There are 16 countries represented this year. Only three have been world champions in the tournament’s 60-year history: Australia have won 11 times, defending champions New Zealand have won on five occasions, and Trinidad and Tobago have won the trophy once.
Rules of the game
* A netball match consists of four 15-minute quarters
* Every team can have five to seven players on the court at any time
* Players cannot hold the ball for more than three seconds, and they cannot take more than 1.5 steps when in possession of the ball
* The ball must go through the ringed hoop for a goal to be given
The court is divided into three sections, which are divided into two goal thirds and the centre. There are set positions in a netball team, which limit where the player can be on the court. These are: goal shooter, goal attack, wing attack, centre wing defence, goal defence and the goalkeeper.
The ball must be moved around the court by passing, and there are several different passes available to a player, such as the chest pass, bounce pass, lob, overhead pass and shoulder pass.
A goal is scored when the ball is passed to a player in the goal third who shoots the ball through their opponent’s goal ring. Only the goal shooter or goal attack can score goals in netball.
South Africa’s pride
The South African national netball team, also known as the Spar Proteas, is the leading netball team in Africa. The team is coached by Australian Norma Plummer, who has won the Netball World Cup both as a player and coach. In 2019, Plummer led the Spar Proteas to fourth place.
