Netball Skills
Core netball skills explained: passing, movement, shooting and defending, broken down for players learning technique from first principles.
Netball's rules place tight limits on how you can move and hold the ball, which makes technique — not just athleticism — central to playing well. We group skills into four areas:
Passing
Chest, shoulder, bounce and lob passes, one-handed passing, and feeding the shooting circle under pressure.
Movement
Landing, pivoting, dodging, driving into space, front and back cuts, and changing direction — the foundation everything else is built on.
Shooting
Technique, balance, accuracy under pressure, and rebounding — for both Goal Shooter and Goal Attack.
Defence
Marking, body positioning, interception, hands over the ball, and rebounding on the defensive end.
Skill guides link directly to the rules that shape them — footwork technique only makes sense alongside the footwork rule, for example — and through to the drills that build each one in practice.
Guides in this section
Back Cuts in Netball
The back cut in netball: stepping towards a defender who is fronting you, then reversing into the space behind them for a pass over the top.
Change of Direction in Netball
How to change direction sharply in netball: planting the outside foot after a longer run, turning on the ball of the foot, and pairing it with a change of pace.
Feeding the Shooting Circle in Netball
How to feed the netball shooting circle: placing the pass into space away from the defender, choosing the pass, timing the release, and when to reset instead.
Front Cuts in Netball
The front cut in netball: cutting across in front of a defender who is level or behind you, towards the ball, and how to time and land it.
Hands Over the Ball in Netball
How to defend the player with the ball in netball: legal hands over the ball from 0.9m, what to force, and where it becomes obstruction or contact.
How to Catch in Netball
How to catch in netball: the W hand shape, reaching for the ball, pulling it into the chest, catching on the move, and fixing dropped balls.
How to Create Space in Netball
How to create space in netball: reading the free space, balancing the court with teammates, and choosing between leads, dodges, cuts and changes of pace.
How to Defend a Shooter in Netball
How to defend a shooter in netball: the 0.9m distance, the lean, the jump towards the ball, the defensive lift, and rebounding after the shot.
How to Defend in Netball
How to defend in netball: the rules you defend within, footwork, three ways to mark a player without the ball, and how to pressure the player with it.
How to Do a Bounce Pass in Netball
Bounce pass technique in netball: one or two hands from waist or hip height, stepping forward, and bouncing it about two-thirds of the way to the receiver.
How to Do a Chest Pass in Netball
Chest pass technique in netball, step by step: the W grip, elbows relaxed, stepping into the pass, wrists and fingers directing it, and when to choose it.
How to Do a Lob Pass in Netball
Lob pass technique in netball: releasing above the head, a high arc that peaks over the defender, and placing it into the space ahead of the receiver.
How to Do a Shoulder Pass in Netball
Shoulder pass technique in netball: side-on stance, weight on the back foot, stepping into the throw, and extending shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers.
How to Dodge in Netball
How to dodge in netball: the ready stance, short steps the wrong way, planting the outside foot and pushing off into space, timed with the passer.
How to Drive Into Space in Netball
How to drive into space in netball: straight and diagonal leads, landing on the outside foot, choosing free space, and timing the lead with the passer.
How to Improve Shooting Accuracy in Netball
How to improve netball shooting accuracy: daily practice, two shooting layouts, tracking your percentage by spot, and adding defensive pressure in stages.
How to Intercept in Netball
How to intercept in netball: creating the interception rather than reacting, why diagonal passes are easiest to take, timing your move, and drills to practise.
How to Land in Netball
How to land in netball: one- and two-foot landings, landing softly and balanced, the outside foot on a lead, and how it sets up the footwork rule.
How to Mark in Netball
How to mark in netball: staying with a player off the ball, dictating where they can go, and switching to the 0.9m rule the moment they catch it.
How to Pass in Netball
How to pass in netball: the four foundation passes, what decides which to use, placing the ball into space, timing the release and passing under pressure.
How to Pivot in Netball
How to pivot in netball: turning on the ball of the landing foot, stepping round with the other foot, turning away from the defender, and the rules.
How to Rebound in Netball
How to rebound in netball, for shooters and defenders: taking position before the shot, screening out, timing the jump, and the replayed-ball rule.
How to Shoot in Netball
How to shoot in netball, step by step: balance, grip, aim point, the knee-and-elbow rhythm and a backspin release, plus common faults, fixes and practice.