A study of selected technical and tactical aspects affecting the performance of top netball clubs in Kenya: a case of Nairobi province

Abstract

The concern in all sports is to prepare teams that can win in various competitive matches. Hence, the desire of every coach is to identify the main techniques and tactics that are crucial in enhancing winning. This study investigated whether passes, interceptions, centre pass patterns and shooting techniques influence the outcome of netball matches played by Nairobi province teams in Kenya.

Twenty-four matches played by teams in the Kenya Netball Association in Nairobi province over three months were used. There were two groups of teams (winners and losers at the end of the matches. The performance of these groups was compared under four variables (successful and unsuccessful, passes, interceptions, centre pass patterns and shooting techniques). The data was collected by the researcher and two assistants by observing pre-recorded unedited tapes. These data were analyzed descriptively using tables charts, percentages, means and standard deviations.

Inferentially, the independent samples t-test was used to analyze the difference between the two groups. The results showed a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05) in both successful and unsuccessful passes, successful and unsuccessful direct centre pass pattern, successful stationary shooting, unsuccessful interceptions, and unsuccessful stationary shooting. The findings of the present study revealed that the teams studied were effective in using passes as their success rate was reasonably high (77.4%) compared to unsuccessful rate (22.6%). However, these teams should practice on interceptions, as their performance was very low in this technique.

The teams involved in the present study prefer using stationary shooting and direct centre pass patterns to in-motion and indirect patterns. However, it is recommended that coaches of these and other teams in Kenya should exploit the indirect centre and in motion shooting patterns so as to vary their tactics. Further studies in the same area with larger samples and longer periods are also necessary in order to fully exploit and improve on the tactics and technique for winning.