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.
Before you move, look for space that's clear of other players and think about where your teammates are, so the court stays balanced. Then use the right movement for how you're being marked — a lead, a dodge, a front or back cut, or a change of pace — timed for when the passer is ready.
Creating space isn't one technique — it's the thinking behind several: leads, dodges, front and back cuts, and changes of pace. World Netball's coaching card on getting free sums it up in three questions: where to move, when to move, how to move.
Where to move: use the right space
World Netball's card on space awareness starts with a question: how often do you see a player lead straight at the player with the ball, or into a group of other players? Before moving, look ahead for spaces that are free of other players, and take account of where your teammates are. The aim is to balance the court and not overload one area — two attackers leading into the same space give the passer one crowded target instead of two clear options.
Before moving, World Netball's manual suggests considering:
- the spaces that are available;
- your starting position in relation to your defender and teammates;
- the timing of the movement;
- whether the space is so tight you need a preliminary movement to create it first — for example, moving away to open up the space you then lead back into.
How to move: read your defender
Which movement works depends on how you're being marked:
| Your defender is… | Try |
|---|---|
| Playing off you | A straight or diagonal lead into the space |
| Level with you or behind | A front cut across in front of them |
| Fronting you, between you and the ball | A back cut into the space behind |
| Tight in a small space | A dodge — short steps the wrong way, then push off |
When to move: timing and pace
World Netball's material is clear that speed isn't everything: speed off the mark matters, but it has to come with timing, balance and control. Two things make a movement hard to defend:
- Timing. Move when the defender least expects it and when the passer is ready. The thrower must choose the exact moment to release the pass, or even a well-timed movement won't link with the ball.
- Change of pace. Attacking is a blend of walking, jogging, running and sprinting. If the defender commits to your first movement, a sudden change of speed forces them to readjust — that's when to accelerate away.
What a good attacker needs
World Netball's manual lists what getting free depends on: accurate, consistent catching and passing; good vision; an awareness of how to create space; a variety of well-timed ways of getting free; and good body control at all times.
How to practise
A practice from World Netball's space-awareness card: mark out a square (a third of a court for beginners, smaller for intermediate players). Attackers move around inside it and pass to each other to keep possession, while defenders try to win the ball. The limited space forces players to look for free space and spread out rather than bunch.
Then link space creation to the pass that uses it — see feeding the shooting circle.
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: Foundation Coaching Manual — "Movement & Agility" and "Attacking Skills".
- World Netball: Foundation Coaching Cards 4 and 5 — getting free, timing, change of pace and space awareness.
Coaching points
- Teach players to read their defender's position before choosing a movement, rather than defaulting to the same move.
- Use small-sided games in a reduced area, so space has to be found and shared, not just run into.
- Ask "where to move, when to move, how to move" — World Netball's three questions for getting free.
Common mistakes
- Leading straight at the player with the ball, or into a group of other players.
- Two attackers leading into the same space at the same time.
- Making the movement before the passer is ready.