Notational Analysis - D1

D1 – Notational Analysis

Performing a notational analysis allowed me to identify strengths and areas for improvement for the athlete. These components can have both positive and negative effects on performance.

For example, Passing was a component of performance at which I looked at whilst performing a notational analysis as I felt this was a vital component to netball. As the players are unable to move with the ball, passing is the main mechanism to move the ball around the court in order to create shooting opportunities. Across 2 games, my athlete had an average pass completion 92%. This indicates that it was a component of the athlete’s performance which was already very strong and needed to be maintained in order to perform well and succeed in sport.

A high pass completion rate means that the athlete and their team is able to retain possession of the ball and in effect are able to produce more attacking opportunities. This also has an effect on the opposition as if they do not have possession of the ball it reduces the chances in which the opposition are able to score points. Passes which are not completed may usually result in the opposition obtaining possession and being able to score. If the athlete and their team is able to retain passion by completing passes they increase their chances of being successful on competition as they are likely to score more points than their opponents. “When a thorough understanding of the biomechanical principles of the main passes used in netball is gained, it can help to improve the results in a game scenario”- Threadgold, A (2015). This statement suggests that when we understand the principles of passing and if we make passes successful it means that results in competition can be improved, therefore influencing how successful the athlete can be.

“Passing is fundamental to netball: The core fundamental skill of a chosen sport must be practiced constantly. In road racing (cycling) it is spinning the pedals and in netball it is passing” is a statement made by ILoveNetball, Australia which supports my statements on the importance of passing in order to be successful in netball. Therefore, the athlete needs to maintain the high pass completion percentage in order to be successful in netball.

A second component of netball which is almost as important, is catching. Passes cannot be considered complete if they are not caught by the receiving player. The athlete had an average catch percentage of 87% over the time I spent analysing her. Although it was not as high as the pass completion, it was still high enough to be considered a strength.  Online Coaching Manual, Net Set Go, suggest that “Catching is one of the most important skills in netball, you need to get the technique correct and then have lots of practise."- Net Set Go (2013). This evidence says that catching is fundamental to the success of a netball player. Catching the ball, in a similar way to passing, means that the athlete and their team are able to retain possession of the ball for longer periods of time which reduces how often the opposition are able to create shooting and scoring opportunities. As a result, it increases how prosperous the athlete is able to be within their sport as they increase the likelihood of winning competitions.

As my athlete plays as a Goal Shooter (GS), I chose to look at shooting as a component of her performance. My reasoning for this was that shooting and scoring is the main responsibility of the GS in a netball team as they are one of only two players who are allowed in the scoring zone.

The athlete had a very high successful shooting percentage, 81%, across a number of performances. To me, this suggests that her shooting is very strong and successful, but she would gave to maintain this to ensure it does not drop any lower as this could be detrimental to performance. If her shooting percentage was to drop any lower, it would decrease her chances of being successful in competition. This is because, if the opponents shooting percentage excels my athlete, it is likely that the opposition are going to be able to score my points, resulting in a loss for their team. "In Netball, shooting is arguably the most important aspect of the game. Without it, all netball games would end as 0-0 ties, so let’s agree that it is, to some degree, essential to the functioning of the sport" - Netball Fun (2016). Therefore, it is important for the athlete to have a high successful shooting percentage in order to be successful in competition. More importantly, they need to have a higher successful shooting percentage than their opponent in order to increase their chances of winning each game.

Finally, I looked at rebounding as a component of netball. Rebounding usually occurs after a shot has been unsuccessful and the ball comes back into play. Both the offensive and defensive team attempt to try and rebound the ball. For a GS, it’s important to make offensive rebounds as it prevents the opposition from gaining possession of the ball. If they miss a shot, rebounding the ball will give the shooters a second chance to try and score. This increases the chances of the player scoring more points and therefore winning the game. Preventing the opposition from gaining possession reduces the opponent’s chances of being able to form attacking opportunities.

Coaching Manual, Sport Plan, also suggest that rebounding is an important component for netball which can be either detrimental or enhancing toward to athlete’s performance. “how they react to a rebounded shot might mean the difference between scoring or conceding a goal" - SportPlan (2016).

My athlete had a very low rebound rate, only 29% on average. Therefore, the athlete needs to improve this component of their performance in order to increase their chances of being successful. If this rebound rate remains low, it means that the athlete and their team are at risk of conceding additional points and then each game becomes more difficult to win.