Netball is the only major team sport where your position is written on your chest and enforced by the rules.
Each of the seven players wears a bib with one or two letters, and those letters decide which thirds of the court that player may enter for the whole game.
Step into the wrong third and it is an offside, whether you touched the ball or not.
- The Goal Shooter (GS) lives in the shooting circle and takes most of the shots.
- The Goal Attack (GA) both shoots and feeds, working between the circle and the centre third.
- The Wing Attack (WA) is the main feeder into the circle and never shoots.
- The Centre (C) is the only player allowed in all three thirds and links defence to attack.
- The Wing Defence (WD) shuts down the opposing Wing Attack before the ball reaches the circle.
- The Goal Defence (GD) and the Goal Keeper (GK) defend the circle and contest every shot.
#1 Goal Shooter (GS)
- 🏆 Notable Goal Shooters: Irene van Dyk and Maria Folau
The Goal Shooter is restricted to the attacking third and the shooting circle inside it, and that is where the whole role plays out. The GS holds position under the post, takes the pass with a defender on their back and converts, often from close range and with a hand in their face.
Because the GS never leaves the attacking third, everything depends on movement inside a very small area. Holding a space, rolling off a defender and offering a target at the right moment matter far more than speed over distance.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- A repeatable shooting action under pressure and fatigue.
- Strong body position to hold ground against a taller Goal Keeper.
- Timing to move at the exact moment the feeder looks up.
- Rebounding, since a missed shot from a teammate is a second chance.
#2 Goal Attack (GA)
- 🏆 Notable Goal Attacks: Maria Folau and Gretel Bueta
The Goal Attack works in the centre third and the attacking third including the circle, which makes it the most varied attacking role. A GA shoots like a second shooter and feeds like a second Wing Attack, often in the same passage of play.
The best Goal Attacks pull their defender out of the circle to create space for the Goal Shooter, then arrive back in it for the return pass. That constant movement in and out is what separates the position from the GS.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Accurate shooting from further out than the Goal Shooter usually takes.
- Vision to feed the circle instead of forcing the shot.
- Endurance, because the GA covers two thirds all game.
- Change of direction to lose a defender in a tight space.
#3 Wing Attack (WA)
- 🏆 Notable Wing Attacks: Liz Watson and Serena Guthrie
The Wing Attack may enter the centre third and the attacking third but not the shooting circle, so the position never scores. Instead the WA is the main supply line: they take the ball from the Centre, drive to the circle edge and deliver the feed.
Almost every goal passes through this position, which is why the WA is usually the busiest player in an attacking unit. Timing the pass so the shooter receives it with balance rather than at full stretch is the whole craft of the role.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Precise, weighted passing into a crowded circle.
- Speed off the mark to get free at the centre pass.
- Reading the shooters, since each one prefers a different ball.
- Composure on the circle edge with a defender over the ball.
#4 Centre (C)
- 🏆 Notable Centres: Laura Langman and Serena Guthrie
The Centre is the only player allowed into all three thirds, though not into either shooting circle. That freedom makes the C the link in every phase, taking the centre pass, joining the attack, then dropping back to help defend the next one.
It is the highest running position on the court by some distance. A Centre who stops moving breaks the chain between defence and attack, so fitness is as much a selection criterion as skill.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Aerobic capacity above every other position on court.
- Quick, accurate short passing under pressure.
- Court awareness to know where all six teammates are.
- Discipline to stay out of the circles even when the pass is on.
#5 Wing Defence (WD)
- 🏆 Notable Wing Defences: Jade Clarke and Ashleigh Brazill
The Wing Defence covers the centre third and the defensive third but not the circle, and the job is defined by one opponent: the opposing Wing Attack. Stopping that player from receiving cleanly stops the feed before it ever reaches the circle.
A WD works mostly on the ball carrier and on passing lanes rather than on the shot. Forcing the attack wide, delaying the pass by three seconds and turning a clean feed into a hopeful one is a good day in this position.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- One on one defending without giving away contact penalties.
- Reading passing lanes to intercept rather than chase.
- Footwork to stay in front of a faster attacker.
