Netball is a sport which began in England in the 1980s after it was derived from early versions of basketball.
It is played in a rectangular court with a ring or basket on each side by two teams of seven players who aim to score points by passing or shooting the ball through the ring. Each player has a specific position that restricts their movement to certain parts of the court. A match is divided into four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes with 3 minutes breaks between the first, second, third, and fourth quarter while the half-time break lasts five minutes.
It is a sport that has several variants which includes,
Indoor netball which is played indoors only. The court is surrounded on all sides and has an overhead net that prevents the ball from leaving the court, which provides a faster-paced and more dynamic experience.
Fast5 is a faster variant in which games are much shorter, with each quarter lasting six minutes only. The coaches are allowed to give instructions from the sideline during play and there’s no limit to the number of substitutions. Additionally, each team can choose one “power play” quarter in which the points made by that team are worth double.
Also, there is Children’s netball which is very similar to regular netball but has different rules that make the game more appropriate for children. Those include a shorter quarter length, lowering the goal height, and changing the ball size.
- Netball Events
Although netball is not a top sport in terms of popularity, netball competitions are quite frequent and some Online betting sites cover those competitions, which means that placing bets on matches is possible in most cases. Apart from the Olympics Games, which recognised netball as an Olympic sport in 1995, there are four major netball competitions.
Netball World Cup
This event is held every four years and is considered to be the biggest netball event. The first World Cup was held in 1963 at the Chelsea College of Physical Education in Eastbourne, England. The competition has been dominated by teams from Australia and New Zealand since its beginning and The only other team that managed to win the title is from Trinidad and Tobago.
Netball at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games are a large international sports event involving athletes and teams from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and has been organised every four years since. Netball was included in the list of sports in 1998 and there have been six Netball events at the Commonwealth Games so far, with the last one being held on the Gold Coast in Australia in 2018.
Netball Quad Series
This is a specific competition as it includes only the top four netball teams. This mini-tournament is organised annually and consists of teams from Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa. Each team plays a test match against all other teams and the team with most wins becomes the winner of the whole event and Like other events, it is also dominated by teams from Australia and New Zealand.
Fast5 Netball World Series
Top six national teams ranked by the INF compete in this tournament. Like in Netball Quad Series, each team plays against every other team in the first two days in the round-robin format.The four best-scoring teams proceed to semifinals. The semifinal winners play against each other in the Grand Final match. The matches featured at this tournament are played under a different set of rules designed to make the game more appealing to TV audiences.
- Netball Betting Selections
There are a few things to take into account before betting on netball. This is an engaging and dynamic sport with several sets of rules that depend on the tournament and event in question. Having such a variety in games makes betting quite complex and interesting. Therefore, make sure you’re well prepared before betting on any specific match. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular bet types.
Head-to-Head
This is one of the most common bet types of Netball Betting. The goal is to predict which team will win and then place a bet accordingly. Draws and extra time are sometimes included in the bet, depending on the sport and tournament you are betting on. Extra time is usually included when placing bets on netball, which can be great for matches whose outcomes are hard to predict.
First Half / Second Half Total Goals
Like in many other sports, betting on the total number of goals in the first half is possible in netball. It includes betting on the number of goals the teams will score during one half of the game. Since predicting the exact number is pretty hard, there are over/under options in place to improve the chances of winning.
Race to 10 Goals
This is a common bet option and as the name suggests, you bet on which team will be the first to score 10 goals. This bet type can be quite exciting if the teams playing are of similar quality. The only problem with this bet option is that it becomes invalid if neither teams reach the 10 goal mark.
First Team to Score
This wager type is quite simple as it only predicts which team will be the first to score in a match. It can create incredible suspense in the mind of a bettor since the team quality doesn’t matter much in Netball. Lower tier teams can often be the first to score, which makes this bet type unpredictable and a lot of fun.
Tournament Outright Winner
This is a common bet type a lot of people opt for. In outright betting, you can place a bet on a team you believe will win the whole event instead of a single match. Bets can be placed before or after the tournament has started and winnings can be collected once the tournament has finished.
- Netball Betting Tips and Strategies
The key to successful betting on any sport is knowing how, when, and who to bet on. Here are some tips and tricks for new players interested in betting on netball.
Become Familiar with Different Competitions
Netball rules tend to be different in different tournaments so knowing which rules apply for which competition is crucial. Different playstyles come with different rules, which can drastically affect team performance. Knowing exactly what type of competition you are placing bets on will greatly increase your chances of winning since you will know what you should pay attention to and which teams tend to shine in those specific conditions.
Learn Which Tournaments to Bet On
Same set of teams tend to win the major championships which can make betting on them less exciting. That is why betting on national leagues and smaller tournaments seems to be the best option. They tend to be more interesting in terms of betting and watching since it’s harder to predict which team will win the title.
Player Injuries and Statistics
Like in other sports, many teams depend on key players to win games. Knowing about player injuries can greatly increase your chances of winning so make sure you know these details before placing any bets.
Following statistics is quite beneficial as it tells you about the form of individual players and how well they work as a whole.
Since Netball is not as popular as some other major sports, make sure to choose the best betting site for successful betting on netball since betting possibilities and odds can vary between bookmakers. Being aware of what’s going on in the leagues can give you a lot of useful information that can significantly boost your chances of winning.