Well if you’re signing up for our recreational league, this little guide is for you. This applies to netball London and all other regions. Remember, in our recreational league, fitness levels and experience aren’t as important as team spirit, fitness and morale (perhaps followed by a cheeky gin & tonic after the game!).

DEFENDING POSITIONS

Goalkeeper
Goalkeepers are often taller and slightly more physical players, who are prepared to aggressively protect their goal post! They have to stay alert so they can collect rebounds off the post and intercept passes, therefore having fast reactions is often vital. It is important for the Goalkeeper to be aware of what is happening out in front of them. This will allow them to read the attacking team’s movements and anticipate any interceptions, creating turnovers.

Goal Defence

The Goal Defence works closely with the goal keeper, they must support each other. GD players must have good skills of anticipation so they can block passes and get the ball out to their own attacking players. If you can read the game well, spot opposition passes before they’re played and are alert to ball interceptions, this position is for you.  The GD has more available space on court to play the ball than the GK, so should have decent stamina. As well as defending, they also need the skills of an attacker. The GD must initiate the attack by successfully getting the ball out of the defensive third, and assist the team in moving the ball down the court.

Wing Defence

As well as getting the ball forward, players in the Wing Defence position have to mark their opposing wing attack. The wing defence must be focused on the attacking opponents game play and good at controlling the ball. They should be ready at all times to pick up any tips or interceptions created by the circle defenders as well as playing a supporting backup role for the attackers down court.

Check out our defence training drill below:

MID-COURT & ATTACKING POSITIONS

Centre

The Centre is the engine of the team and they have to be quick thinking and creative with their play. Centre players manipulate how the game is played, regarding spacing, speed and structure. Centre players are normally the swiftest and fastest on the court, meaning they are quite often among the smallest players on the team with a lower centre of gravity. They usually receive the most passes than any other players on court and often receive low quick passes which makes it challenging for the taller defending players to get low and catch or intercept the ball.

Wing Attack

The Wing Attack is the Centre’s wing man! They must have a solid passing game and ball collecting skills. The WA is often the first person to receive the ball after the centre pass so needs to be quick off their feet from a stand still position. Speed is highly important for a Wing Attack as quick reactions are needed to receive the initial pass from the Centre is essential, as the Wing Attack needs to beat the opposing Wing Defence off the mark so the ball is not turned over. A Wing Attack needs the ability to open up space on the court so this position suits agile, speedy players.

SHOOTING POSITIONS

Goal Shooter

The goal shooter must have precise and direct shooting skills from a variety of positions within the circle. Once the ball is inside the circle, the GS must work hard to secure a goal. They must also be able to react quickly, dealing with quick passes into the circle and alert to claim rebounds if one of the shooters are to miss. Goal shooters seem to have the steadiest hands on the court and are often among the taller players. Goal shooters are often calm individuals that do not succumb to pressure as at many points in the game; all eyes are on you!

Goal Attack

The goal attack must have both strong shooting abilities and strong post approach play. The goal attacks main duty is to work with the Wing Attack and Centre to bring the ball closer to the post and if possible to the Goal Shooter. Their passing must be quick and direct to give the shooter the best opportunity to score before the defenders have caught up. They must also be able to read the two circle defenders and plan the best route into the circle. As well as this, they must have extremely quick reactions to ensure they have a second shot on goal if there are any rebounds. The GA is often a taller, slightly more agile player with high stamina, yet technically skilled.

Check out our “how to shoot” video below:

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES ON THE COURT

Red team position: Goal Shooter (GS) Court Area: 1 & 2
Responsibility: To score goals and to work in and around the circle with your Goal Attack

Red team position: Goal Attack (GA) Court Area: 1,2 & 3
Responsibility: To feed and work with your Goal Shooter and to score goals.

Red team position: Wing Attack (WA) Court Area: 2 & 3
Responsibility: To feed your circle players giving them shooting opportunities.

Red team position: Centre (C) Court Area: 2, 3 & 4
Responsibility: To take the Centre Pass and to be the link between your defence and the attack.

Red team position: Wing Defence (W) Court Area: 3 & 4
Responsibility: To look for interceptions and to prevent the opposing Wing Attack from feeding players in your goal circle.

Red team position: Goal Defence (GD) Court Area: 3, 4 & 5
Responsibility: To win the ball and reduce the effectiveness of the opposing Goal Attack

Red team position: Goal Keeper (GK) Court Area: 4 & 5
To work with your Goal Defence and to prevent the opposing Goal Shooter from scoring goals

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So you’ve found your position and you’ve brushed up on the rules of netball. Are you ready to play? Cool! Find a league in your area below:

Play Netball In London
North East – Play Netball In Leeds | Play Netball In Sheffield
North West – Netball In Liverpool | Netball In Manchester
Scotland – Netball In Edinburgh | Netball In Glasgow
South – Play Netball In Oxford | Play Netball In Portsmouth | Play Netball In Reading | Play Netball In Southampton
South East – Play Netball In Brighton
South West – Play Netball In Bath | Play Netball In Bristol
Wales – Play Netball In Cardiff

BEGINNER LEVEL

Are you a netball newbie? Want to learn the basics rather than playing competitive matches?

