IN 1871 MR JAMES NAISMITH, A CANADIAN IMMIGRANT YMCA INSTRUCTOR IN THE USA, INVENTED BASKETBALL. ANOTHER AMERICAN, MR TOLES, WHO WAS VISITING LONDON IN THE 1890's INTRODUCED BASKETBALL ENGLAND , AND ALTHOUGH ENGLISHMEN PREFERRED TRADITIONAL SPORTS, IT WAS FAMOUS WITH THE GIRLS.
IN ENGLAND IN 1895, GIRLS USING BROOMSTICKS FOR POSTS AND WET PAPER BAGS FOR BASKETS PLAYED THE BASKETBALL GAME ON GRASS. THEIR LONG SKIRTS, BUSTLE BACKS, NIPPED WAISTS AND BUTTON UP SHOES IMPEDED RUNNING AND THEIR LEG-OF-MUTTON SLEEVES RESTRICTED ARM MOVEMENT MAKING DRIBBLING AND LONG PASSES HARD. THE LADIES DECIDED TO ADAPT THE GAME TO ACCOMMODATE THESE RESTRICTIONS.
Then the miniature form of Netball game was formed. the game brought to Australia as to many other countries, by english school teachers in the early 1900's. Women liked the game but they found that the long passes were difficult to execute in the game due to their limited strength. So, the ladies decided to adapt the game to suit them They divided the court into thirds and introduced a rule that the ball must be caught or touched at least once in each third. No one was allowed to run with the ball and they established restricted playing areas for each position. They got rid of the backboard and modified the goal ring to suit the smaller sized soccer ball and created a "NETBALL".