Few sports place as much demand on the feet and lower limbs as netball. Every match involves explosive jumps, sudden stops, rapid pivots and awkward landings, often while competing for the ball in a crowded space. It’s no surprise that ankle sprains, knee pain and foot injuries are among the most common reasons players miss training and matches.
A large systematic review published in 2021, which combined evidence from 46 studies, found that ankle and knee injuries are consistently the most common injuries in netball (Sports Medicine – Open, 2021).
Whether you’re a social player, a junior athlete or competing at a high level, understanding why these injuries occur is the first step towards preventing them and staying on the court.
Why are netball players at greater risk?
Unlike many sports, netball requires players to stop suddenly and remain grounded while holding the ball. Every game involves hundreds of jumps, pivots, accelerations, decelerations and rapid changes of direction.
Each of these movements places substantial forces through the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Individually, these forces aren’t usually a problem. However, when they’re repeated hundreds of times during training and matches, week after week, they can begin to overload tissues faster than the body can adapt.
For some players, underlying biomechanical factors mean certain joints, tendons or muscles are exposed to even greater stress, increasing the risk of both acute injuries and persistent overuse problems.
The injuries we see most often
Ankle sprains
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in netball, often occurring when landing on another player’s foot or changing direction quickly.
While many players recover well, repeated ankle sprains can lead to ongoing instability, reduced confidence and an increased risk of future injuries.
If you’ve rolled the same ankle more than once, it’s worth investigating whether reduced ankle mobility, muscle weakness, balance deficits or altered movement patterns are contributing to the problem.
Heel pain
Plantar fasciopathy (commonly known as plantar fasciitis) is a frequent cause of heel pain in netball players. However, it’s far from the only possibility.
Heel pain may also arise from overload of surrounding muscles and tendons, fat pad irritation or changes in training volume.
Contributing factors often include:
- Tight calf muscles.
- Reduced ankle mobility.
- Changes in foot biomechanics.
- Worn or inappropriate footwear.
- Sudden increases in training load.
The key is identifying why the tissue has become overloaded rather than simply treating the painful area.
Shin pain
Many players experience aching along the inside of the shin, particularly during pre-season or after increasing training intensity.
Often referred to as “shin splints”, this develops when the muscles and bone are repeatedly overloaded faster than they can adapt.
Early assessment can help identify contributing factors before the condition progresses into a more significant stress injury.
Knee pain
The knee acts as the link between the foot and the hip. When movement above or below the knee is inefficient, the knee often absorbs additional stress.
Common contributing factors include:
- Poor landing mechanics.
- Reduced single-leg control.
- Weakness around the hips and gluteal muscles.
- Limited ankle mobility.
- Excessive inward movement of the knee during landing.
- Training overload.
A systematic review found that almost half of non-contact knee injuries in netball occur during landing, highlighting the importance of good landing mechanics and lower-limb strength (Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2021).
How biomechanics influence injury risk
At Feet & Motion, we don’t simply ask, “Where does it hurt?”
We ask, “Why is that particular tissue being overloaded?”
Every player moves differently.
Some feet roll inwards more than others. Some ankles are stiff, while others are naturally more mobile. Some players absorb landing forces efficiently, while others repeatedly overload the same structures.
These movement patterns—known as biomechanics—influence how forces travel through your body during sport.
A comprehensive biomechanical assessment looks at factors such as:
- Foot posture.
- Walking and running mechanics.
- Joint mobility.
- Muscle strength.
- Balance and stability.
- Landing technique.
- Footwear.
Understanding these factors helps identify where unnecessary stress is occurring and, more importantly, how to reduce it.
What can you do to reduce your risk?
Although no injury can be prevented completely, there are several ways to reduce your risk.
Build strength
Strong muscles help absorb impact, improve stability and reduce excessive loading.
Exercises targeting the calves, intrinsic foot muscles, hips and gluteal muscles all play an important role in injury prevention.
Improve balance and proprioception
Balance training improves your body’s ability to react quickly during unpredictable movements.
Research consistently shows that balance exercises can reduce the risk of recurrent ankle sprains.
Optimise your landing technique
Learning to land with good control rather than simply focusing on jumping higher can significantly reduce stress on the ankles and knees.
Small improvements in movement quality can make a huge difference over the course of a season.
Recover well
Recovery is just as important as training.
Gradually increasing training load, allowing adequate recovery between sessions and addressing small niggles early all help reduce the risk of more significant injuries.
Our aim isn’t to tell you to stop playing netball. It’s to help you continue playing by managing load more effectively and addressing problems before they become long-term injuries.
Wear the right footwear
Netball shoes should provide appropriate grip, cushioning and support for your individual foot mechanics and playing style.
Shoes that are excessively worn or poorly fitted can contribute to discomfort and reduced stability.
Don’t ignore recurring pain
Pain that repeatedly returns or lasts for more than a few weeks deserves assessment.
Not every injury is simply “bad luck.” While accidents do happen, recurring injuries often have identifiable contributing factors that can be assessed and, in many cases, improved.
How a biomechanical assessment can help
If you’re experiencing recurring foot, ankle or knee pain, a biomechanical assessment can help identify the factors contributing to your symptoms.
Rather than simply treating the painful area, we assess how your entire lower limb functions during walking, running and sport-specific movements.
This may include dynamic gait analysis, pressure mapping, strength testing, footwear assessment and, where appropriate, consideration of custom orthotics.
Depending on your individual needs, treatment may include:
- Targeted strengthening exercises.
- Mobility programmes.
- Footwear advice.
- Taping or strapping techniques.
- Load management strategies.
- Custom orthotics where clinically appropriate.
- Return-to-sport planning.
The goal isn’t simply to reduce pain. It’s to improve movement efficiency, reduce the risk of future injuries and help you perform with greater confidence.
Stay on the court doing what you love
Whether you’re playing in the local league, representing your county or simply enjoying a weekly social game, recurring injuries shouldn’t be accepted as “just part of netball.”
At Feet & Motion, we believe the first step isn’t choosing a treatment—it’s understanding why the problem developed in the first place. Once we know that, we can recommend the most appropriate treatment, reduce your risk of future injuries and help you keep doing what you love.
Olive Giles
Natalie Kitchener