What you’ll need

The essential equipment, and the kind of place you’ll play. Most sports need far less to get started than people expect.

Milestone: You know what equipment you need to start and the kind of place the sport is played.

Lessons

Facility

Multi-use games area (MUGA)

A fenced outdoor hard-surface area marked for several sports, common in schools, parks and community facilities.

Playing surface

Hard court

A rigid acrylic, concrete or asphalt court that gives a true, consistent, medium-paced bounce — the standard multi-use outdoor surface.

Playing surface

Wood

An indoor sprung timber or parquet floor — grippy, consistent and lightly cushioned; the classic surface for indoor court sports.

Quick check: What you’ll need

1. In sport, what does “Fast break” mean?
The continuation of a striking, throwing, or kicking motion after contact, which shapes power, accuracy, and spin.An attacking play in basketball where a team pushes the ball up the court quickly to score before the defence is set.An unopposed shot at the basket awarded after certain fouls, taken from the free-throw line.A two-player move where a player passes to a teammate and immediately runs into space to receive an instant return pass.
2. In sport, what does “Spacing” mean?
Any interruption to active play, such as for an injury, foul, or the ball leaving the field, that pauses the running of the game.A superset pairs two exercises performed back-to-back with little or no rest between them.The deliberate positioning of attackers far enough apart to stretch the defence and open up passing and driving lanes.Tapering is the practice of reducing training in the period before a big event so you arrive feeling fresh.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Identify the essential equipment
Borrow or buy entry-level gear
Check any venue equipment rules

Common mistakes

• Overspending on advanced gear before you know you’ll continue
• Ignoring fit and safety in favour of looks

Practice goals

◎ Turn up with everything you need to play
◎ Know what each essential item is for

2

Learn the core skills

The fundamental skills the sport is built on. These are what to practise first — everything else builds on them.

Milestone: You can name the core skills and know which ones to practise first.

Lessons

Skill

Passing

The skill of moving the ball to a teammate accurately to keep possession and create chances.

Skill

Marking

The defensive skill of staying close to an opponent to limit their space and options.

Skill

Jumping

The skill of leaping powerfully and with timing to reach or contest the ball in the air.

Quick check: Learn the core skills

1. In sport, what does “Fast break” mean?
The continuation of a striking, throwing, or kicking motion after contact, which shapes power, accuracy, and spin.An unopposed shot at the basket awarded after certain fouls, taken from the free-throw line.An attacking play in basketball where a team pushes the ball up the court quickly to score before the defence is set.A two-player move where a player passes to a teammate and immediately runs into space to receive an instant return pass.
2. In sport, what does “Pivot” mean?
Progressive overload is the principle of gradually increasing training demand over time so the body keeps adapting and improving.The player who leads the offence in American football, receiving the snap and starting most attacking plays.Moving down from a higher division to a lower one, usually as a penalty for finishing near the bottom of the table.Rotating the body around one stationary foot to change facing or protect the ball without travelling.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Name the core skills
Practise the two or three that matter most first
Get feedback on one skill

Common mistakes

• Chasing flashy skills before the fundamentals are solid
• Practising without any feedback loop

Practice goals

◎ Perform the core skills at a basic, repeatable level
◎ Know which skill to work on next

3

Build your technique

How specific movements and shots are performed. Learn these once the basics feel comfortable, one at a time.

Milestone: You understand how the key techniques are performed and when they are used.

Lessons

Technique

Chest Pass

A two-handed pass thrown directly from chest height in a straight line to a teammate, the most basic pass in basketball and netball.

Quick check: Build your technique

1. In sport, what does “Fast break” mean?
The continuation of a striking, throwing, or kicking motion after contact, which shapes power, accuracy, and spin.An unopposed shot at the basket awarded after certain fouls, taken from the free-throw line.A two-player move where a player passes to a teammate and immediately runs into space to receive an instant return pass.An attacking play in basketball where a team pushes the ball up the court quickly to score before the defence is set.
2. In sport, what does “Spacing” mean?
The deliberate positioning of attackers far enough apart to stretch the defence and open up passing and driving lanes.Any interruption to active play, such as for an injury, foul, or the ball leaving the field, that pauses the running of the game.A superset pairs two exercises performed back-to-back with little or no rest between them.Tapering is the practice of reducing training in the period before a big event so you arrive feeling fresh.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Break a key technique into its steps
Practise it slowly before adding speed
Film or check your form

Common mistakes

• Adding power or speed before the movement is grooved
• Copying a pro’s style without the underlying basics

Practice goals

◎ Perform a key technique with sound, safe form
◎ Self-correct one common fault

4

Understand tactics & strategy

How the game is actually played and thought about — the tactics and bigger-picture strategy that turn skills into a game.

