NetSetGO Netball Drills: Net, Set and GO Stage Activities

Understanding the three stages

NetSetGO is Netball Australia's entry-level program, broken into Net, Set and GO stages as kids progress from roughly age 5 through to 10. Each stage builds on the last, using a size 4 netball throughout, with goal posts starting at 2.4m and rising to the full 3.05m height by the GO stage.

The Net stage is almost entirely about fundamental movement and ball familiarity. By the GO stage, kids are playing modified games with real positional structure.

Net stage drills (youngest kids)

1. Catch and call

Kids form a circle, calling a teammate's name before throwing. Builds basic catching confidence and court awareness in a low-pressure format.

2. Footwork freeze

Kids dribble-step (no actual dribbling in netball, but practice the landing footwork) and freeze on a whistle, checking they've landed correctly on one foot before pivoting. Builds the footwork foundation netball depends on.

Set stage drills (building skills)

3. Triangle passing

Three kids form a triangle, passing in sequence while calling the receiver's name. Introduces chest passes and overhead passes with a clear, repeatable pattern.

4. Shadow defence

Pairs practice basic marking — one child holds the ball while their partner practices a legal defensive distance, without contact. Builds early positional sense.

GO stage drills (game-ready)

5. Modified mini match

Small-sided games (4v4 or 5v5) on a reduced court, with simplified positions. This is where everything from the Net and Set stages comes together, and it's usually the part kids look forward to most.

Structuring a session by stage

A good rule of thumb: spend more time on isolated skill drills at the Net stage, shifting that balance toward game-based play as kids progress:

• Net stage — most of the session on isolated skill drills (catching, footwork)
• Set stage — a more even mix of skill drills and modified game play
• GO stage — around 15 min skill refreshers, then 30 min modified match play