I have thoroughly enjoyed using your site to help me with my coaching plans for my under 9's netball team.
best way to teach defending a lob pass. My girls are very short so opposing teams constantly lob.
What is the best way for a Goal Keeper to defend, especially within the semi circle. ? Should they watch the ball then try to intercept any ball going to Goal Shooter or just mark up their partner?Submitted via email
We are playing in n a grand final this week and the opposition has a very tall GS and holds very well. I am thinking of getting my defences to double team her but wanting to know best way to teach this & also what's the best way of stopping the GA (just getting WD & c to try & block her getting in the ring) any thoughts on best way to beat a tall shooter. The girls are 13 but played a lot of netball. Thanks
Hello - i am looking for a few GD tips on the best way to defend a shooter that receives the ball a couple of ways as i always struggle to get around them when they do these moves! First way is that the shooter lunges out very wide (practically doing the splits) to receive the ball from the feeder on the circle edge and steps back closer to the net with the foot that is closest. I can defend her getting close to the net, but then she turns to the feeder and jumps and splits - thus always ending up close to the net. The second way is when the shooter stays quite stationery under the net, a couple of foot off the back line and holds her space there. she receives the ball by a large over head pass, so she steps back slightly on one leg to receive the ball from the feeder. what would be the best way to defend all the large overhead long passes to her, or draw her out? any help or some ideas i can try would be great! thank you :-)
(I dont usually play WD,so i`m still getting used to the position.When defending the WA at the centre pass, should i be on the inside or the outside of my player on the line?). How do i defend on the goal circle and try and get intercepts?when should i leave my player and try and go for an intercept?
How is the best way to defend a GS who is a foot taller than the GK and can hold faily well (and no exageration I have a very short team so putting a different defender wont change much )
Should a goalkeeper, slow on her feet and reaction time, focus on defending her opposing shooter or watch the ball for an intercept. She is having difficulty doing both at the same time. She is playing in a 9A competition and is playing goalkeeper mainly due to her size? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
I was playing GS today and marked by a very tall GK. As I was watching the ball come forward, I moved to the top of the D but she didn't stay with me and remained behind me. I couldn't see her and was unsure if I should stay close to her to be aware of where I could move, or to just move where I wanted. My back was turned to her as I was facing where the ball was, should I be side on to see her in my peripheral vision but not stay with her, or should I keep marking her to hold her then come forward when appropriate? I would be grateful for any advice, thank you,
hi i jut started playing GK for a local netball team and i am struggling abit, im not sure on what i can and cant do, ie jumping and waving my arms etc plz help
Hi Everyone I've been playing defence for a long time now, and only last Saturday did I start to play centre. It was during our warm up on that day, (before our game) when my coach told me that I would be playing centre. I agreed to do it, but the problem was that the other team was a really good and very fit team. I struggled a lot durig the game, and i felt like i was dying the whole time! Also because I had never played centre before I didn't know how to feed the ball into the goal circle. I also don't know how to defend on the goal circle. Also what is the centres main job?Thanks so much for all the help! Asked using Sportplan Mobile App
I am not sure how to teach my girls how to defend a shooter who catches a pass with the splits and then sets up to shoot. Can anyone assist. Girls are aged 15 & 16yrsthanks
How do you get the Goal Defence staying with the Goal Attack, especially when the Goal Attack drops down behind the Goal Defence and gets the ball all the time in the Goal Circle?How do you get the Defence in the Goal Circle to rebound and how do you get the Goal Shooters following their shot and rebound?
I have conflicting advice - don't teach too many court strategies ie C to WA to GS to GA from a centre pass as I have been told that it stiffles their thinking. But without this I find they all crowd the space and at 10yrs old it seems very difficult to get them to understand about reading who is already in that space. Or perhaps I just aren't explaining that concept well?? And also when bringing the ball through the court from a goal line throw in at our GK end - same with strategies for that. Is it okay to say GK I won't you to throw it to GD, then GD to C and so on and this is where your area of the court is and I want you to stay in that area and try and get the ball there? Keeping the WD on the otherside and making sure she doesn't cross over. Confusing over how much at this age we teach court strategies or perhaps they are know as plays. Alice P
I need some clarification please. In the goal circle if GS steps in towards the goal post and lifts her grounded foot, where does the defender defend from if the shooter stepped in before the defender lifted her arms? Is the 3ft from where her grounded foot was or where she stepped in to?
in more ways than one
Split circle defence is the system the top three NSL teams have built their identity around in 2026. The Goal Keeper and Goal Defence divide the circle into zones, switch in synchrony, and make every passing option look risky. Here is how to coach it.
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The best Goal Defences in the 2026 NSL season are intercepting more than ever. The reason is not raw athleticism. It is a deliberate shift from chasing the attacker to driving into the flight path of the ball. Here is how to coach it.
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