Milestone: You can follow how the game is played tactically, not just physically.

Lessons

Tactic

Zone defence

A defensive system where each player guards an area of the court rather than a specific opponent.

Tactic

Man-to-man marking

A defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.

Tactic

Fast break

Pushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.

Tactic

Full-court press

An aggressive basketball defence that pressures the ball across the whole court to force turnovers.

Strategy

Attacking vs Defensive Balance

The overarching choice a team or athlete makes about how much to commit to creating scoring chances versus avoiding conceding, and when to shift it.

Strategy

Game management

Adapting how a team or athlete plays to the scoreline and time remaining — protecting a lead, chasing a result or seeing out the closing stages.

Quick check: Understand tactics & strategy

1. In sport, what does “Fast break” mean?
An attacking play in basketball where a team pushes the ball up the court quickly to score before the defence is set.The continuation of a striking, throwing, or kicking motion after contact, which shapes power, accuracy, and spin.An unopposed shot at the basket awarded after certain fouls, taken from the free-throw line.A two-player move where a player passes to a teammate and immediately runs into space to receive an instant return pass.
2. In sport, what does “Spacing” mean?
Any interruption to active play, such as for an injury, foul, or the ball leaving the field, that pauses the running of the game.The deliberate positioning of attackers far enough apart to stretch the defence and open up passing and driving lanes.A superset pairs two exercises performed back-to-back with little or no rest between them.Tapering is the practice of reducing training in the period before a big event so you arrive feeling fresh.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Learn one simple tactic or pattern
Watch how better players use space and timing
Try the tactic in a low-pressure game

Common mistakes

• Learning tactics before you can execute the skills
• Copying complex strategy without understanding why

Practice goals

◎ Apply one tactic deliberately in a game
◎ Explain why a common tactic works

5

Find your position or role

Where you fit in — the positions and roles players take on, and what each one does.

Milestone: You know the positions or roles and what each one is responsible for.

Lessons

Position

Goal shooter

The goal shooter is a netball attacker who scores goals and is one of only two players allowed to shoot, working within the attacking goal third and circle.

Position

Goal attack

The goal attack is a versatile netball attacker who both feeds the shooter and scores goals, moving through the centre and attacking thirds.

Position

Wing attack

The wing attack is a netball playmaker who feeds the ball into the shooting circle, moving through the centre and attacking thirds but not entering the goal circle.

Position

Centre (netball)

The centre is netball’s link between attack and defence, the only player allowed in every third except the two goal circles, and the player who takes the centre pass.

Player role

Playmaker

The playmaker is a team's creative hub — the player who orchestrates attacks, controls the tempo and distributes the ball so teammates can score.

Player role

Finisher

A finisher is the attacking outlet in a team sport whose main job is converting chances into points — the striker, goal shooter or go-to scorer.

Quick check: Find your position or role

1. In sport, what does “Fast break” mean?
The continuation of a striking, throwing, or kicking motion after contact, which shapes power, accuracy, and spin.An attacking play in basketball where a team pushes the ball up the court quickly to score before the defence is set.An unopposed shot at the basket awarded after certain fouls, taken from the free-throw line.A two-player move where a player passes to a teammate and immediately runs into space to receive an instant return pass.
2. In sport, what does “Pivot” mean?
Progressive overload is the principle of gradually increasing training demand over time so the body keeps adapting and improving.The player who leads the offence in American football, receiving the snap and starting most attacking plays.Rotating the body around one stationary foot to change facing or protect the ball without travelling.Moving down from a higher division to a lower one, usually as a penalty for finishing near the bottom of the table.

Answer all 2 to check.

Practice checklist

Learn the positions or roles
Try more than one to find a fit
Understand your responsibilities in a team

Common mistakes

• Locking into one position too early
• Not knowing what teammates around you are doing

Practice goals

◎ Play a position competently
◎ Describe what each role contributes

Course knowledge check

Test what you’ve learned across the whole course. Every option is a real fact from the knowledge graph.

Learn Netball

Before you start

What you’ll need

Lessons

Quick check: What you’ll need

Practice checklist

Common mistakes

Practice goals

Learn the core skills

Lessons

Quick check: Learn the core skills

Practice checklist

Common mistakes

Practice goals

Build your technique

Lessons

Quick check: Build your technique

Practice checklist

Common mistakes

Practice goals

Understand tactics & strategy

Lessons

Quick check: Understand tactics & strategy

Practice checklist

Common mistakes

Practice goals

Find your position or role

Lessons

Quick check: Find your position or role

Practice checklist

Common mistakes

Practice goals

Course knowledge check

Netball knowledge check

Recommended reading

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