Footwork is the rule that makes netball netball. You cannot run with the ball, so everything a player does after catching it — the landing, the pivot, the release — happens inside a very narrow set of legal options.
It is also the most frequently penalised technical error in the game, and the one most often misunderstood by players who know the rule perfectly well in theory.
This guide covers what the rule actually says, the errors that come up most often, what changed in 2024, and how coaches build cleaner habits.
What the footwork rule says
The rule is set out under Rule 13.3 of the World Netball rules. It works differently depending on how you land.
What you can and can’t do with the ball
| Legal | Not legal |
|---|---|
| Step with the non-landing foot in any direction | Dragging or sliding the landing foot |
| Pivot on the landing foot as often as you like | Hopping on either foot |
| Lift the landing foot, then release before it re-grounds | Re-grounding the landing foot while still holding the ball |
| Jump from the landing foot and release mid-air | Falling to the ground and regrounding the landing foot (added 2024) |
| Land on two feet, then step with either one | Shuffling both feet to balance while holding the ball |
| Take as long as you like — up to three seconds | Passing or gaining the ball while lying, sitting or kneeling |
Sanction for any footwork infringement: free pass to the opposing team, taken where it occurred.
Landing on one foot
When a player lands on one foot, that becomes the landing foot. They may step with the other foot and lift the landing foot, but must throw the ball before re-grounding it. They may also use the landing foot as a pivoting foot, stepping in any direction with the other foot as often as they wish. Once the pivoting foot is lifted, they must pass or shoot before re-grounding it.
A player may jump from the landing foot onto the other foot and jump again, as long as the ball is released before either foot is re-grounded.
Landing on two feet
If a player catches the ball and lands on both feet at the same time, they may step in any direction with one foot and lift the other, but must throw or shoot before re-grounding it. They may pivot on one foot, stepping in any direction with the other as often as they like.
What is never allowed
A player cannot drag or slide the landing foot, and cannot hop on either foot.
Since the 2024 rule changes, a player in possession also may not fall to the ground and reground the landing foot. The accompanying guidance asks umpires to apply common sense here, particularly in junior competition.
The sanction is a free pass to the opposing team, taken from where the infringement occurred. Our netball rules guide covers the full rule set.
Footwork is not the same as held ball
These two get confused constantly, and they are separate offences with separate causes.
Held ball is a timing offence: you have three seconds to pass or shoot. Footwork is a movement offence: it does not matter how quickly you release the ball if your feet moved illegally.
You can catch the ball, take extra steps and pass within two seconds — the timing is fine, the footwork is not, and it is still a free pass.
Two other rules sit close by and are worth knowing separately. A player may not bounce the ball and regain possession, and cannot gain or pass the ball while lying, sitting or kneeling on the ground.
The most common footwork errors
Four footwork errors and what causes them
| Error | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Running on after the catch | Momentum and instinct, most common in juniors | “Catch and stick” — exaggerated freezing in training |
| Sliding the pivot foot | Landing on the heel | Fix the landing mechanics; the pivot cleans itself up |
| Off-balance catch | Reaching with the arms instead of moving the feet | Move to get behind the ball before it arrives |
| Losing the grounded foot | Cognitive load under defensive pressure | Repetition until foot awareness is automatic |
Most footwork calls are not knowledge failures. They are balance failures.
Running with the ball is the single most common violation in junior netball — young players instinctively want to keep moving after catching.
Shuffling the grounded foot, where the pivot foot slides rather than rotating on the spot, is usually caused by landing on the heel; correcting the landing mechanics cleans up the pivot automatically.
Catching off-balance is another: players who lunge for the ball land in an unstable position that makes clean footwork impossible. And under pressure, players sometimes lose track of which foot is grounded and lift it accidentally.
That last one is the most revealing. It shows up when a player is thinking about the defender, the feed and the shot clock all at once — which is why footwork tends to deteriorate late in quarters and in high-pressure phases rather than in open play.
Why it costs matches
Every footwork call is a turnover, and turnovers in your own attacking third are the expensive kind.
