Netball Rounders: A Fun Netball Warm Up Game

If your usual warm up is starting to feel a little too familiar, Netball Rounders might wake everyone up.

Shared by Gateshead Stadium Netball Club, this fast-paced netball warm up game mixes sprinting, teamwork, decision-making and a healthy bit of competition. There’s plenty going on, but the game itself is really simple to set up.

Split your players into two teams: kickers and fielders.

Roll the ball towards the first kicker, who has to kick it forwards. Once they’ve kicked it, they sprint towards the opposite end of the court. Kick the ball backwards and they’re out.

Meanwhile, spread the fielding team across the court. Gateshead suggest roughly four players in each third, depending on your numbers.

Once the ball has been kicked, the fielders have to react quickly, work together to deny space and collect the ball while trying to stop the runner reaching the other end.

Here’s where the dodgeball element comes in. The fielders can get the runner out by hitting them below the waist with the ball.

If the runner makes it all the way to the opposite end without being put out, their team scores a point.

Then keep rotating through the kickers and see which team comes out on top.

It might borrow a little from rounders and dodgeball, but there’s plenty here that carries over to netball.

Players are accelerating, changing direction and reacting to what is happening around them rather than following a set running pattern. The fielders also have to communicate, cover space and make quick decisions as a group.

For the runner, there’s speed and agility. For the fielders, there’s movement, teamwork, spatial awareness and decision-making. And for everyone involved, there’s a much better chance of actually enjoying the warm up.

It’s an easy one to bring out when you want something competitive that gets the whole squad moving before the main session starts.