NetballExplained

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.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

A front cut is a sharp move across in front of your defender, towards the ball, used when they're level with you or behind. Change pace as you go, land on your outside foot as you catch, and time it so the pass meets you as you arrive.

A front cut is one of the two basic ways to get free from a defender who's marking you closely; the other is the back cut. World Netball's coaching material doesn't use the name "front cut", but the movement is built from the skills it does describe: a lead towards the ball, a sharp change of direction, a change of pace and good timing.

When to use it

A front cut compared with a back cut Left panel, the front cut: defender D is level with attacker A, so A cuts across in front of D, towards passer P, into space. Right panel, the back cut: D is marking tightly in front of A, between A and P, so A steps towards D and then reverses into the space behind, where P passes the ball over the top. Front cut Back cut A D P 1 A D P 2 3
Front cut or back cut. Filled circles are attackers; D is the defender; the solid line is the pass.
  1. Front cut: the defender is level or behind, so cut across in front of them, towards the ball.
  2. Back cut: the defender is fronting you, so first step towards them to draw their weight forward…
  3. …then reverse into the space behind them, with the pass placed over the top.

Use a front cut when your defender is level with you or behind you — that leaves room to cut across their front, between them and the ball. If they're fronting you instead, standing between you and the ball, the front of them is closed: a back cut is the better option.

Technique

  1. Read the defender first. Check where they're standing before you move — level or behind means the space in front is open.
  2. Go sharply. Cut across with strong, explosive steps, using a change of pace — a jog into a sprint — so the defender has as little time as possible to react.
  3. Get in front. Your line takes you between the defender and the ball, so your body shields the pass.
  4. Land on the outside foot as you catch, so you can pivot away from the defender (see how to land).

Timing with the passer

A front cut is only effective if the pass arrives as you complete it. Cut too early and you're standing in space with no ball coming while the defender recovers. Make eye contact with the passer and go when they're ready to release.

Where it's used

Front cuts are a staple for shooters in and around the circle, for Wing Attack and Goal Attack getting free to receive, and for any player leading back towards the ball. Feeders need to read them too: the pass should be placed into the space in front of the cutter, away from the defender (see feeding the shooting circle).

How to practise

Practise front and back cuts together against a defender who changes their starting position — sometimes level, sometimes behind, sometimes in front — so you learn to read in the moment which cut is on, rather than deciding in advance.

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.

Common mistakes

  • Cutting too early, before the passer is ready to release the ball.
  • Rounding the cut instead of making a sharp change of pace and direction.
  • Always cutting the same way, so the defender learns to step across.