Netball injuries often start when a player lands, pivots, or stops hard on one leg. As a result, the knee and ankle take most of the load. Fingers can also get jammed during contests, rebounds and deflections.

Some netball injuries happen in a moment, such as an ankle sprain after landing on another player’s foot. Others build over weeks, such as patellar tendinopathy after a sharp increase in training or tournament load.

Similar lower-limb patterns also show up in basketball injuries and volleyball injuries, where repeated jumping, hard landings and fast direction changes increase knee and ankle stress.

In Australian junior netball tournament surveillance, researchers reported 82.5 injuries per 1000 player competition hours, with ankle sprains and low back pain among the most common medical-attention problems.¹ That number varies by playing level, season timing and how injuries are recorded. However, it supports what clinicians often see: netball injuries cluster around high-load movements and fatigue.

Common Netball Injuries and Why They Happen

Netball has a high landing and deceleration load. Players often need to stop, pivot, jump, catch and re-accelerate under pressure. These sport demands can increase stress through the ankle, knee, hip, lower back and fingers.

Where Do Netball Injuries Occur?

• Ankle — landing, rebounding or stepping onto another player’s foot. Ankle injuries were the most frequent body site in professional Australian netball surveillance, accounting for about one in five medical-attention injuries.² If you have repeated rolling episodes, see ankle sprain.
• Knee — single-leg landing, deceleration and pivoting. Knee injuries also rank highly in professional surveillance, accounting for about one in six medical-attention injuries.² Common netball injuries include ACL injury and meniscus injury.
• Foot and lower leg — repeated take-offs, hard court loads and fast changes in training volume. For shin load pain, see shin splints.
• Lower back — sustained bending, repeated landing loads and fatigue-related control loss. Low back pain appeared among the higher-incidence medical-attention problems in Australian junior championships.¹ Learn more at back pain.
• Fingers and hand — ball impact, deflections, contact and awkward catching. If finger swelling or deformity follows a jam, see sprained finger and hand and wrist pain.
• Hip and groin — cutting, jumping and landing with reduced control can irritate tendons and joints over time. For ongoing symptoms, see hip pain.

Why Does Netball Cause So Many Lower-Limb Injuries?

Netball combines fast accelerations, sudden stops and frequent one-leg landings. The footwork rule can also force a rapid deceleration and pivot while the player is under pressure. Over time, this movement pattern can overload tendons, ligaments and joints, especially when training increases too quickly.

Hard courts also reduce “give” on landing. Consequently, fatigue can show up as slower reactions, deeper knee collapse, stiffer landings or less control through the hip, knee and ankle. In other words, netball injuries often reflect both the sport’s demands and the player’s current strength, control and recovery capacity.

Who Gets Injured?

Netball injuries can affect players of all ages. However, risk often rises when load changes outpace recovery. In practice, common patterns include:

• Juniors during growth spurts, especially when they add extra teams, rep programs or tournament blocks.
• Competitive players with high court time, limited recovery and not enough strength work.
• Recreational players returning after time off, then doing too much too soon.
• Players with previous injury, particularly previous ACL injury, recurring ankle sprains or tendon pain.

Even “minor” netball injuries can reduce landing confidence, limit cutting speed and change how a player moves. That can shift load elsewhere, such as the opposite knee, hip or lower back.

Most Common Netball Injuries

• Ankle sprain
  Often follows landing on another player’s foot, a rushed step-down from a rebound or a forced change of direction.
• ACL injury
  Commonly occurs during single-leg landing or pivoting when speed, pressure and fatigue reduce knee and hip control.
• Patellar tendinopathy
  Can develop with repeated jumping and high court load, especially when recovery drops.
• Meniscus injury
  Can follow a twist under load or a stuck pivot with pain, swelling, catching or difficulty squatting.
• Finger sprains and dislocations
  Often occur during ball contests, deflections, rebounds and contact.
• Low back pain
  May flare with repeated landings, fatigue and reduced trunk or hip control.

How Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology and Massage Can Help

Physiotherapy may help with netball injuries by matching your rehabilitation to what the sport demands. Your physiotherapist will assess movement quality, strength, joint control and load tolerance, then build a plan that suits your season, position and goals.