Our Beginner league will:

• Introduce or re-introduce you to the rules of the game
• Help you develop your netball skills
• Improve your general fitness making you more match-ready 
• Increase your tactical awareness
• Develop awareness, positioning and co-operation within your team

What to expect each week:

• You’ll spend 20 minutes learning various netball drills, improving your all-round ability in the sport
• You’ll spend 20 minutes putting your newly learnt skills to the test in a casual, friendly match

RECREATIONAL LEVEL

You can’t go wrong with our recreational league : ) They’re for you if:

• You’re looking to have fun and get fit, but you won’t loose sleep if you lose the game!
• You haven’t played Netball in a while (e.g. since school) or you’re new to the sport
• You want the emphasis to be on ‘fun’ rather than ‘mega-competitive’.
• You’re a group of friends/colleagues entering a netball team for the first time, wanting to find your footing and put your team on the map.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

The temperature in the Intermediate level heats up a bit more compared to the Recreational tier.

• Participants have a solid grasp of the rules, and want to step things up a touch.
• Once you’ve played a few seasons at the Recreational level this is a natural step if you’re looking for that extra challenge
• More experienced teams often can enter comfortably at this level
• Depending how long since you played, if you played at 1st team at school or 1st-2nd at university you should be ready to dive straight into an int league.

Finding your position

So hopefully you know what Go Mammoth netball league is right for you – but do you know what position you should be playing at?

Check out our netball positions guide.

Ready to play? Select your region below

London – Play Netball in London
North East – Play Netball In Leeds | Play Netball In Sheffield
North West – Netball In Liverpool | Netball In Manchester
Scotland – Netball In Edinburgh | Netball In Glasgow
South – Play Netball In Oxford | Play Netball In Portsmouth | Play Netball In Reading | Play Netball In Southampton
South East – Play Netball In Brighton
South West – Play Netball In Bath | Play Netball In Bristol
Wales – Play Netball In Cardiff

GO Mammoth has the #1 Netball leagues across London. Our London netball venues offer more than just a game of netball. Here’s 10 reasons why you’ll love playing netball with GO Mammoth.

1. There’s a league for all abilities

We run both fun, recreational level leagues and intermediate level netball for players and teams who want a faster game.

2. Great way to keep fit

Playing netball is a fantastic way to keep fit, irrespective of the level you choose play at. Because our netball club is friendly, competitive and fun we think you’ll prefer it to the gym too!

3. Meet new people

Playing in one of our netball leagues is a great way to meet new people. There’s a healthy amount of competition between our netball teams but at the end of the day everyone’s here to have fun.

4. Beginners welcome!

Beginners welcome – unlike other netball clubs in London we don’t expect you to have played before or even know the rules of netball to join our leagues. Just read up on the basics netball rules before your first match and our friendly professional umpires will soon help you get to grips with the ins and outs of the sport.

5. No team? No problem!

At Go Mammoth you can join our netball leagues as either a team or individual, so if you can’t get a netball team together just join us as an individual and we’ll find a team for you to join (subject to availability).

6. Multiple venues in major cities across the UK

We run netball league in venues multiple cities across the UK. Select a city below to find out more:

North East – Play Netball In Leeds | Play Netball In Sheffield
North West – Netball In Liverpool | Netball In Manchester
Scotland – Netball In Edinburgh | Netball In Glasgow
South – Play Netball In Oxford | Play Netball In Portsmouth | Play Netball In Reading | Play Netball In Southampton
South East – Play Netball In Brighton
South West – Play Netball In Bath | Play Netball In Bristol
Wales – Play Netball In Cardiff

7. Great value!

Compared to the price of fitness classes and gym memberships our netball leagues across the country are a low cost way to stay in shape – and playing a game of netball with your mates is much more fun than hitting the treadmill!

8. Prizes up for grabs

The winners of each of our leagues across the country win stuff…good stuff!

9. Awesome post-match socials

Our netball teams sure work hard on the court but at the post-match socials they play just as hard. Our partner bars offer great post-match drink offers for our members – get in touch to find out more. As we’ve already mentioned, Go Mammoth’s sport leagues are the perfect way to meet new people and make new friends.

10. The best umpires and reps

Go Mammoth umpires are a breed apart. Forget stuffy, strict, bossy umpires; our venue reps are hand-picked to be the most social, supportive and responsible netballers in the UK.

So you’ve signed up to play netball in a Go Mammoth netball league (welcome to the club!), but what happens next? Well in anticipation from your first game, here’s a little list of what you need to know:

Which team am I on?

If you’ve signed up as an individual, one week before your first match our netball team will email you your fixture list. Use your new Go Mammoth site login to check your fixture list, latest league tables and more.

I’ve signed up as an individual – when do I meet my team members?

When we send you your fixture list a week or so before your first game, we’ll also send you the contact details of your fellow team members. We advise our members to arrive to their first game a little early to say hello and introduce yourself. Yep, we know, it sounds a little daunting, but remember that everyone is in the same boat as you. You won’t believe how quickly players bond as a team and stay together for future seasons.

My knowledge of netball rules is a little rusty!

Don’t worry, it’s tricky to keep up with the latest rules at the best of times, as they are tweaked and refined every year. Check out our handy up-to-date rules guide for the latest rules. Our awesome team of friendly, professional umpires are also on hand before and after each game to offer advice and assistance on the rules throughout the season.

How do the leagues work?

You’ll play every match at the venue,on the day and between the times you selected on during your registration. Each match lasts 40 minutes but your game times will differ each week. For example, if you know you venue matches take place, between 7-9pm, your matches could be at 7pm, 7:40pm or 8:20pm. We’ll send you ALL of the match times a week before your first fixture to ensure you can plan your season into your calendar.