In the opening round of the 2026 ANZ Premiership, the Mainland Tactix beat the Southern Steel 55–42, with the Steel committing 26 turnovers and scoring from only 53 percent of their centre passes. The match report described them as their own worst enemy in their attacking third, throwing possession away under Tactix defensive pressure.
Footwork is one contributor to that kind of scoreline among several — bad feeds, contact calls and offside all sit in the same bucket. What they share is that they hand the ball over without the opposition having to earn it.
More on how possession moves through the court is in our guide to netball positions and the ANZ Championship.
Fixing footwork in training
Coaches recommend teaching “catch and stick” — as soon as the ball is caught, the feet stop — using exaggerated freezing in early training to build the habit.
The other core correction is movement before the catch: players should move their feet to get behind the ball rather than reaching with their arms. Almost every drag and shuffle traces back to a catch taken off-balance.
Investing time in footwork early pays off throughout a player’s career, because it becomes automatic and frees them to focus on reading the game.
Our netball drills guide and passing drills guide have session ideas that build these habits into normal training.
Landing technique and injury risk
There is a second reason to take landing mechanics seriously. Netball has a high rate of serious knee and ankle injuries, which is why ACC and Netball New Zealand developed the NetballSmart injury prevention programme. ACC states that a warm-up programme like NetballSmart can reduce ACL injuries by up to 50%.
The official warm-up runs 15 to 20 minutes and is designed to be done two to three times a week.
Clean, balanced landings serve both purposes at once: fewer free passes, and less load through the knee.
How junior grades ease players in
New Zealand’s junior pathway deliberately relaxes some of the pressure that produces footwork errors.
In futureFERNS Year 1 and 2, players have five seconds rather than three to pass or shoot, and passers and shooters are not defended at all. Year 3 and 4 play 5 v 5 across two-thirds of the court with a size 4 ball.
Removing the defender and extending the time buys a young player the space to think about their feet. The pressure is added back gradually as the formats step up. Our how to play netball guide covers those basics.
This article explains the rules and general coaching practice and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not individual coaching, training or medical advice. For the current official rules see World Netball, and for injury prevention guidance see NetballSmart. Rule details were verified in August 2026.
Reference sources
- North Canterbury Netball Centre — official website
- Want to play netball: grades, days and venues — NCNC
- Year 7 & 8 competition information and season dates — NCNC
- Year 5 & 6 draw and court duty requirements — NCNC
- Open grade and senior representative fixtures — NCNC
- Centre contacts and committee — NCNC
- Woolworths futureFERNS — Netball New Zealand
- Facilities, equipment and uniform requirements — World Netball
- NetballSmart — Netball New Zealand injury prevention programme
- NetballSmart and ACL injury data — ACC
Frequently asked questions
What is a footwork violation in netball?
It is any illegal movement of the feet while in possession of the ball — most often dragging or sliding the landing foot, hopping, or re-grounding the landing foot before releasing the ball. The penalty is a free pass to the opposing team.
Can you pivot in netball?
Yes. You may pivot on the landing foot and step in any direction with the other foot as many times as you like. Once you lift the pivot foot, you must pass or shoot before it touches the ground again.
What is the difference between footwork and held ball?
Held ball is about time — you have three seconds to pass or shoot. Footwork is about movement. You can be penalised for footwork even if you release the ball well inside three seconds.
What changed in the 2024 footwork rule?
The rule was expanded to state that a player in possession may not fall to the ground and reground the landing foot. Umpires are asked to apply this sensibly, especially in junior grades.
Why do I keep getting called for stepping?
Usually it is a landing problem rather than a rule problem. Landing on the heel makes the pivot foot slide, and reaching for the ball instead of moving your feet behind it produces off-balance catches that make legal footwork almost impossible.
Do junior players have the same footwork rules?
The footwork rule itself applies, but junior formats reduce the surrounding pressure. In futureFERNS Year 1 and 2, players get five seconds instead of three and are not defended when passing or shooting.
What happens after a footwork call?
The opposing team is awarded a free pass, taken from the place where the infringement happened. Any player allowed in that area can take it, and a goal cannot be scored directly from a free pass.
