to understand not only where the ball is, but where they are allowed to be.
A goal at each end: Netball has a ring mounted on a post, with no backboard. Only two positions on each team (the Goal Shooter and Goal Attack) are allowed to shoot. Unlike korfbal, there is no changing ends based on possession; teams attack the same goal for a quarter before switching ends.

If you've played korfbal, you'll recognise the importance of passing, movement, teamwork and shooting. But once you step onto a netball court, the specialised positions, restricted areas, three-second rule and shooting structure make it a distinctly different game. That's part of what makes netball much easier Dutch players to pick up, while still offering plenty to learn.

How does a netball match work?

A standard netball match is played over four quarters of 15 minutes. The ball moves quickly between the two teams as players look for space, create passing opportunities and work towards the shooting circle.

Only the Goal Shooter and Goal Attack can score goals. They work together to create shooting opportunities, while the other five players help move the ball up the court and defend against the opposition.

Seven positions. Seven different roles.

One of the things that makes netball special is that every player has a clearly defined role.

You don't need seven players who can all do the same thing. Netball rewards different strengths — speed, agility, vision, passing, shooting, anticipation and defensive ability.

Goal Shooter (GS): The GS is one of the team's main shooters and plays in the attacking goal third and shooting circle.
Goal Attack (GA): The GA can shoot and helps create opportunities in and around the shooting circle.
Wing Attack (WA): The WA helps bring the ball into the shooting circle and creates passing opportunities for the shooters.
Centre (C): The C connects attack and defence, helping move the ball between the different areas of the court.
Wing Defence (WD): The WD works to disrupt the opposition's attack and limit the WA opportunities.
Goal Defence (GD): The GD defends the shooting circle and works to stop the opposition's GA and GS from creating and taking shots.
Goal Keeper (GK): The GK is the last line of defence, working closely with the GD to stop the GS and GA from scoring.

The netball court

A netball court is 30.5m long and 15.25m wide. The court is divided into three equal parts, a centre third and two goal thirds. At each end of the court is a shooting circle and a goal post measuring 3.05 metres high.

The court layout is an important part of the game because each position is restricted to specific areas.

The origins and growth of netball

Netball has something that makes it different from many other team sports: it has been shaped by women, for women, for much of its history.

From its early development, netball became one of the world's most prominent women's team sports. Today, some of the biggest and most prestigious professional netball competitions in the world are women's leagues.

Australia's Suncorp Super Netball, for example, is one of the world's leading netball competitions and has established itself as a major women's sporting league. In 2025, the competition attracted more than 386,000 spectators — making it the most attended women's sporting competition in Australia for the second consecutive year. More than 6.6 million people logged on to Netball Pass to watch a game of elite netball in 2026.

This female foundation is something netball can be proud of. It has created a sporting environment where women and girls have long had the opportunity to compete, lead, coach, officiate and perform at the highest level.

The game is evolving

While netball has traditionally been associated with women and girls, more men and boys are playing the sport than ever before.

World Netball recognises the growing participation of men and boys and is actively supporting the development of men's and mixed netball, while maintaining the female-focused foundations that have shaped the sport. Across the world, men's and mixed competitions are developing, new teams are forming and more players are discovering what makes netball such an exciting sport.