They also need good footwork and the ability to open up space on the court.
Centre
Centres are able to move in the whole court, with the exception of the goal circles.
They have to help out in defence and attack.
But they are mainly relied upon to shift the ball away from the defensive area into attack.
Centres also restart the game each time a goal has been scored.
They do this by making a pass from the centre circle.
The centre is the engine of the team so they have to be quick and creative with their passing.
Centres are normally the swiftest player on the court which means they are often among the smallest.
Wing Defence
The wing defence can go into the centre and defensive thirds, but NOT in the attacking third or the goal circle.
Their main job is to stop the ball reaching the opposition's goal circle.
They must intercept passes and feed them back to the attacking areas.
As well as getting the ball forward they have to mark the opposite wing attack.
The wing defence must be focused and good at controlling the ball.
Goal Defence
The goal defence patrols the defensive third, the goal circle and the centre third.
Their main job is to stop the opposition from scoring and to get the ball out of the danger area!
The Goal Defence has to keep a close eye on the other team's goal attack.
They must have good skills of anticipation so they can block passes and get the ball out to their own attacking players.
Goal Keeper
The goal keeper is the last line of defence.
They guard the goal circle and the defensive third and must stop the goal shooter from scoring.
They have to stay alert so they can collect rebounds off the post and intercept passes.
Goal keepers are also responsible for taking throw-ins from the goal-line.
They are often tall and physical players who are prepared to fiercely protect their goal post!
The rules of the game
Major and minor rules
The rules of netball are pretty straightforward, and fall into two basic categories: minor (or "technical") rules and major rules.
If a player breaks a minor rule the opposition is awarded a free pass, which is a pass taken from the same spot where the rule was broken.
Breaking a major rule is more serious, and results in the opposing team being awarded a penalty pass.
A penalty pass is similar to a free pass, except the player who broke the rule must stand out of the way until the pass is taken.
If a player gives away a penalty pass in the goal circle then the shooter can take a free shot at goal.
If you're careful you should be able to steer clear of trouble, so click on the buttons above for the Academy's guide to the rules of netball.
Ball control
When a player receives a pass they have to act quickly, but they are not allowed to run with the ball or dribble it.
To gain control of the ball, a player can bat or bounce the ball once, but they CANNOT bat and bounce the ball, or do either more than once.
It is also against the rules to push the ball into the air before batting or bouncing it.
And don't think you can get away with untidy play either.
A player has to be standing before they throw the ball - so no chucking the ball when you're kneeling down or sprawled on the floor of the court!
Three second rule
To make sure the game stays pacy and competitive there's the three second rule.
This means players have only three seconds between catching the ball and making a pass
Making space
This rule aims to cut down on short passes between team members, and effectively stops the ball being handed from one player to the next at close range.
The player holding the ball must leave enough room for another person to move between their hands and those of the catcher.
This gives the opposition a chance to get the ball!
Footwork
One of the trickiest rules to remember in netball is getting your footwork right.
If a player catches the ball with only one foot on the ground then that foot is called the landing foot.
A player can then choose to step with the other foot, lift the landing foot and throw the ball before the landing foot returns to the ground.
Or they can pivot on the landing foot and move the other foot any number of times - depending on how flexible the player is!
But they are NOT allowed to move or hop on the landing foot until they have thrown the ball.
A player can also jump, switching from the landing foot to their other one, and then jump again to throw the ball.
If a player has both feet on the floor when catching the ball they will choose their landing foot and follow the rules as above.
If a player breaks the footwork rule it is usually called stepping and a free pass is awarded.
Court boundaries
Each player is only allowed in certain areas of the court and if they stray out of position then they are offside.
A player can still be offside even if they don't have the ball.
Long ball tactics that work so well in basketball and football also won't get you very far in netball!
That is because the ball must be handled in each third of the court.
A player cannot throw the ball from the defensive third to the attacking third, for example.
At least two passes also have to be made before a player can have a shot on goal.
Toss ups
There are 14 players on a netball court, so you can occasionally expect two players to get tangled up reaching for the ball at the same time!
This is called simultaneous contact and the umpire will use a toss up to restart the game.
The two players face each other while the umpire stands in between them. The umpire then throws the ball and both players try and catch it.
You might think taller players would always win toss ups.
But the umpire throws the ball no more than two feet into the air from just below the shoulder height of the shorter player.
Toss ups also help solve incidents on the court when the umpire is unsure exactly what happened.
Physical contact
Netball is a non-contact sport, and players cannot make physical contact with one another on the court.
A good thing about this rule is that it stops taller and bigger players using their size to unfair advantage.
Defenders have to stand 0.9m (3ft) away from the player with the ball.
From this distance a player can try and win the ball back, but ONLY when it has been thrown into the air.
Players can defend a member of the other team who does not have the ball but they cannot touch them or snatch the ball from under their nose!
If a player makes physical contact and disrupts play then a penalty pass is awarded.
But remember to be careful, because even if you trip over your shoelaces and knock another player over by accident - the referee will still give a penalty pass!
Moving the goalposts
No-one would notice if you just moved that 3m (10ft) goalpost just a little nearer would they?
Well, if a player is caught leaning on a post then a free pass will be given.
But if you try and move the thing then you will give the other side a penalty pass. So moving the goalposts is definitely not allowed!