- Communication with the circle defenders behind them.
#6 Goal Defence (GD)
- 🏆 Notable Goal Defences: Geva Mentor and Casey Kopua
The Goal Defence plays in the centre third, the defensive third and the goal circle, which mirrors the Goal Attack at the other end. The GD usually marks the opposing Goal Attack and follows them out of the circle and back in.
Because the position covers so much ground and still has to contest shots, it asks for both mobility and height. A GD who forces the GA to shoot from distance has already won most of the exchange.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Defending the shot at the required distance without contact.
- Rebounding and holding position at the post.
- The stamina to follow an attacker across two thirds.
- Judgement of when to go for the intercept and when to hold.
#7 Goal Keeper (GK)
- 🏆 Notable Goal Keepers: Liz Ellis and Geva Mentor
The Goal Keeper is restricted to the defensive third and its circle, facing the opposing Goal Shooter for the entire game. Unlike in most sports, this keeper has no gloves and no special rights, only position and reach.
The role is a physical duel repeated a hundred times. Denying the front position, contesting the ball in the air and taking the defensive rebound are the three moments that decide whether a shooter has an easy night.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Body positioning to keep the shooter away from the post.
- Timing in the air for intercepts and rebounds.
- Defending the shot from the correct distance, since the rule is strict.
- Concentration, because one lapse is a goal in this position.
Netball Positions and Where They Are Allowed
Netball splits the court into three thirds plus a shooting circle at each end. Each position may only enter the areas listed below, and only two players from each team may enter each shooting circle at all.
| Bib | Position | Areas of the court allowed |
|---|---|---|
| GS | Goal Shooter | Attacking third including the shooting circle. |
| GA | Goal Attack | Centre third and attacking third including the shooting circle. |
| WA | Wing Attack | Centre third and attacking third, but not the shooting circle. |
| C | Centre | All three thirds, but neither shooting circle. |
| WD | Wing Defence | Centre third and defensive third, but not the shooting circle. |
| GD | Goal Defence | Centre third and defensive third including the goal circle. |
| GK | Goal Keeper | Defensive third including the goal circle. |
Only the GS and GA may score, and only from inside the shooting circle. That is why a Wing Attack with a clear shot still has to pass, and why the GK and GD are the only two defenders who can contest it.
Hybrid Positions
Shooting End Pair
GS and GA are picked as a pair rather than as individuals. One usually holds close to the post while the other moves, and swapping those habits mid game is a common tactical change.
Circle Defence Pair
GK and GD work as a unit, one contesting the ball in the air while the other covers the rebound. Which of them takes the shooter often changes during a game.
Utility Player
A player comfortable in several bibs. Because substitutions in netball only happen at intervals or after injury, a bench utility is worth more than a specialist.
Centre Pass Specialist
Teams rehearse the centre pass in set patterns, and some players are selected for how reliably they get free in the first two seconds after the whistle.
Netball grew out of early basketball, and the two sports still divide their teams along similar lines. Compare it with our guide to basketball positions and roles.
FAQ
What are the seven positions in netball?
Goal Shooter, Goal Attack, Wing Attack, Centre, Wing Defence, Goal Defence and Goal Keeper are the seven netball positions, and each wears a bib with the matching letters.
Which netball positions can score?
Only the Goal Shooter and the Goal Attack can score in netball, and only from inside the shooting circle. Any shot taken from outside the circle does not count.
What netball position is best for beginners?
Centre and Wing Defence are good netball positions for beginners because they teach movement, passing and marking without the pressure of shooting, though Centre demands the most running of any position.
Conclusion
Netball hands every player a bib and a boundary, and the whole tactical shape of the sport follows from those restrictions.
Shooters win games from a few square metres of court, and the two circle defenders exist to take that space away.
Between them, the Centre and the two wings decide whether the ball ever arrives, which is why the midcourt is where matches are usually won.
Because nobody can cover for a teammate outside their own zone, netball rewards positional discipline more than almost any other team sport.
Learn what each bib is allowed to do and a fast, crowded game suddenly reads as a series of clean one on one contests.
