A Brief History of Netball and Our Tactix Legacy
A Brief History of Netball and our Tactix Legacy What is Netball? “A new game for girls, about which a good deal will probably be heard in the course of the ensuing summer, is basket-ball. It has already swept the United States, completely eclipsing lawn tennis, and effectually nipping in the bud the threatened revival of croquet….The chief beauty of the game is its simplicity, and the fact that no expensive apparatus is required. Wherever two old baskets, a couple of clothes props, and a ball, are there can it be played.” (Otago Witness, 6 May 1897) The Game The game of netball is derived from the early development of basketball in the USA. The origin of basketball is traditionally credited to James Naismith, a 30-year-old Canadian immigrant to the USA, who in 1891, invented an indoor game for young men at the School for Christian Workers (later the YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The first games of what's now netball were played on a paddock between nine-a-side teams. The rules allowed three bounces, and throws from one end of the field to the other. Baskets were used for goals and after each goal, the ball was tipped out to restart play. Netball was first played in the UK in 1895 at Madame Ostenburg's College. In the first half of the 20th century, Netball's popularity continued to grow, with the game being played in many British Commonwealth countries. There were no standard rules at that time with both nine-a-side and five- a-side versions of the game.
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