Netball Best and Fairest: Making Voting Easy for Your Association
February 2026 | 7 min read
Netball is one of Australia's most popular participation sports — and with clubs fielding teams across dozens of age groups and divisions, managing best and fairest voting can quickly become overwhelming. Whether you're a Saturday netball association running 50 games a week or a single club with six teams, getting voting right matters.
1. The Saturday Netball Challenge
Saturday netball associations face a unique scale challenge. On any given weekend, there might be:
- 30–60 games played across multiple courts running simultaneously
- Teams from Under 9s to Open age — each needing their own voting
- Multiple divisions per age group — Division 1, 2, 3, and beyond
- Umpires rotating between courts — they can't always observe full matches
Paper-based voting at this scale is barely manageable. Chasing down sheets from every court, collating them each week, and compiling season totals is a massive volunteer burden.
2. Who Should Vote in Netball?
Coach Voting
Coaches watch every minute and understand positional demands. Best suited for recognising effort, teamwork, and tactical play beyond just shooting stats.
Umpire Voting
Umpires provide an independent view. They see both teams equally and can assess fair play — making them ideal for "fairest" components of the award.
Player Voting
Players know who's making the hard leads, setting strong screens, and doing the unseen work. Peer recognition is powerful, especially for older age groups.
QR Code Court-Side Voting
Place QR codes at each court so coaches or umpires can vote on their phone immediately after the game — before they move on to their next match.
3. Voting Systems That Work for Netball
- 3-2-1 points system — quick and effective for seven-player teams. Three points to the best player, two to second, one to third.
- Opposing coach votes — the coach of the other team awards best on court. Removes self-interest bias entirely.
- Dual-coach voting — both coaches vote for their own best player. Simple but can miss standout opposition players.
- Combined weighted system — coach votes worth 60%, umpire votes worth 40%. Balances perspective with fairness.
4. Managing Age Groups and Divisions
Netball associations often have more teams than other sports, which means more setup work. Key considerations:
- Create a separate voting group per division — Under 13 Division 1 is a different competition to Under 13 Division 3
- Handle players who move between divisions — injuries and fill-ins are common in netball
- Set minimum game requirements — players who only play a couple of games shouldn't be eligible for season awards
- Consider separate recognition for juniors — encouragement awards for younger age groups keep participation fun
5. Netball Award Categories
- Best and Fairest — overall player of the season
- Best in Each Position — GK, GD, WD, C, WA, GA, GS
- Most Valuable Player
- Most Improved
- Best Team Player / Club Person
- Rising Star / Junior encouragement
Voting Made Easy for Netball
From Saturday associations to single clubs — GameVote handles your voting across every court and every age group. Try it free for 14 days.