Update Published: 4th June 2021

Travel restrictions for organised sport remain in place supporting the Scottish Government’s phased approach to the easing of lockdown restrictions.

In line with publication of the Scottish Government’s Framework, Netball Scotland will, on the 17^th May  2021 remain in  Phase C of our #SafetyNet Return to Netball Roadmap

An overview of Permitted Activity Guidance per age group can be found here!

Information on the Modified Game can be found here!

The updated Return to Netball Guidance can be found on our updated Return to Netball Hub here.

Netball Training and Fitness Activities are permitted for the following age groups:

• Members aged 11 Years and Under, Indoors and Outdoors
• Members aged 12-17 Years, Indoors and  Outdoors
• Members aged 18+ Years, Indoors (Levels 0, 1 & 2 only) and Outdoors (Levels 0, 1, 2 & 3)
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors & Indoors – Level 0 – All Netball activities permitted

Modified Game Play is permitted for the following age groups from the 17th of May 2021 :

Our Fun 5z Modified Game can take place for:

• Members aged 11 Years and Under Indoors and Outdoors

  Our Modified Game Play can now take place for:

• Members aged 12-17 Years Indoors and Outdoors
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors (Levels 1 & 2 only)
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors & Indoors – Level 0 – All Netball activities permitted

Competitions and Friendlies are permitted from 17th May 2021:

• Netball Scotland organised competitions and local club/association competitions (including friendlies) are permitted for all age groups, Outdoor only in Level 0, Level 1 and Level 2.
• All competitions (including friendlies) remain suspended in Level 3 and Level 4.
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors & Indoors – Level 0 – All Netball activities permitted
• Competitions remain subject to Scottish Government Travel Guidance.

Netball Scotland’s Permitted Activity is aligned to the Scottish Government’s own phased exit protection level restrictions, and in line with consultation from sportscotland.

Important Information:

Members should implement the Modified Game rules in conjunction with Netball Scotland’s Return to Netball Guidance and the Scottish Governments Strategic Framework.

It is the club’s responsibility to ensure they are holding activities relevant to their current Permitted Activity Level as set out in Netball Scotland’s Permitted Activity Guidance.

Travel Overview:

Participants should, where possible, avoid any unnecessary travel out of an area and keep journeys within area to an absolute minimum. Full details of the Scottish Government Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance on Travel and Transport can be accessed here 

Under 11’s and 12-17 Travel

• Participants aged 17 years or under can travel to and from Level 0, 1, 2 and 3 areas to take part in organised sport, training, and fitness activity.
• Children and young people living in a Level 3 area should follow Local Protection Level Guidance in regards to taking part in informal exercise such as walking, running or cycling.

18+ Travel

• Participants aged 18 years or over can travel to and from Level 0, 1 and 2 areas to take part in organised sport, physical activity and training. They should not travel to a Level 3 area.
• Adults living in a Level 3 area should follow Local Protection Level Guidance in regards to taking part in informal exercise such as walking, running or cycling.

Why Travel Restrictions?

Netball Scotland have provided guidance in line with the Scottish Government’s advice for travelling safely within Scotland.

As a nation we must do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. We want to be able to protect our sport and the netball family as much as possible in this ever-changing landscape which is why we must set out this guidance in line with the Scottish Governments Guidance

We thank the Netball Family for standing with us!

Final Comments from the team at Netball Scotland:

We are delighted that these changes mean that we can now officially progress with our #ReturnToSport campaign which aims to increase opportunities for all members over the summer months as we begin to return to the sport we all know and love! You can find out more information about all of our exciting Sirens Summer plans HERE.

#NetballReady clubs have already been embracing our #NetsGoOutdoors campaign, a new and exciting direction for our sport and one we hope to see as a permanent option for the future of netball.

They’re back! Our Club Development Series of Online Workshops are back for another series exclusively for Netball Scotland affiliated Clubs and committee members. We have created this second series to equip, support and prepare you for getting #BackOnCourt under our new normal.

This time round we have a series of 5 webinars planned to make sure you’re all ready to get #BackOnCourt when the time comes:

1. Get your club ready Off Court, for getting #BackOnCourt
2. Navigating PVG’s, Secondary Contracts and a Q&A on Wellbeing and Protection
3. Putting Policy into Practice
4. Adapting Netball for Online
5. Going for the Goal!

