Netball Tactics Board

Centre Pass Patterns

Every goal begins with a centre pass, and elite teams have multiple rehearsed patterns to give them an early advantage. A centre pass pattern involves two or three players making coordinated drives from their zones to create a clear lead for the first pass:

• WA cut — Wing Attack (WA) cuts sharply across toward the transverse line; Centre (C) passes; WA immediately passes to Goal Attack (GA) who has driven into the centre third.
• Double lead — both GA and WA make simultaneous drives in different directions, forcing the opponent's defensive pair to choose one.
• Stack and split — GA and WA start together ("stack") then split in opposite directions simultaneously, creating two leads from one starting position.

Draw each pattern showing the starting positions, the movement arrows, the pass timing, and the court zone boundaries that constrain each movement.

Circle Edge Attack

The shooting circle edge is where most attacking play is created. Key circle-edge principles to diagram:

• GA driving post — GA drives toward the post, creating space for Goal Shooter (GS) to receive at the circle edge; if the pass goes to GS, GA drives for the rebound position.
• Double-post attack — GS and GA both position in the circle, one high and one low; the pass to the high player opens a quick pass to the low player who has the clearest shot.
• Roll around the circle — GA rolls from the outside of the circle edge around the defender to receive a pass from Wing Attack on the move.

Defensive Systems

Netball defense is primarily man-to-man, but the three-foot rule (defenders must stand at least three feet from the ball-holder) creates specific coaching challenges. Diagram the correct defensive position and show how it shifts when the ball is passed — the defender must rotate immediately to achieve correct positioning on the new ball-holder within three seconds.

The defensive press — applying pressure from the centre circle outward to disrupt the centre pass — involves all players in their zones attempting to intercept or disrupt the first two passes. Draw the press triggers, the recovery positions if the press fails, and the off-ball interception positions for WD, GD, and GK.