Each year, Netball Northern works in partnership with netball centres and appointed scouts to identify athletes across our zone who show the potential to progress into performance netball environments.
Our scouting and feed forward process ensures athletes from community competitions through to representative levels are visible within the Netball Northern pathway, not only those already selected into rep teams.
How the Network Works
Talent identification begins with feed forward information from centres, supported by observation at:
- Centre competitions
- Representative tournaments
- Local and national events
Netball Northern scouts also attend key events, including NZ U18 Championships, NZ Open Championships, NZ Secondary Schools Championships, and UNISS, ensuring athletes are seen performing in high level environments.
Centre Scouts & Feed Forward
Centres are encouraged to appoint suitable people to observe athletes within local competitions. These may include coaches, selectors, officials, development staff, or experienced volunteers.
Their role is to identify and share information on athletes who demonstrate the attributes and behaviours to progress toward performance netball over the next 1–5 years. Centre scouts are supported with clear guidelines, athlete indicators, and simple templates to ensure consistency across the zone.
Scouting Definitions & What We Look For
To support a shared understanding across centres and scouts, we recommend referring to the Scouting Definitions infographic, located on this page. This outlines key athlete attributes, indicators, and definitions used across the Netball Northern scouting and feed forward process, helping ensure athletes are identified and discussed using a common language.
Interested in Becoming a Scout?
Netball Northern also welcomes expressions of interest from individuals who are interested in talent identification and athlete development. Scouts receive professional development and are supported by the Netball Northern Athlete Lead, aligned to our scouting philosophy and processes.
For more information or to get involved, contact:
Player Competencies
The following competencies are used to assess and develop players across key performance areas.
Technical Skills
(Fundamental Skills)
- Ball handling
- Passing accuracy, strength, and variety
- Footwork (take off, balance, landing, recovery)
- Movement skills (Change of Direction, Change of Pace, Turn Fully Fast)
- Good control of ball on catch
- Catches ball early
- Contesting mechanics (where relevant)
- Ability to replicate skills under pressure
Tactical Skills
(Game Skills)
- Decision-making consistency
- Game awareness (space, timing, tempo)
- Ability to manipulate defenders/attackers
- Impact within structures and systems
- Off-ball work and unit connection
- Tactical discipline and adaptability
- Works as part of a unit to create defensive pressure or attacking flow
Win-Now Readiness
(Immediate Contribution)
- Consistency under pressure/intensity
- Reliability and composure
- Execution under physical and tactical pressure
- Ability to contribute immediately at speed
- Match-readiness and fitness
- On-court impact against quality opposition
Future Potential
(ANZP & Beyond)
- Quality of movement (COD, COP to get free)
- Acceleration and deceleration mechanics
- Vertical jump and appropriate use
- Ability to manipulate time and space
- Physical attributes (height, reach, presence, explosive movement)
- Responsiveness to coaching and learning rate
- Demonstrated improvement since last exposure
- Collaboration and ability to enhance teammates
