“Netball’s for girls and basketball is for boys, right?” Wrong! Netball has its roots in basketball and flourished initially as a pioneering sport for women in the UK and the Commonwealth, but today’s versions of the game are similar yet distinctive and open to all genders. In this article, we take a look at the difference between netball and basketball.
Basketball vs Netball: History Intertwined
Netball and basketball’s histories began over 133 years ago. Men’s basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891 when tasked with keeping eighteen youths at the School for Christian Workers (later the YMCA) occupied. He invented a nine-a-side game based on throwing a soccer ball into a mounted bin which was ingeniously fun and almost immediately appropriated for women.
Two key women pioneered the rewriting of the rules, Senda Berenson and Clara Baer, and – this being the 1800s – made some changes within the rules of decorum and modesty to ensure that women were able to access the game. Through their efforts, women’s basketball became a separate sport and became the foundation for netball as we know it today.
The Historical Differences: Men’s Basketball vs Women’s Basketball
In early women’s basketball, strenuous play was discouraged. Rules such as stopping with the ball and not dribbling the ball were more practical, given that ladies played in long skirts. Passing the ball within three seconds of catching it and not snatching the ball from another player made the game more “lady-like” by societal standards.
As a stroke of luck (or miscommunication?!) the drawing of a basketball court Baer had received from Naismith had lines pencilled across it showing a court divided into thirds2. Naismith intended to indicate where his nine male players could best patrol, but Baer thought that the players could not leave those areas.
As such, men’s basketball developed as a full-court game requiring the need to dribble the ball, but the women’s basketball game with zones had no need for it.
From American Women’s Basketball to Commonwealth Netball
Women’s basketball – with its no-go zones and no dribbling of the ball – crossed the Atlantic to Britain in 1895, and developed independently from gendered basketball versions as “net ball” (which over time became one word, netball). From 1897, the game in England began to be played on outdoor grass courts divided into three parts. Now called Net Ball, it uses a larger ball and replaced the baskets with rings and nets.
It became a popular women’s game throughout the Commonwealth around the turn of the 20th Century and developed over time into the sport of netball that we love and play today.
Netball vs Basketball: What’s the Difference?
We’ve alluded to some differences already: namely, movement with the ball, and where the games became popular. Let’s look more closely at the differences between netball and basketball.
Basic Rules and Gameplay
Basic Rules of Netball and Basketball
Both sports are team sports, and share the similar objective of moving a round ball along a court to put it through a hoop to generate points. The team with the highest number of points at the end of the game is the winner.
Netball and basketball are both fast paced and athletic sports that require teamwork, fitness, agility and skill. Key features distinguish these sports:
- Player-on-player physicality: basketball is deemed a contact sport, whereas netball is non-contact (defenders in netball must defend from 0.9m from the player with the ball)
- Movement on the court: netballers have restricted movement on the court according to their set position and basketball team members can go anywhere on the court at any time
- Movement with the ball: in netball you cannot take steps when you’ve got the ball in hand; basketballers can move with the ball when dribbling (repeatedly bouncing the ball up and down on the ground while moving)
The Court
A basketball court is slightly shorter than a netball court – court dimensions for basketball are 94 by 50 feet, and a netball court’s dimensions are 100 by 50 feet.
A netball court is divided into thirds and has a goal circle around each goal. A basketball court has a key around each basket with a no-charge zone and a free-throw line within the key. Basketball courts also have a 3-point line from the basket. Both netball and basketball courts have a centre circle where play begins.
Goals and Scoring
Basketball goals are hoops mounted on backboards, whereas a netball goal is a net mounted on a free-standing pole with no backboard to assist the shot.
A netball goal can only be scored by two players on the court, those in the Goal Shooter or Goal Attack positions, and must be shot for within the goal circle. The goal is worth one point. In basketball, scoring is a little more complex – shots can be made from anywhere on the court and by any player on the court. A “basket” (goal) can be worth three, two, or one point based on whether it’s shot as a free throw (1 point), inside the 3-point line (2 points), or 3 points if shot beyond.
Interestingly, too, is a player’s shooting technique: in basketball, jumping is integral to shooting allowing for various shooting styles – including layups and slam dunks! Conversely, jumping while shooting in netball is against the rules and so players must use different shooting techniques.
The Team
A key netball and basketball difference is in the set up of a team and positions. A basketball team has five players on court at one time, while netball has seven.
Basketballers can move anywhere on the court and take on the role of any position, but in netball, you have set positions and set zones where those positions may go (read more about netball positions here).
Equipment and uniform
The Ball
A netball is smaller in circumference and lighter than a basketball. The texture of a basketball is called “pebbled” and has distinct channel patterns – these are all about grip and control while bouncing/dribbling the ball. A netball has rubberised dotted grip all over, which is designed for throwing and catching.
What Teams Wear: Attire
Basketball teams wear baggy vests and shorts with highly supportive, high-topped sneakers for jumping. In netball, players traditionally wear skirts with tops or netball dresses with bike shorts underneath. Today, there is mixed-gender netball, and some teams opt for shorts and tees out of practicality. Players can wear any type of trainer or sneaker to play netball, but specialised netball shoes focus on ankle support – pivoting, lateral movement and the stop-start nature of netball play can benefit from enhanced ankle stability.
The most notable thing about netball uniforms is the wearing of a “bib” during play that indicates your position on the team (so the bib will have large letters GK / GS / GA / C / WA / WD on it). They’re either worn over the uniform or stuck onto specialised teamwear with velcro. Because a player may swap positions during a game, they’ll need to be able to put on and remove the bib as required.
Athletic skills and training
Without a doubt, both games are physically demanding on players in terms of fitness, skill, and teamwork. In netball, players working within the restrictions of the position must hone communication and passing skills. In basketball, a star athlete on the team can sway the outcome of a game because that player could theoretically move all over the court and score – in netball, this isn’t possible.
A basketballer must be able to attack, defend, and shoot. In netball, positions have roles on the court and skills associated with the game are also then further specialised as position-specific. There’s a strategy to both games, too – within the varied points system for basketball, a basket shot from further away is worth more points – so games can turn quickly in one team’s favour and then the other’s. On the other hand, netball strategy is about finding space, outpacing your player, communicating, and working together to change the tide of a game.
Netball vs Basketball Difference: Summary
Netball has a fantastic history embedded in basketball that was shaped to meet the expectations of women at the time. Over time, the games developed independently from one another to be distinctly different yet equally physical and exciting team sports.
In terms of popularity and fame, basketball does have an edge on netball as netball has developed almost exclusively in Commonwealth countries (including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). We’d love to see this change – both sports are fantastic avenues for self-development, confidence, and developing teamwork skills. In fact, many Centaurs Netball players and coaches play basketball as their second sport and love both equally!
If you’d like to try netball and compare it to basketball, reach out to Centaurs for more information and a free trial.