Netball Skills for Juniors

Overview

Today students learn and practise junior netball (6 on court: 2 attackers, 2 midcourters, 2 defenders). The focus is on using the right pass for the situation (chest and bounce/chest-style options), receiving safely, and using body positioning to limit passing lanes.

Learning intentions

• WALT use a simple netball passing technique (chest pass and bounce pass option) to move the ball to a team-mate.
• WALT catch and receive without travelling (showing a “stop and balance” landing).
• WALT choose a pass for short vs longer distances during small-sided netball.
• WALT mark opponents and read the play to help stop the other team’s passes.

Success criteria

• I can make a chest pass with my arms straight through and my partner is able to catch it.
• I can use a bounce pass (or quick chest option) to get the ball to a team-mate when they are harder to reach directly.
• I can catch the ball and land with “still feet” to follow the no-travelling rule.
• I can stand in a strong defensive position and try to intercept or block passes.

Curriculum links

• Physical Education, invasion games: passing and receiving (chest pass, shoulder pass, bounce pass) over short then longer distances.
• Physical Education, invasion games: selecting the appropriate pass for distance and situation (e.g., chest for short, bounce/shoulder for different angles).
• Physical Education, invasion games: passing and catching without travelling (footwork rule).
• Physical Education, invasion games: defence involves reading the game and using strong body positioning to limit options.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Netball warm-up (ball skills). Teacher demonstrates “catch-ready” (hands up, eyes on ball, step-stop), then chest passing in pairs. Students practise chest pass and catch with a partner, starting 2–3 metres apart and calling “ready” before the pass.

2. 5–10 min · Shape + rules quick check. Teacher sets up two mini-courts and assigns roles in each team: 2 attackers, 2 midcourters, 2 defenders. Students stand in positions and rehearse: “pass within the rules” and “feet stop after receiving”.

3. 10–22 min · Drill 1: Short Chest Pass Lanes (easy). Teacher explains and models: one feeder passes to a runner target; receiver catches, stops, then passes back. Students use two passing lines per court to keep movement controlled:

• Pass chest-height with straight-arm follow-through.
• Receiver must stop (no travelling) and pivot to face the next target.
• Progression: targets increase to 4–5 metres.

4. 22–30 min · Drill 2: Bounce Pass to Create Space (easy). Teacher demonstrates bounce pass technique: slight bend, push down to the floor so it bounces to the receiver’s hands (accuracy over power). Students play “bounce to the hands”:

• One player in midcourt passes using a bounce to an open team-mate in a different lane.
• Receiver catches on the first bounce, stops, and then passes back to reset.
• Progression: increase space by moving targets one step wider each round.

5. 30–39 min · Junior Netball 6v6 rotation games (no full contact). Teacher runs two games at a time (teams rotate positions every 3 minutes), using simplified rules: pass-and-catch only, feet still after receiving, defence marks opponents in front/side. Students play with roles (2 A, 2 M, 2 D), aiming to complete passes forward through midcourt to attackers, and to stop opponents by standing between receiver and passer.

6. 39–45 min · Wrap-up + quick assessment. Teacher gathers students and asks teams to share one “we did well” and one “next time” action linked to passes or footwork. Students complete a 30-second self-check with thumbs: “pass technique”, “still feet on catch”, “defend smart (mark/intercept attempt)”.

Resources

• Netballs (one per court) or soft foam balls for safety
• Cones to mark passing lanes, starting spots, and defence areas
• Bibs (at least 12) to identify attackers/midcourters/defenders
• Whistle (optional) and timer
• Demonstration spot marker for teacher modelling
• Score/rotation cards (simple roles: A/M/D)

Assessment

• During Drill 1: teacher observes 3–5 students for: chest pass follow-through and receiver’s stop-and-balance without travelling.
• During Drill 2: teacher checks accuracy (ball arrives at receiver’s hands) and safe receiving (eyes on ball, hands ready).
• During games: teacher listens/looks for effective defence positioning (front/side marking) and attempts to intercept or block passes.
• Quick end-of-lesson self-assessment: students rate themselves (thumbs up/side/down) for the three success criteria.

Differentiation

• Support: pair students with a consistent partner; reduce distance (2–3 metres) and use softer balls; provide sentence starters for roles: “I am free because…”, “I chose a bounce pass because…”.
• Support for defence: give a clear goal—“stand between the passer and receiver” with hands up—rather than complex intercept tactics.
• Extension: when students can complete 4–5 accurate passes, challenge them to choose between chest (short, direct) and bounce (angled or guarded) during the game and explain their choice.
• EAL/SEN: use visual cue cards for “Still feet”, “Hands ready”, “Chest pass”, “Bounce pass”; demonstrate with slow motion and short practice rounds before moving to the next drill.