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As a lover of netball, I am ashamed to say I haven’t tried indoor netball yet! I love the idea of mixing the sport but there are so many variations that differ from country to country that it can make it hard to have a universal set of rules.

Luckily, Zac approached me to guest post and explain some of the benefits as well as the variations overseas, most commonly Australia and New Zealand which may help you and even inspire you to get a team together! So without further ado, here is Zac.

A bit about Zac: 

Zac Ferry is an experienced blogger, writer and social media promoter who enjoys writing about a wide range of topics but more importantly to provide valuable information to help readers get more ideas. Check him out on Google+ and Twitter.

*Guest Post*

Netball is a popular game in the world of outdoor sports being played enthusiastically across countries like England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The indoor version of this game is aptly called indoor netball, (‘Nets’ in England) which is an interesting variation of outdoor netball with a few differences. In the indoor version, the playing court in some cases is protected and surrounded overhead and on sides by a net that stops the ball from leaving the court so to increase the pace of the game and reduce the number of stoppages. That being said, in many cases a net is not used, particularly in England or other Commonwealth countries.

Indoor netball is still growing in the eyes of sports enthusiasts and as a mixed version of the traditional sport its popularity is now soaring in Australia, England and New Zealand as well as elsewhere, however, there are still fans who like to see men’s and women’s games separately. WINA (World Indoor Netball Association) has given the sport an international value by administering it on global platforms as its popularity increases.

Benefits of Indoor Netball

The main trouble faced by outdoor sports (particularly in countries such as the UK) is that anytime weather can turn, creating horrible conditions for gameplay as well as the fans and enthusiasts watching. Canceled matches can be disappointing, especially for those who travel far to see them and in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, excessive heat and humidity can also kill the mood and spoil the atmosphere (that’s not to mention the UV skin concerns!). Playing indoors is an awesome way to be sure that the game is not going to be affected by the changes in climate, and that your skin will not be hurt by scorching heat (whether you’re playing or spectating).

For players (especially shooters), there is no need to worry about the sun in your eyes throwing off your game and the court conditions underfoot don’t need to be considered because of the grip inside. For the spectators, it is incredibly comfortable and gives the opportunity to meet up with friends to create a better atmosphere in a boundary-packed court, with little worry about the weather.

Two Popular Versions of the Game

6-A-Side

In this version of the game, the entire area of the court is divided into halves and not thirds as in the traditional game. During 6-a-side, they form a team of two attacking players, two defensive players and two central court players.  The exciting part of the game is: attack players will be positioned in one half and defense in the other while center players will be darting across the whole court.

More like a basketball, scoring in netball indoors has unique rules. Upon making a successful shot inside the circle, you will score 1 point, and each shot outside the circle will bring you 2 points. Attack players will help center players achieve 2-point shot.

After securing a goal, a defense player from opponent team gets ready for a throw-off from the top of their circle. The variation is played predominantly in New Zealand.

7-A-Side

Also known as “Action netball” as the rules of 7-a-side resemble those followed in the original outdoor game. So, the court in this indoor netball version is divided into three, and there will be seven players gracing the team. As well as this the positions stay the same and only 1-point shots are available from within the shooting circle.

The main differences however, are the mixed team and while you can have a maximum of 10 players (and a minimum of 5) you can only have 3 males on court at a time, and not in complimenting positions (e.g. GS and GA or GK and GD). This is the most common variation in England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa currently.

*All images courtesy of Zac*

If you want to learn more about Indoor netball and the rules here in the UK, visit the England Indoor Netball site.

You may also be interested in this Pinterest Boards:

• Netball