No she didnt the person that invented netball was
James Naismith, a teacher at the School for Christian Workers (later called the YMCA), invented basketball in 1891 (see our post ‘who invented basketball‘). The female teachers at the school were curious ans began to work out a version for girls to play. The clothes women wore at the time restricted their ability to run and dribble so the rules were changed to accommodate these problems. This was the birth of women’s basketball (that would be renamed netball in later years). In 1895, Clara Baer, a gym teacher from New Orleans, asked Naismith for a copy of the basketball rules. She mistook his markings showing areas where different players should defend for areas where women were allowed to move. This led to the introduction of ‘zoning area’ associated with netball today (for example, the goal attack is not allowed to enter the defensive area). In 1901, these rules (no dribbling and zones) were adopted and women’s basketball (netball) was adopted as an official competitive sport.
James Naismith, a teacher at the School for Christian Workers (later called the YMCA), invented basketball in 1891 (see our post ‘who invented basketball‘). The female teachers at the school were curious ans began to work out a version for girls to play. The clothes women wore at the time restricted their ability to run and dribble so the rules were changed to accommodate these problems. This was the birth of women’s basketball (that would be renamed netball in later years). In 1895, Clara Baer, a gym teacher from New Orleans, asked Naismith for a copy of the basketball rules. She mistook his markings showing areas where different players should defend for areas where women were allowed to move. This led to the introduction of ‘zoning area’ associated with netball today (for example, the goal attack is not allowed to enter the defensive area). In 1901, these rules (no dribbling and zones) were adopted and women’s basketball (netball) was adopted as an official competitive sport.
