Netball Glossary
Concise definitions of common netball terms, each linking through to a full guide where one exists.
Quick definitions for the terms you'll hear most often around a netball
court. Where we've published a full guide on a term, its definition links
through to it.
- Advantage
- Letting play continue after a minor infringement because stopping it would disadvantage the non-offending team.
- Centre pass
- The pass that starts play at the beginning of each quarter and after every goal.
- Contact
- Illegal physical interference with an opponent that affects their play.
- Footwork
- The rule governing how a player may move their feet once they have caught the ball.
- Free pass
- The restart awarded for most infringements, taken from where the infringement occurred.
- Goal circle
- The semicircle around each goalpost from which goals must be shot.
- Held ball
- Holding the ball for longer than three seconds without passing or shooting.
- Landing foot
- The first foot to touch the ground after catching the ball, which then cannot be dragged or re-grounded.
- Obstruction
- Standing closer than 0.9m to an opponent with the ball, or defending with arms in a way that limits their throwing or shooting space.
- Offside
- Being in a third of the court, or a goal circle, that your position is not permitted to enter.
- Penalty pass
- A restart awarded for contact or obstruction, taken unopposed from the spot of the infringement.
- Pivoting
- Turning on the landing foot while the other foot and the ball stay in contact with, or return to, their original position.
- Replayed ball
- Playing the ball again after throwing it before it has been touched by another player or hit the goalpost.
- Third
- One of the three equal sections the netball court is divided into: defensive, centre and attacking.
- Throw-in
- The restart used when the ball goes out of court.