You can find out more information on each workshop webinar below, along with the link to book, we can’t wait to see you all there!

Get your club ready Off Court, for getting #BackOnCourt | Tuesday 30^th June | BOOK HERE

The get your club ready off court online webinar is intended for club committee members who are looking to get their club #BackOnCourt

This webinar will discuss and provide useful information on the following areas

• Introduction of the New Club Framework
• Recruit, Retain and Reward Volunteers
• Club Committee/ Club Organisation Structure

Navigating PVG’s, Secondary Contracts and a Q&A | Tuesday 7^th of July | BOOK HERE

The Navigating PVG’s online webinar is intended for club WPOs who are looking for more information on Wellbeing and Protection and will be led by Netball Scotland’s Wellbeing and Protection Officer, Lindsey Booth.

This webinar will discuss and provide useful information on the following areas:

• What is a PVG, who’s responsible for PVGs, who needs it and how do they get one?
• The Wellbeing and Protection Officer Role and Responsibilities, ID checker training and resources, how to keep track
• What is a Secondary contract, does my club need one, how do we put one in place?
• Useful guidance
• Wellbeing Networking Events

Putting Policy into Practice | Tuesday 14^th July | BOOK HERE

The Putting Policy into Practice online webinar is intended for Club Committee Members looking to understand how to adopt NS Policy.

This webinar will discuss and provide useful information on the following areas:

• Social Media & Communication Policy and some helpful tips for using Social Media
• Governing Document – Constitution
• Club policies and the law. NS Adoptable Policies and where to find them
  1. RESPECT
  2. Wellbeing and Protection
  3. Equality and Inclusion
  4. GDPR – Privacy Notice

Adapting Netball for Online | Tuesday 21^st July | BOOK HERE

The Adapting Netball for Online webinar is intended for Club Committee Members who are looking for more information on moving netball online, from training to online meetings and AGM advice.

This webinar will discuss and provide useful information on the following areas:

• Guidance on Training Online
• Consent, health and Safety Disclaimers
• Platforms: how to stay safe
• Online Meetings and AGMs
• Wellbeing and Protection Guidance
• Adaptable Policies and useful guidance

Going for the Goal! | Tuesday 28^th July | BOOK HERE

The Going for the Goal! online webinar is intended for Club Committee Members who are looking to plan for their club’s future

This webinar will discuss and provide useful information on the following areas:

Adaptable Policies and useful guidance

• Health, Safety and Risk Assessment
• Managing Volunteers and Voluteer Policy

Vision and Planning

• Club Vision Statement
• What does the future look like for our club? Development Plan
• Financial Planning/Forecasting
• Funding Applications to support your club development plan and financial forecasting
• People Development before growth

*Please note these webinars are intended for actively affiliated Netball Scotland member clubs and actively affiliated volunteers and committee members only.

Strathclyde Sirens, Scotland’s only semi-professional netball team, and Netball Scotland, the National Governing Body for Netball in Scotland, are working with partners Murphy Wealth, a Scottish financial planning firm, to create toolkits and share valuable advice in order to help the population look after their financial health during this uncertain time.

With financial uncertainty dominating the news headlines – from salary cuts and job losses, to Government grants and mortgage payment holidays – everyone is facing a financial challenge or strain. Both parties will be maximising use of their platforms to support the people of Scotland and the nation. With financial stress significantly impacting on mental wellbeing, this is the time to provide help, advice and reassurance to get each other through this challenging time.

Over the coming weeks, Strathclyde Sirens and Murphy Wealth will be sharing information on:

• Understanding your spending behaviours
• How to save and what the available tools are
• Managing personal finances and planning for the future
• Available support for clubs and businesses
• Practical financial tips and toolkits
• Understanding your support options and where to find help if you need it.

Together, they will be busting myths, answering questions, explaining options and empowering you get through this global crisis, whilst designing the financial future of your choice. The advice will be relevant for everyone of all ages or circumstances.

CEO of Murphy Wealth Adrian Murphy states: ‘The current situation has brought everyone’s financials into firm focus. There are many challenges, but there is also a great deal of support available. We want to do everything we can to help our communities, ensuring that everyone understands and makes use of the support and opportunities available. At the end of the day, whilst many of us have no control over this situation and how long it might last, we do have control over how we build our own financial futures and adopt to everything that is happening around us.’