• Landing and deceleration assessment, including single-leg control
• Change-of-direction testing and movement review
• Strength testing for the hip, thigh, calf and trunk
• Load planning across training, games and recovery days
• Return-to-court progressions that rebuild speed, contact tolerance and confidence

Physiotherapy for netball injuries often focuses on improving how you absorb force, not just how you feel on the day. Exercise physiology can support longer-term strength, conditioning and load monitoring. Massage therapy may support comfort and recovery as one part of a broader plan.

For a broader overview of return-to-sport planning, see sports injury physiotherapy.

When Should You See a Physiotherapist?

Book an assessment if netball injuries are affecting how you train, jump, sprint, pivot or change direction. Common reasons include:

• Swelling that lingers after games
• Pain that limits jumping, landing, pivoting or sprinting
• A feeling of giving way or loss of control
• Recurring ankle sprains or repeated near-miss rolls
• Tendon pain that flares the next day
• Back, hip or knee pain that changes how you move

Early assessment can help guide safer decisions about training, recovery and return to sport.

Netball Injury Prevention Tips

• Increase court load in steps, especially after holidays, illness or pre-season blocks.
• Practise quiet landings with controlled knee-over-foot alignment and stable deceleration.
• Build strength capacity in the hips, thighs and calves to tolerate repeated jumps and stops.
• Add balance and single-leg control work weekly, not just during rehabilitation.
• Plan recovery days after heavy match or tournament weekends.
• Replace worn shoes and match footwear to the court surface you play on most.
• Use a structured warm-up program, such as Netball Australia’s KNEE Program.
• For a broader structured approach, see injury prevention programs.

Returning Safely to Netball

Return-to-court works best with graded exposure. Start with controlled running and planned change-of-direction work. Then progress to reactive drills, jumping, landing, contact tolerance and match intensity.

Next-day swelling and pain matter, so track how you pull up after each session. Strength, movement control, confidence and sport-specific testing should guide the next step rather than time alone.

FAQs About Netball Injuries

What is the most common netball injury?

Ankle sprains and knee injuries are among the most common netball injuries because the sport involves frequent jumping, landing, pivoting and rapid direction changes. Finger injuries and low back pain are also common, especially during contests, tournaments and high-load training periods.

Why are ACL injuries common in netball?

Many ACL injuries occur during single-leg landing, sudden deceleration or pivoting. Speed, pressure from defenders and fatigue can reduce knee and hip control, which may increase stress through the knee during a high-load moment.

Can netball injuries be prevented?

No program can prevent every injury. However, strength training, landing control, balance work, steady load progression and structured warm-ups may reduce injury risk when players use them consistently across the season.

How long does it take to recover from a netball injury?

Recovery depends on the injury type, severity, player age, training load and rehabilitation progress. A mild ankle sprain may settle faster than a ligament rupture or tendon problem. Your clinician can outline likely timeframes after assessment.

Should I keep playing netball with pain?

It depends on the pain pattern. Mild soreness that settles quickly may be manageable, but pain with swelling, giving way, limping, locking, loss of power or next-day flare-ups should be assessed before you keep playing.

What helps netball players return to court safely?

A safer return usually includes strength work, landing control, change-of-direction drills, progressive running, reactive netball drills and match-specific load progression. Confidence, next-day response and sport-specific testing should guide progression.

What To Do Next

If netball injuries are limiting training, match play or confidence, book a physiotherapy assessment. Your physiotherapist can assess the injury, review your landing and change-of-direction control, then guide a staged plan for recovery and return to court.

For urgent swelling, severe pain, visible deformity, locking, giving way, numbness or inability to weight-bear, seek medical care promptly.

References

1. Smyth E, Toohey L, Antcliff A, et al. Health problem surveillance at the 17/U & 19/U Australian national netball championships. JSAMS Plus. 2022;1:100003. doi:10.1016/j.jsampl.2022.100003
2. Toohey LA, Antcliff A, Drew MK, et al. Epidemiology of injuries sustained in professional Australian netball: a three season cohort study. J Sci Med Sport. 2022;25(3):208-214. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2021.12.004
3. Belcher S, et al. A systematic video analysis of 21 anterior cruciate ligament injuries in elite netball players during games. Sports Biomech. 2024;23(12):2546-2563. doi:10.1080/14763141.2022.2034928
4. Rowe PL, et al. Current ankle sprain prevention and management strategies of netball athletes: a scoping review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2021;13:113.
5. Whitehead S, et al. Injury risk factors and their priority for mitigation in women’s netball: a systematic review and Delphi consensus. Br J Sports Med. 2025.