Knee and ankle injuries are common in netball, and most of these injuries occur during landing from a jump. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are common, and account for up to 25% of serious netball injuries. ACL injuries result in significant time off sport, reduced physical activity and may lead to increased risk of osteoarthritis, 

The Netball KNEE program is an on-court warmup designed by Netball Australia to reduce the risk of ACL and other lower limb injuries occurring by enhancing movement efficiency during take-off and landing from a jump, deceleration and change of direction. 

Netball Australia have included videos on their website showing correct movement technique on each of the above key movements which can be found here: Key Principles Good Tech – Take Off – ACL Netball

Who is the Netball KNEE program For

The KNEE program has 3 different levels, targeted at different age groups and the expected movement demands during netball at these levels:

Junior Program: targeted at 11 to 13 year-olds

Recreational Program: targeted at 14+ year-olds

Elite Program: targeted at state and national representatives 

How to use the Netball KNEE program

The KNEE program includes four sections: Warm Up, Strength, Balance/Landing, and Agility. 

No equipment is needed for the exercises except for a netball! 

All exercises in the Warm Up should be performed. Four exercises each should be performed in the Strength, Balance/Landing and Agility sections with a focus on correct technique during each exercise. There are more than four exercises in these sections, which allows coaches variety with exercise selection. 

The program should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. 

You can do the exercises in any order, for example you can do the Strength Exercises before the Warm Up Exercises if that flows better. 

Examples of exercises included in the program are included below:

• Warm Up

  • Side Skipping

  • Walking Lunges

  • Butt Flicks

  • Walking Quads Stretch

• Strength

  • Squats

  • Bridge

  • Plank

• Balance/Landing

  • Single Leg Jump and Land

  • Single Leg Partner Push

  • Tuck Jumps

  • Side Step + Catch 

• Agility

  • Lateral Shuffle

  • Deceleration 

  • Forward Bound 

Each full KNEE Program can be found here: Download the KNEE Program – Netball Australia

How often should the KNEE program be performed

It is recommended to perform the KNEE program before each training session and before each game. Research has shown injury prevention programs should be performed at least twice per week for maximum effectiveness and must be continued for the effects to be maintained. Additionally, research has shown it take 10 weeks for the benefits of injury prevent programs to become evident. 

The KNEE program should be continued in the off-season to maintain its effects. You can incorporate the exercises into your pre-existing exercise routine. 

Tips to implement the Netball KNEE Program at your club

Spend some time studying the key coaching points and instructions before implementing the program with players to improve your confidence in delivering the exercises. 

Provide a demonstration and verbal instruction of the exercises to highlight correct technique.

Feedback is an important component of the program to ensure risky movement patterns are corrected. Try using analogies such as ‘soft landing’ rather than ‘bend your knees when you land’. Players can also face each other while performing exercises, encouraging players to be aware of correct technique and provide feedback to their teammates.

Introduce the KNEE program gradually to allow coaches and players to become familiar with the program. You might introduce the warmup exercises only for two weeks, then introduce strength exercises.