CEO of Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens Claire Nelson states: “With the impact of COVID-19 being felt by every person right across the UK, the aim of Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens right now is to provide as much vital support and guidance to all of our fans, members, and anyone else who needs it, for as long as is needed. As part of this we will be focussing on financial health, planning and management as we know that a lot of people are worried about their finances at this time. Working with our amazing new Sirens Partners, Murphy Wealth, we will provide practical support, expertise, tips and advice to help our Netball Family to get through these uncertain and unprecedented times, as well as start to take control over planning the financial future that they want for themselves. We hope that this serves to be a useful service for people and continue to ask everyone to follow the Government guidelines to stay safe and healthy.”

Netball Scotland are delighted to formally announce our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan – Realising Netball’s Potential: A long term vision of success

As an organisation we believe that we should aspire to be world class in all that we do, on and off the court, from grassroots to the International stage.  To do this, the latest strategic cycle sees us enter phase 2 of a 3-part long term strategy.  We are striving to strengthen and enhance the capability and resource within the organisation in order to deliver the highest standards of governance and to support the ambitions of a thriving, sustainable and successful NGB, all to achieve our vision:

For Netball in Scotland to be a Thriving, World Class Sport.

As we move into this new strategic cycle, we as an organisation remain committed to strengthening our sport for the future and our ultimate mission remains the same:

• Leading the sustainable growth of netball through raising performance, profile and participation at every level of the pathway.
• Advancing the organisational infrastructure to enable all to enjoy the sport of netball, for life.
• Empowering our people to succeed and thrive.

This will be supported by a strengthened operational model which will allow us to enhance our Pathway to deliver a world class system of programmes, competition, education and people which in turn will produce top talent and quality opportunities to play and progress within our sport.  Through this we are creating a sustainable strategy for our sport for generations to come.

As a sport and Governing Body we are moving forward from a position of strength and now we must build a durable and high performing infrastructure by strengthening our organisation and enhancing our pathway.

 To read more about our strategic Plan click here! 

This next phase will begin with a consultation period to take netball into this new era.

You will soon be presented with the Netball Scotland Membership Survey, the results of which will inform the upcoming Membership Category Review.

We aim to be a sporting governing body that truly listens to our membership.  As part of our ongoing commitment to organisational and member development we are keen to better understand your experiences and make sure that we can, to the best of our ability, provide the support and services that you need.

This Membership survey will provide us with valuable insights into our members perceptions of our current Membership Services and let us know whether we are moving in the right direction.  We want a Thriving Membership that feels valued, has access to appropriate and relevant opportunities to develop and enjoy the sport, and feels connected to the wider netball community.

In addition, this next phase will also see us build a durable and high performing infrastructure to enhance our pathway through The Local Association Engagement Strategy.

We will also soon be launching into our Local Association Consultation, a project to deliver an empowered and connected Local Association network that works in partnership with Netball Scotland to deliver quality domestic development, league and competition opportunities.

This consultation will facilitate collaborative working and create deeper and more impactful partnerships for enhanced development opportunities.  It will also provide us with insights into what resources and support Local Authorities need from us, the governing body to achieve sustainable growth and development at local level.

The growth of our sport is unprecedented and while this is an exciting time for us all, it has never been more critical to ensure that the foundations are strong enough to not only maintain but to support future growth.  This phase will see us build a durable and high performing infrastructure by strengthening our organisation and enhancing our pathway.   We want to deliver organisational excellence across the entire business, driven by the most talented, passionate and innovative people in sport and underpinned by a sustainable business model.

However, we cannot go on this journey alone, the voice of the membership needs to be heard so please in your already busy lives, dedicate the time needed to respond to our surveys and help shape the future of YOUR sport #SucceedAsATeam

If you want to relive the Scottish Thistles #NWC2019 Campaign, or missed-out on any of their matches, we’ve got you covered! We’ve put together mini-match reports to give you a succinct overview of each match in Scotland’s #NWC2019 campaign – take a read below!

Scotland v South Africa

Scotland’s 4^th Match of the Netball World Cup was against South Africa, a team who, at the time of writing, are placed 5^th in the INF World Rankings. Scotland showed that they could stand tall against a top 6 team in the early quarters of this match, but we’re outmanoeuvred by a more aggressive South African side.

