Nico Broekhuysen invented Korfball in1901. Korfball is a comparable game to netball and basketball with one major exception – the game is a mixed sex sport! It was designed in this way because Nico wanted a game that both boys and girls were able to play and compete on an equal footing within the same game. It was later demonstrated in Holland in 1902, and then widely spread to over 40 other countries in 1903.

 

Korfball is played by two teams of 8 (consisting of 4 men and 4 women) on a rectangular pitch. The pitch is divided into two halves – an attacking half and a defending half, (2 men and 2 women in each half) At either end of the pitch, at one third of the length of the half measured from the backline, is a goalpost supporting a cylindrical basket, this is called a korf. A korf is 11.5ft from the ground, and there is no backboard.

 

Action consists almost entirely of passing the ball by hand from person to person. Passing and movement form the basis of the game with attackers using changes of speed and direction, combined with team tactics, to try to lose their defenders in order to create a shooting chance. This is not easy because an attacker is not allowed to shoot if the defender is within arms' length and nearer to the post. Any player in the attack zone may score. Kicking, punching and running with the ball are forbidden and no body contact is permitted. Players may only mark a player of the same sex. Apart from playing within one half of the field there are no set positions and players need to have all round skills since whenever two goals are scored in the match the players change zones (ie those who were attacking now become defenders and vice versa).

 

Although the game is spread throughout Britain the majority of clubs are in South London and mid-Kent since the game started in South London in 1946 and has spread slowly out from there. There are leagues and clubs operating in London, Kent, Cambridge, Norfolk, The Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire, Oxford, the South West/Wales and Scotland (mainly around Edinburgh) with other individual community and university clubs throughout the rest of Britain. The National League consists of teams from most of these major leagues.