12/09/2025
From “Women’s Basketball” to Netball: A Quick History Lesson
Did you know netball actually started life as “women’s basketball”?
Back in 1891, when Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in the U.S., the game quickly crossed the Atlantic. But in 1895, a PE teacher named Clara Baer in New Orleans and later Martina Bergman-Österberg in England adapted it for women, who at the time were expected to play something “less rough.”
The early version looked a lot like basketball but with strict tweaks:
No dribbling or running – players had to stay in designated areas.
Smaller court zones to limit contact.
Passing was king; speed and strategy ruled instead of slam dunks.
As the game spread through British Commonwealth countries, it gradually shed the “women’s basketball” tag. By the 1920s, the name “netball” stuck, reflecting the focus on shooting into a net and its own distinct style.