Q1: The Thistles opened an early 5-3 lead after South Africa’s attack ran into trouble, however, South Africa bounced back quickly to even out the score line and eventually pull away from Scotland to establish a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Q2: South Africa extended that lead in the second quarter, they forced Scotland into mistakes and capitalised on it to take a 32-20 lead into half time.

Q3: The third quarter seen South Africa maintain a strong attacking stance, with the Thistles side struggling to find opportunities. Emma Barrie kept the scoreboard ticking over, but South Africa ended 49-32 up.

Q4: The final 15 minutes seen an intense defensive effort from both sides. Burger and Holtzhausen kept the scoreboard ticking over for South Africa, who finished 66-38 winners.

Scottish Thistles Emma Barrie said:

“We had some good stuff out on court but we were lacking consistency.  We’ll go back and look at some analysis, see where we went wrong and try and fix it for our next match.”

Scotland v Jamaica

Scotland seen an early victory over Jamaica taking the first quarter from the Sunshine Girls, in what was a heartening victory for the Thistles. However, Jamaica, looking to prove themselves, pushed back to take control of the match and seen Scotland finally trail 36–76.

Q1: Both sides started this match strongly, but an early Jamaican injury affected the movement of the team. Scotland, who took full advantage of their opponents’ confusion, were neck and neck with the 2^nd ranked team in the world for much of Q1. The thistles were soon able to pull ahead, giving them a win in the first quarter,  leading Jamaica 14–13.

Q2: Jamaica didn’t take the first quarter loss lightly; Fowler brought the scores level early in quarter two and quickly carved out a three-goal lead. Scotland struggled to maintain possession and Jamaica ended the half 32-21 up.

Q3: Jamaica dominated this quarter, and with Scotland unable to keep control of the ball Jamaica were storming ahead to extend their lead out to 20. All the while Shamera Sterling was proving a disruptive force to the Scottish attack and Jamaica ended the third quarter 50-26 up.

Q4: Scotland found more rhythm in the final quarter of the match, with the first 6 goals evenly shared across both teams, and an excellent intercept allowed Scotland to claw back some points and reduce the deficit. But it wasn’t enough, and Jamaica maintained their lead, winning the match 67 – 36.

Scotland Head Coach Gail Parata said:

“We came out today hoping we might be able to surprise Jamaica in that first quarter and get the lead. We debated whether to risk players, because the game we really want is Trinidad and Tobago (tomorrow), but we thought we’d see how the first quarter went, and we were delighted to be in front.

“In the second quarter we knew they’d up their game, and we couldn’t keep pace with them. The Jamaican team that we know – the speed and the flair they have – came out in the second and third quarters, but I was pleased with our finish too.”

Scotland v Trinidad and Tobago

In one of the tightest matches of the NWC, with a game that seen the lead change hands on multiple occasions, Scotland were able to secure a 43-43 draw with T&T thanks to a last-minute goal from Lynsey Gallagher.

Q1: This was a must win match for both sides and one that Scotland had targeted as a must win. Emma Barrie opened the scoring but T&T’s defence challenged Scotland. A series of loose passes from T&T enabled the Thistles to pill ahead and close the first quarter with an 11-9 lead.

Q2: The second quarter seen Trinidad and Tobago capitalise on any Scottish error and moved them towards a 14-13 lead. Scotland fought hard to keep the scores level though, and a late miss by Kalifa McCollin seen Scotland go into half time 22-21 up.

Q3: The third quarter was as close as the previous two. Again, early momentum was with T&T as they leapt ahead of Scotland by 2 goals. Their lead was however, short lived and the Thistles capitalised on a centre error which allowed the Thistles to tie T&T 34 – 34  going into the final quarter.

Q4: The final seen Scotland and Trinidad and Tobago wrestling for overall control of the match, but as the time ticked down and the score line remained tight, it took a Scottish error to allow T&T back into the game and almost immediately seen Scotland trailing 42 – 39. However, the shooting partnership of Gallagher and Barrie seen Scotland draw level with 45 seconds to go. Astoundingly, with 30 seconds to go T&T’s Wallace sank what should have been the winning goal of the game but a well handled ball to Gallagher, who was awarded a penalty in the dying seconds the match, allowed her to sink the goal-tying shot from left of the goal, finishing 43-43.

Scotland’s Lynsey Gallagher said:

“I heard the crowd roar and I knew it was a penalty pass or shot, so I just needed to take my time and put it away.

