NetballExplained

The Netball Court Explained

Netball court dimensions, thirds, goal circles and lines explained, with a diagram, for players, parents and umpires.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

A netball court is a 30.5m x 15.25m rectangle split into three equal thirds, with a goal circle of 4.9m radius at each end — players' positions determine which thirds and circles they may enter.

The netball court looks simple, but its lines and zones are central to how the game is played — where you're allowed to stand is decided entirely by your position.

Dimensions

A full-size netball court is a rectangle 30.5m long and 15.25m wide (100ft x 50ft). It's divided by two transverse lines into three equal sections, each 10.17m long. All lines are 50mm wide and count as part of the area they mark out — a player standing on a line is in that area. Around the court is a court surround 3.05m wide on every side.

Netball court diagram — The netball court: three equal thirds and a goal circle at each end

Defensive third Centre third Attacking third

The netball court: three equal thirds and a goal circle at each end

The three thirds

  • Defensive third — the third containing the goal circle your team is defending.
  • Centre third — the middle third, where the centre circle sits.
  • Attacking third — the third containing the goal circle your team is shooting at.

The rulebook calls the two end thirds the goal thirds.

Which thirds a player may enter depends entirely on their position — see the 7 netball positions explained. Standing in a third your position isn't permitted in is offside.

The goal circles

At each end of the court is a goal circle: a semicircle with a 4.9m radius, centred on the mid-point of the outside of the goal line. Goals can only be shot from inside this circle (the line counts as inside). Only four players may enter each circle: the attacking team's Goal Shooter and Goal Attack, and the defending team's Goal Keeper and Goal Defence.

The centre circle

At the exact middle of the court is a small centre circle, 0.9m in diameter. Every centre pass — the pass that starts each quarter and restarts play after every goal — is taken by a Centre standing with at least one foot wholly inside it.

Goalposts

A goalpost stands at the mid-point of each goal line, with the back of the pole at the outer edge of the line. The padded pole is 3.05m tall, and a ring of 380mm internal diameter is attached at the top by a 150mm bar projecting towards the court. See how high is a netball post?.

Why the lines matter so much

Netball's court markings aren't just decoration — they're the mechanism behind two of the sport's defining rules: that no single player can cover the whole court, and that only specialist shooters can score. Understanding the thirds and circles makes the rest of the rulebook — offside, the centre pass, and each position's role — much easier to follow.

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.