THE NETBALL CLUB
FAQ's
Below we outline some FAQ we get asked often. They should cover most things, however, please do contact us if you require further information or clarification:
1. I haven’t played netball before, or since school, or in a very long time, does this matter?
No not at all. The main aim of The Netball Club is to get Women back into playing netball or playing netball, if you have never played before. Our leagues are fun, social leagues. Monday is a slightly higher standard, and maybe not suitable for back to netballers. We do run ad hoc training sessions, and session upon request if teams require them, we can arrange all this.
2. How does the league work?
Every league is split into seasons throughout the year. A season is 10 weeks long usually, never less than this.
If you are signing up to the league as an individual then we will assign you to a team, either a newly formed team, or an existing team, looking for new players.
Payment is made per season. Payment can vary according to whether you sign up as an individual or as part of the team (it can work out cheaper as part of a team). You can have as many people as you want in a team, although we do suggest no more than 10 people.
On average we have 6 teams per league. Each team will play each other twice over the 10 weeks. The winner of the league will receive medals, and that will be the team with the most points at the end of the 10 weeks. This may vary slightly depending on how many teams are playing in the league. For example at Bromley we have 10 teams. They play each other once, and then there is a play off night at the end with a final. The final will be played between the top two teams at the end of the season, and the winner of the league will be the winner of the final.
We will then have a weeks break at the end of the season, and a new season will then start again.
3. How do we know who we are playing each week?
We will send the full season fixtures, generally to the nominated captain of the team a week before the season starts. Venues can sometimes change last minute, and this is usually out of our hands, but we will always try and find a suitable local alternative venue to play in. If this happens then we will inform the captain as soon as we can.
4. Do I need to bring anything to the games?
No, we provide all the equipment and umpires. You will need to bring something to drink, as not all venues have a water fountain. All you need to do is turn up and play.
5. Do I need to wear anything specific to netball?
No. Usual sports wear is fine. We do recommend netball specific trainers, as they are better for your feet and ankles.
Most of our venues are indoors, and can get warm, so layers are good.
As per the rules, you must not have long nails, or wear jewellery whilst playing. Earrings and piercings that can not be taken out, can be tapped securely. This is for your own safely as well as others. Hair must also be tied up.
6. What format of netball is played across the leagues?
All our games are 45 minutes long. 10 minute quarters with a few minutes/1 minute break in between the quarters. All our leagues adhere to the England Netball Association rules. Full rules can be found here, https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/make-the-game/officiating/rules-updates/
Majority of our umpires are C award umpires or higher.
7. How do I sign up and pay?
To sign up as either an individual, as a pair of friends, or a few friends, or even a team, please email us on admin@thenetballclub.co.uk. We will require you to fill in a small, short booking form which contains our insurance waiver and send it back to us for our records. This will then secure you a space.
We will then send you our PayPal and bank details, for payment.
8. My team is short a few players, what do we do?
We have a dedicated ringers Facebook page, specifically for teams to find ringers for their games. Search for The Netball club in Facebook. It is the group, not the page. Post on there for a ringer, stating the location, time and position needed, and someone will help out. If you are not on Facebook, then email admin@thenetballclub.co.uk, and either Becci or Lisa will find a ringer for your team.