Netball – My First Ever Match by Trent Hutson
Words by Trent Hutson.
Main image by Dan Shave.
Today I attended my first netball match as Derby Women’s 3rd XI took on Lincoln Women’s 4th XI.
It is the first time I have ever watched the sport and with no knowledge of the game, I slowly felt myself picking it up as proceedings went on. The game between the two sides was frantic and fast paced, with quick changes in possession, frequent attacks and shots left, right and centre.
After speaking with students and fans who were in attendance at the University of Derby’s Sports Centre, they began explaining certain rules and markings laid out across the court. This was a big help as the court lines and rules were one of the most confusing things to me.
As someone watching the sport for the first time, it was at times hard to keep up with the speed of play due to the amount of goals and attacking plays made. However, one real positive I found from watching the game was the flow; it was very rarely stopped, meaning that the game was left to be played at a high intensity and tempo – this certainly made for better viewing.
A slow tempo, stoppages in play, and an abundance of rules are always a gripe I have had when watching basketball, but this was not the case as netball just seemed to flow much better.
I was personally surprised by the sport, and with me liking a speedy, fast tempo of play it was at times great to watch. This counteracted with being very confused at times, but like anything new you are not going to pick it up straight away. With that being said though I believe it’s a sport that could be watched and enjoyed by a wider audience.
