NetballExplained

Netball Skill Progression

How to progress netball skills: stationary first, then on the move, then defenders, decisions and match-like pressure — one step at a time.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

Teach the skill stationary and unopposed first, then on the move, then add pressure one way at a time — a defender, less space, a time limit or competition — and finally decisions between options. Keep balance and control ahead of speed, move individuals up when they're ready, and go back a step whenever technique breaks down.

Skill progression is about order and pace: building a skill in steps, so each one is solid before the next is added. World Netball's coaching manual makes the case for the foundations bluntly — at the end of a match, it's usually the team with the fewest unforced errors that wins, and mastery of the foundation skills underpins everything.

The steps

A skill progression staircase Five steps rising from left to right: 1, stationary and unopposed; 2, on the move; 3, add a defender; 4, add decisions; 5, match-like, with less space, a time limit or competition. 1 Stationary, unopposed 2 On the move 3 Add a defender 4 Add decisions 5 Match-like: less space, time limit, competition
One step at a time. Master the skill stationary, then on the move; then add a defender, then decisions between options, then match-like pressure. If technique breaks down at a step, go back one.
  1. Stationary and unopposed. Learn the technique without movement or opposition — the catch, the pass, the landing.
  2. On the move. World Netball's guidance is that once players can catch and throw stationary, the next step is doing it on the move — which adds balance on landing, body control and quick decisions.
  3. Add a defender. First passive, then live.
  4. Add decisions. World Netball's decision-making progression builds from simple to complex: one player choosing between two stationary teammates, then two moving teammates, then with a defender marking one of them, then three attackers and two defenders, then a defender on the passer at 0.9m, and finally the same choice in a real court situation.
  5. Match-like pressure. Less space, a time limit, or competition between players.

Ways to add pressure

The manual lists four ways to put pressure on a skill:

  • reduce (or increase) the space players have to move in;
  • add defenders;
  • put a time limit on the activity;
  • make it competitive, players against each other.

Change one at a time. Adding speed, opposition and decisions together tends to make technique break down, undoing the earlier work. And remember the manual's reminder that balance and control come before speed.

Speed comes last

For movement skills, World Netball's guidance is to start slowly — at jogging pace — and build to running and then sprinting, so the correct technique is in place before speed is added. Frequent practice builds both execution and confidence.

Build back up to the court

A useful pattern from the manual's worked session: when players struggle with something in matches, go back to a basic set-up, revisit the skill, and build it back up step by step to an on-court situation — adding movement, then defenders, then restricting the space. See the full example in session planning.

Common progression mistakes

  • Rushing to full pressure. If the technique isn't reliable unopposed, it won't hold up against a defender.
  • Never going back. Even top-level coaches, the manual notes, make sure the basics are performed consistently — revisit them all season.
  • Moving everyone at once. Players will be ready for the next step at different times. With a mixed group, run different steps side by side (see coaching mixed-ability squads).

Knowing when to move on

Watch the skill against the ideal model, and move a player on when it holds up consistently at the current step. Simple tracking helps — for example shooting percentage by spot (see improving shooting accuracy), or a note of which players are reliable at which step. If technique breaks down at a new step, go back one.

Sources

All information on this page is given to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing (October 2026), after referring to the official sources below.

Coaching points

  • Change one thing at a time: space, defenders, time, or decisions — not all at once.
  • Start movement work at jogging pace and build to running, then sprinting.
  • Revisit the foundation skills throughout the season, not just at the start.

Common mistakes

  • Moving to full match pressure before the technique is reliable.
  • Adding several kinds of pressure at once, so technique falls apart.
  • Never returning to basics once they've been 'done'.
  • Moving every player on at the same rate.