FAST5 is back! The FAST5 Netball World Series last happened in 2018 in Melbourne and no doubt many a netball fan is looking forward to this one.
Netball New Zealand has been awarded the rights through to 2024 with Christchurch playing host in both 2022 and 2023.
The world’s top six ranked teams: Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England, South Africa and Uganda, have been invited to compete in the shortened form of the game, from 5-6 November 2022.
FAST5 is netball like you’ve never seen it before, with five players to a side, shorter quarters, power plays, and super shots – this is a game you don’t want to miss!
South Africa’s Head Coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm and Assistant Coach Erin Burger answer five questions on FAST5.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨?
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞-𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐦: It’s amazing that the series is back. It’s a great opportunity for our players to participate in this most thrilling and exciting competition. We are looking forward to a highly competitive, high intensity competition with lots of fun.
𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫: I’m really glad FAST5 is back, it is a super exciting game of netball. I’m looking forward to the talent we will see competing against each other. Looking forward to the long shots and the strategies around keeping the other teams from scoring the two and three pointers.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝟓 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞?
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞-𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐦: FAST5 is incredibly fast, considering the lots of space on court with less number of players.
𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫: I think it is a lot faster and the fact that there is more space for the players to use longer passes. The running substitutions also keeps the speed at a high intensity because you can play against fresh legs every few minutes.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞-𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐦: The option of scoring six goals with one shot (a three pointer during a power play) is the most exciting, making the game extremely unpredictable.
𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫: The two and three pointers combined with the powerplay excites me, because that means you’re not out of the game until the last whistle, and things can change quickly.
𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠?
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞-𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐦: Yes, a couple of match strategies that I wouldn’t like to reveal, but maybe to mention the main one, which is an attacking game and scoring from your centre pass.
𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫: Yes we definitely have a few plans up our sleeves, you will see the change up when we play.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝟓 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥?
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞-𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐦: A fearless attitude, an attitude of taking chances when they present themselves.
𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫: I think it is a player that can read the space well, and that can plan ahead, to think where to run or pass to, create something for another person. As a defender where you need to position to help confuse the space for their attackers. Also someone that can keep up with the speed of the game.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐: Shannen Bartlett, Xandri Fourie, Didintle Keebine, Owethu Ngubane, Refiloe Nketsa (VC), Zandré Smit, Nicola Smith, Jeanie Steyn (C), Jeanté Strydom and Nicholé Taljaard
Some quick rules
Substitutions: FAST5 includes rolling substitutions, which means a change can be made at any stage of the game, during breaks or during play.
Power Play: The last 90 seconds of playing time in each quarter is designated as the ‘Power Play Period’ for both teams. During the ‘Power Play Period’ all goals scored a doubled.
Centre Passes: All centre passes will be taken by the team that did not score the last goal. The coin toss at the start of the game determine which team takes the first centre pass in each quarter. The coin toss winner: Chooses the centre pass in either the 1st and 3rd quarters or 2nd and 4th quarters. The coin toss loser: Takes the first centre pass in the quarters not chosen by the winning team.
Goal Scoring: There are three different scoring zones in FAST5. Inner circle (3,5m) for 1 point. Outer circle (3,5m-4,9m) for 2 points. Goal third for the Super Shot 3 points.
Timing: Four six-minute quarters with a four-minute interval at halftime and two-minute intervals after the first and third quarters.
The Team: In FAST5 there’s only five playing positions with two shooters (GS and GA), two defenders (GK and GD) and one midcourter (C).
