Jamaican Netball
It's History, Background & Current Ranking

Watch! See the real Jamaica in VIDEOS!
Click Here and see why over 60,000 fans are raving about my YouTube Channel!

Jamaican Netball by Shermaine Anderson-Gayle

Jamaica, no stranger in international sport circles, continues to reap great sporting success, perhaps making bigger and richer countries envious of our achievements.

And this, our number one female sport, is a testament to that. Jamaica's netball team has consistently rank in the top 5 countries in the world!

The national team is known as and appropriately called the Sunshine Girls. We have 4 squads; the under 13, under 16, under 21 and the senior squad.

History Of Netball In Jamaica

Netball was introduced to Jamaica by English women who came to teach in our girls secondary schools. The game became apart of the physical education programme since 1909. 

Netball’s popularity among Jamaicans began to grow as it was introduced to various clubs, schools, churches and businesses island wide.

The Jamaica Netball Association became affiliated to the West Indies Netball Board in 1959.

The first Jamaican netball team was founded in 1959 and was invited to play in the West Indies Tournament in Montserrat in August 1959.

Jamaica's Current Netball Ranking

Based on matches up to July 1,2020 2018, Jamaica's netball team is presently ranked 4th in the world and has held the 1st position 10 times since 1988 in the Caribbean!

The recent achievement of second place in the world, is testament to the hard work over the last two years, according to Sports Minister, Babsy Grange.

The top five (5) world ranking reads.

1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Jamaica
5. South Africa

With that Jamaica has gone down two places from where it was a  year go (this time), and has taken exchanged places with New Zealand, with our sights laser focused now on Australia in first place.

To learn more about the Jamaican Netball team, their latest achievements, statistics etc, visit their page on the Jamaica Olympic Association website.

But what is this NETBALL? Who invented it? What are the rules? And how is it played?  Here's a quick background to the sport.

Netball - A Background To The Sport

Netball was invented by Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education teacher. Dr. Naismith main goal was to keep his students physically occupied indoors during the winter months. Netball is based on running, jumping, throwing and catching.

A team has 12 players but only 7 are played on court on each team in any game. It is played into four 15 minutes segments called quarters with teams changing shooting positions at the end of each quarter.

The game begins with a center pass, and center pass is changed after a goal is scored.

Netball is a non contact sports, which means no player should be in personal contact with an opponent. All attempts to score a goal must be taken inside of the semicircular area around the goal post. This area is called the goal area.

The sport is similar to basketball in many respects, but differs in a few key ways.

For example:

• The hoop is smaller and there is no backboard.
• Players must not run or dribble with the ball.
• Ball is smaller.
• The possession time for the ball is 3 seconds and this applies to all players.
• Playing areas are restricted to players and each has their own positions.
• Only two players are allowed to shoot goals.

Read more about Jamaican sports here.

Sharing IS Caring! Please help me get the message out by sharing this article with your friends on social media (links below). Thnx ;-)

If you found this page useful, please consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter, to get even more. 

It tells you each week about the new information that I have added, including new developments and great stories from lovers of Jamaica! 

Return to Jamaican Sports from Jamaican Netball 
Return to My Island Jamaica Homepage from Jamaican Netball

References & Sources For Jamaican Netball

1. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1120019/world-netball-annual-update-2022
   
2. https://netball.sport/game/history-of-netball

Other Great Articles You Might Have Missed

P.S. Didn't find what you were looking for? 
Still need help?

Click Here to try our dependable and effective Site Search tool. It works!

Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of over 500 questions and answers! Chances are someone already asked (and got an answer to) your question.

---

Celebrating Jamaica60!

CLICK HERE to see the results of our fun JAMAICA60 essay contest!

Featured Video!

Trending Now!

Top Articles

Recent Articles

• 
• 
• 

1. The History Of St Elizabeth |The Achievements of Jamaica's Breadbasket

   Dec 03, 22 06:51 AM

   
   As one of the largest and earliest established parishes, there is much more to the history of St Elizabeth, the breadbasket of Jamaica.

   Read More

2. Are All The Beaches In Jamaica Clothing Optional?

   Dec 02, 22 04:59 PM

   
   Are all the beaches in Jamaica clothing optional? Not by a long shot! Your best chance at clothing-optional beaches is at these adult-only resorts in Jamaica.

   Read More

3. Where In Jamaica is Laughing Waters Beach Located?

   Dec 02, 22 01:54 PM

   
   Just where in Jamaica is Laughing Waters beach located? The elusive beach is not as difficult to find as you might think.

   Read More

4. Family Hotels In Negril | All Inclusive Budget & Luxury Options!

   Dec 02, 22 09:16 AM

   
   While some of the best family hotels in Negril are opulent all-inclusives, not all of them are. Here are the best options for both budget and luxury vacations.

   Read More

5. How Much Cash Can You Carry Legally In Jamaica?

   Dec 01, 22 04:52 PM

   
   How much cash can you carry legally in Jamaica? That’s an excellent question! No matter your reason for travelling, there is a limit to the money you can bring.

   Read More