“I think it was a bit of ping pong at the end. It’s hard to win ball off Trinidad and Tobago and we just had to treasure the ball. Sometimes it was just the final execution of things – things that you know you do day-in, day-out, but I think that was just part and parcel of that game.”

Scotland with this late draw finished 6^th in Group G and played Barbados in the 11^th/12th play-off.

Scotland v Barbados

Excellent play in second and fourth quarters made the difference for the Thistles, who were able to see off Barbados and claim 11^th as they ran out 53-42 winners.

Q1: Scotland made the most of early errors from Barbados, with more than a few excellent interceptions to swing momentum the way of the Thistles for the first quarter allowing them to build an early 6-2 lead. However, Barbados fought back, and a turnover saw Barbados claw the score line back somewhat. Scotland maintained a 15-13 at the end of Q1.

Q2: Scotland Came out of the blocks immediately at the start of the second quarter, securing 5 goals to command a 20-13 lead. Emma Barrie kept that score line ticking over with an excellent string of shots and Scotland were 29-22 up going into half time

Q3: Barbados bounced back almost immediately in the third quarter and started to even out the score line. A fortunate error by Wharton allowed Scotland to bring momentum back their way, and Scotland held tight to the control of the quarter from then on. The thistles finished the quarter 39-33 up heading into the last 15 minutes.

Q4: Barbados came storming into the final quarter, determined to regain control of the match, and clawed the score back to 39–36. Amazingly, the Thistles, with some impressive defensive work from Emily Nicholl and the cool shooting head of Lynsey Gallagher allowed Scotland to maintain their grip of this match. Final score 53–42.

Scotland maintained a tight grip on their final NWC match which seen them claiming 11^th in the NWC standings, an improvement upon their 12th-place finish in 2015.

From Today the way you pay for Licenses is evolving.

Previously our GoMembership portal has provided 3 options for members and clubs to make payments to Netball Scotland:

1. Invoice Payments
2. Stripe Payments
3. GoCardless Payments

However, in line with the operational excellence considerations of our new Strategic Plan, we are making the payment process more streamlined and more efficient for you, our members. For that reason, from the 19^th of July the new and improved system for payments will take effect for all members and clubs. (Schools payment systems will remain unchanged.)

To ensure operational excellence goals are met, all payments will be made using either GoCardless or Stripe payment methods. We would encourage Members and clubs who currently pay by invoice to utilise the GoCardless platform as it is the most efficient and easiest to manage. By using this method, you will also be helping Netball Scotland run more proficiently, economically and timely.

Here’s a little more information on what this means for you:

GoCardless (Pay by Bank)

GoCardless automatically collects funds through Direct Debit, notifying you in advance of a payment being taken, this gives you the chance to raise any issues about the payment in advance. This system is more accurate and less time consuming than the traditional invoicing procedure, and the Direct Debit Guarantee makes this the safest way to pay.

If you haven’t got an account with GoCardless already, you can set one up in minutes! Next time you login to buy your license, and choose to Pay by Bank, you will be asked to complete a direct debit mandate. To do this, enter your name and bank details in the fields provided which will create your GOCardless account. This then gives Netball Scotland permission to collect money directly from your club’s bank account and hopefully reduces the time you spend on club admin.

If you do have an existing account with GoCardless, simply choose to pay by your existing mandate, and payment will be taken directly from your account.  

The benefit of GoCardless is that every time you make a transaction through GoCardless you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying and when it will come out, which can help with budgeting. This means, every reaffiliation season, you simply add the licence to your cart, click purchase through GoCardless and the DirectDebit is already set up, which means no more waiting for invoices to come through, and avoids any disruption to your membership services.

Stripe (Pay By Card)

Stripe is a secure payment method, where payments are immediate Direct Debit or Credit Card transactions, through Visa, Mastercard and American express cards. The difference between Stripe and GoCardless is that Stripe Payments are taken from your account immediately, just think of payments for online shopping.

This method means an action is required from you to make payments on your purchase directly and immediately. We would recommend this method for Individual Member accounts who wish to reaffiliate.

Payment Guidance

To make the process easier we have also included a new licence payment guide below for you to get a better understanding of how this new payment structure will look before Affiliation season begins again in August.

You can find the payment guide here.

We hope you find this new payment method easy to understand and to use but if you have any questions simply email our Membership Coordinator on membership@netballscotland.com