Developing a game-centred approach in netball: a critical analysis of the ‘dilemmas of practice’ impacting change

This position paper critically analyses the adoption of a Game-Centred Approach (GCA) in netball. Drawing on research from netball and the wider coaching literature, alongside reflective insights from work within a national governing body, it identifies the dominant pedagogical patterns shaping netball’s signature pedagogy. Windschitl’s dilemmas framework is used as a heuristic to examine the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political tensions that constrain GCA implementation. The analysis argues that adopting GCA requires more than technical change; it demands a fundamental rethinking of assumptions about coaching, learning, and coach development. Entrenched coaching traditions, coach education structures, and governance arrangements are shown to reinforce existing pedagogical practices and limit meaningful change. The paper concludes by calling for a shared vision of coach development that integrates conceptual understanding, pedagogical expertise, cultural awareness, and political engagement, offering practical provocations for coaches, coach educators, and governing bodies seeking to transform coaching practice in netball.