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Tactic Attack

Centre Pass Tactics in Netball

How teams structure the netball centre pass to reliably move the ball into attack, including common formations and defensive counters.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

Netball court diagram — Centre Pass Tactics in Netball Defensive third Centre third Attacking third
Centre Pass Tactics in Netball

Every phase of open play starts with a centre pass, which makes it one of the most rehearsed set pieces in netball — teams that structure it well get a reliable platform to attack from; teams that don't hand possession back almost immediately.

Purpose

A structured centre pass gets the ball out of the centre third and into a strong attacking position quickly and reliably, minimising the risk of an early turnover right after the restart.

The rules that shape it

The Centre taking the pass stands with at least one foot wholly inside the centre circle, and must release the ball within three seconds of the whistle, obeying the footwork rule. The opposing Centre is in the centre third, free to move. Everyone else starts in their goal thirds and can't enter the centre third until the whistle — doing so is breaking. The pass must then be caught or touched by a player standing in, or landing wholly within, the centre third. See centre pass.

The first options

World Netball's coaching material describes the usual order of options: the ball usually goes forward to the Wing Attack first, but can also go to the Goal Attack. If both are shut down, the Centre can turn and pass to the Wing Defence or Goal Defence, who drive strongly through the centre third. Eye contact between Centre, WA and GA as they approach the transverse line helps decide who is in the best position, and the first movement should start before the whistle — from behind the line.

Starting set-ups

Three centre-pass set-ups Three panels, each showing the centre circle with the Centre on the left, the transverse line, and the Wing Attack and Goal Attack waiting in the goal third. Both up to the line: WA and GA stand at the line, one slightly back; WA leads first and GA leads into a different space. Stack: WA stands at the line with GA directly behind; WA moves first, then GA leads to another space. Wide: WA and GA start wide near the sidelines; WA makes a dummy move while GA drives over the line towards the middle to receive the pass. Both up to the line C WA GA Stack C WA GA Wide C WA GA Centre third Goal third
Three ways to line up. The vertical line in each panel is the transverse line: Wing Attack and Goal Attack must stay in the goal third until the whistle. Both up to the line — one slightly back; one leads first, the other into a different space. Stack — WA at the line with GA directly behind; WA moves first, then GA leads to another space (the order can be reversed). Wide — both start near the sidelines; WA makes a dummy move to occupy the opposing Centre while GA drives over the line towards the middle, and WA then drives to the top of the circle for the second pass.

Common structures

Most teams use a small number of rehearsed centre pass patterns rather than improvising every time. World Netball's manual describes six set plays, including: WA or GA working the line to drag the defence one way while the other is the real target; working the middle channel, where GA draws both the opposing Goal Defence and Centre; WA and GA swapping sides; a wide play; and a back play, where WA and GA stand back near the circle as a signal for the Centre to use WD or GD. More generally:

  • Direct to the circle edge — Centre passes straight to Goal Attack or Wing Attack, who is already positioned close to the circle.
  • Short-to-space — a short pass to Wing Attack or Goal Attack dropping short, immediately followed by a second pass forward once the first receiver has drawn a defender.
  • Switch play — attackers deliberately swap starting positions just before the whistle to unbalance a defence that's set up for a standard formation.

Player roles

  • Centre decides the release, reading which option is genuinely open rather than committing to a pre-planned choice regardless of the defence.
  • Wing Attack and Goal Attack create separation early, using front and back cuts timed to the whistle.
  • Wing Defence and Goal Defence on the non-passing team look to disrupt these same passing lanes — see the defensive counter below.

Common problems

Teams that rely on a single centre pass pattern become predictable, and a well-drilled defence will eventually read and intercept it. Rotating between two or three rehearsed options, chosen based on how the defence is set up, keeps the restart genuinely unpredictable.

Defensive counter

Defending teams can prepare specific centre pass counters — for example, committing Wing Defence to deny the short option and forcing a longer, riskier pass, or doubling up on the attacking team's most common target. World Netball's coaching cards describe counters for each set-up:

  • Against both up to the line — the Centre and Wing Defence double-defend the Wing Attack, restricting their access to the ball, while the Goal Defence forces the Goal Attack towards the sideline. WD has to stay alert in case GA drives up the middle.
  • Against a stack — surround the attackers and restrict their access to the ball, so the Centre has to turn and use the WD or GD.
  • Against a wide set-up — keep the attackers wide and don't let them into the middle channel of the court.

Remember the breaking rule applies to defenders too: nobody except the two Centres may enter the centre third before the whistle.

Practising it

World Netball's advice is to practise centre-pass patterns without defence first, which teaches space awareness and the timing of leads and builds confidence, then add defenders once players understand them. The Centre needs to practise choosing between the options under pressure — a turnover from the centre pass is very likely to become a goal for the other team. Some teams use code calls or hand signals to choose the play, but that's risky if the opposition works them out.

Beginner version

At beginner level, keep it simple: one rehearsed short pass to a player already in space, with the emphasis on clean execution over disguise or variation.

Advanced variation

More advanced teams layer in decoy movement — a player cutting hard in one direction purely to draw a defender away from the real target — combined with genuine tempo variation, sometimes taking the pass instantly and sometimes holding briefly to let a second option develop.

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

  • Using the same centre pass pattern every time, making it easy for defenders to anticipate.
  • Players static at the whistle instead of already moving into their starting shape.
  • The Centre forcing a pass into a covered option instead of resetting to a safer outlet.