Player Pathway
The purpose of the player pathway is to support the development of athletes. The player development journey is an evolutionary process, individual specific and shaped by experiences.
The County Programme finishes at year 10 and the the NSL team franchises takes over the pathway from Under 17s.
The Franchises have a PDP for Under 17s, 19s, 21s and 23s. They also have a competition squad for U17 to 21 – the Netball Performance league (NPL) squads. These compete in a national League from October to February prior to the NSL league starting in March.
Trials for all of these squads are held in September and are OPEN This means that no matter where you live or what County you have played for you may trial for any Franchise.
The age banding changes at the level to the England Netball standard of 31st December, so school years no longer determine eligibility. To qualify for trials an athlete must be Under 17 on 31st December. This means that all Year 11s (from September 2024) are eligible but NOT all year 12s
For example:
- Amy is currently in Year 11 – going in to Year 12 in September. Her birthday is 27/02/2008 – so she turns 17 on 27/02/2025. On 31/12/2024 she is still Under 17 so is eligible to trial.
- Laura is currently in Year 11 – going in to Year 12 in September. Her birthday is 09/10/2007– so she turns 17 on 09/10/2024. On 31/12/2024 she is over 17 so cannot trial for U17s, instead has to go for Under 19s.
