The Ultimate Netball Taping Guide with Millie Carter

Netball – the sport where you can’t run with the ball, but you’ll definitely be sprinting up and down the court for 60 minutes straight. With all the sudden stops, sharp pivots, and high-flying jumps, it’s no surprise that ankles, fingers, and knees take a beating.

And that's where taping comes into it.

Netball, and SPORTTAPE's, finest, Millie Carter (@mill.carter), talked us through how it can be used to keep you feeling strong. So, if you want to keep playing at your best (and avoid spending more time on the bench than the court), keep reading!

SPORTTAPE's best netball player, that's a sure thing!

Millie's been playing netball for years! She's played a few clubs and has even represented Wales at U17 and U21 level—captaining the U21 at the European Championship. Last season she was a training partner for Cardiff Dragons Super League side and now plays her first team games with Birmingham Panthers Next Gen. 

But, it's also worth noting that, when she's not blocking shots on the netball court, she's working right here at SPORTTAPE. If you've dropped us an email over the past few weeks, chances are it was Millie that replied. 

• Ankle sprains
• Shin splints
• Finger breaks/dislocations
• Knee and calf strain
• ACL/MCL
• Concussion

When we asked Millie what the most common taping application for netball, this was the first thing that she said. There was no doubt in her answer.

According to her, a lot of coaches actually ask their players to strap their ankles up before games and certain training sessions. In general, it's probably the most common strapping application you'll see in sport, particularly ones that require a lot of lateral movement—like netball.

Strapping the ankle with a Zinc Oxide Tape, ideally a Tan roll, can help prevent the ankle from rolling inwards when you're gliding across the court. This'll also provide additional support to the foot when performing quick changes of direction.

The best thing about ankle strapping is that you could use lots of different kinds of tapes and you don't always need a second pair of hands to do it. Our recommendation would always be the Zinc Tan, just given it's strength and rigidity. However, we've seen Kinesiology Tape, Cohesive Bandage and EAB all being used too. It's definitely a preference thing. 

If you'd like to learn how to strap an ankle, click here!

It sounds silly, but we feel like a lot of people just associate shin splints with running, given how common they are for runners. Unfortunately it isn't.

They tend to develop after particularly hard exercise or repetitive activity. They can cause pain either on the front or outside of the shins or even on the inside of the lower leg just above the ankle. And given how hard you're pounding the ground during a game of netball, they can develop after a few hard training sessions.

Most cases of shin splints can be treated with rest, ice and other self-care measures. However, if you do need to get back a bit sooner, then Kinesiology Tape could be the answer. What it will do is stretch out the skin and create a level of pressure which can reduce pain for periods of time, if applied correctly. 

Everyone hates shin splints and wants to get rid of them ASAP. But remember to take everything in moderation with regards to rehab and recovery. 

This is how we would tape up your shin splints using tape.

Netball games can get pretty intense and there's a lot of jumping and landing going on and that's a big reason why you'll see a lot of players taping up their knees and their calves with Kinesiology Tape. 

Whatever position you play in netball, you're going to be jumping for the ball pretty often and all that impact can cause some serious strain on your legs and the knees/patellar and the calves are just the two most common areas that will absorb that impact, along with your ankles. 

Thankfully, they're also both areas that are relatively easy to tape up. A couple strips of tape around the kneecap or upwards along your calf muscles and it can make a big difference whether you're using it specifically for netball or another sport. 

If you want to learn exactly how to tape up your knee or your calf, check out our learn page now!

With regards to your fingers and your thumbs, this is generally can be something that you tape after you've already injured them, as opposed to help prevent injuries. 

In netball the ball is going to be flying at your hands quite a lot, believe or not. And the chances of your fingers or your thumb taking a good bashing are pretty high. And that's when dislocations and breaks occur. So, if you see a netball player with their fingers strapped up, that's likely why. 

It does depend on what injury you're taping for and, again, it's down to personal preference, but we would generally opt for a Zinc Oxide Tape when it comes to fingers. If you want to keep them immobilised when you're actually playing netball then it's the ideal choice. 

Some physios or athletes may specifically tape the thumb with a 2.5cm EAB. If you want to learn more about taping your fingers and thumbs, check out our blogs now!

And that's it! Millie's top taping tips for netball. Like we mentioned, Millie works here at SPORTTAPE, so if you have any netball questions for her at all, drop us an email!

And if you want to learn any more about any other applications, check out our learn page now!

netball