Centre (C) in Netball

Centre is the only position that can go almost anywhere on court, which makes it both the most physically demanding role and the one most directly involved in every restart.

Where C can go

Centre is permitted into all three thirds — defensive, centre and attacking — but is excluded from both goal circles. No other position covers this much ground.

Role in transition

Because Centre can follow play from end to end, it's the key link between defence and attack: dropping back to support defensively, then driving forward to help build the next attacking phase. Centre typically covers more ground than any other position — it has the largest playing area on court.

The centre pass

Every centre pass — the restart used at the start of each quarter and after every goal — is taken by the Centre from inside the centre circle, standing with at least one foot wholly inside it when the whistle goes. Centre has to release the pass within three seconds and obey the footwork rule, and where it goes often sets the tone for the whole attacking phase that follows.

The role, according to World Netball

World Netball's coaching manual lists the Centre's roles as:

• taking the centre pass and linking the defence with the attack;
• feeding the Goal Shooter and Goal Attack, giving them shooting opportunities;
• working with the Wing Attack in the goal third and around the circle edge, and with the Wing Defence around the defending circle edge;
• defending their immediate opponent, the other Centre.

Key skills

• Endurance — covering the full length of the court repeatedly over a match.
• Decision-making under time pressure, especially at the centre pass.
• Reading transition — knowing when to drop back into defence and when to push forward to support attack.
• Passing accuracy across a wide range of distances and angles.

Drills and tactics

Centre benefits from footwork drills and passing drills that build decision-making at speed, and features throughout centre pass tactics and defence-to-attack transition work.

C vs C — the direct opponent

Centre is marked by the opposing Centre, and because both cover the same full-court area (minus the circles), this match-up is often decided by fitness and anticipation as much as by any single skill.

C vs WA / C vs WD

Centre shares the centre third with both Wing Attack and Wing Defence, but covers more ground than either — see Wing Attack and Wing Defence for how the roles differ.

Beginner tips

• Pace yourself — Centre's biggest challenge over a full match is often fitness, not skill.
• Practise your first-option pass out of the centre circle so you're not hesitating when the umpire signals.
• Get comfortable switching mentally between attacking and defensive mindsets multiple times a minute.

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.

• World Netball: Rules of Netball, 2024 edition — Rule 3 (positions and playing areas), Rule 14 (offside) and the rules linked from this page.
• World Netball: Foundation Coaching Manual — "The Rules of Netball", for each position's roles.
• World Netball: Rules of Netball, 2024 edition — Rule 8 (centre pass).