Netball in History

In 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts a 30-year-old Canadian immigrant to the USA, James Naismith, was ordered to invent an indoor game for high-spirited young men at the School for Christian Workers (later the YMCA).

Women's indoor basketball began exactly two days later when female teachers to the gym were captivated by the game but it wasn't until 1895 that the current game of netball was well and truly shaped.

Netball was first played in England 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.

In 1995 Netball became a "recognized" Olympic sport and looks forwards to programmed status. Netball was included in the Commonwealth Games programme, for the first time, in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur.

The International Netball Federation Limited (IFNA) is the sole governing body for Netball throughout the world

The next World Netball Championships are in November, 2007 in New Zealand