World Netball Rankings Explained

The World Netball Rankings are published by the World Netball to make it possible to compare the relative strengths of internationally active national netball teams. Initially, rankings were based on the results from the World Netball Championships, and released after the conclusion of each event, every four years.^[1] A new ranking system was implemented on 11 February 2008, wherein teams are ranked based on international tests played in the last four years. Teams appear on the rankings list once they have played eight international test matches.

Australia and New Zealand have dominated the world rankings in previous years and they are the only two netball nations to have ever held the number one world ranking since its introduction in 2009. In 2018, England became the first team to be ranked in the top two outside of Australia and New Zealand, after winning gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.^[2]

World rankings

World Netball Rankings (Top 20) As of 1 March 2024^[3]
Rank	Change	Team	Rating
1			209
2			189
3			187
4			187
5			158
6	1		128
7	1		127
8			126
9			115
10			104
11	1		93
12	1		92
13			81
14			78
15	1		76
16	1		76
17			71
18			69
19			68
20			57

Calculation

All test matches played by a team in the last four years, including matches in the Netball World Cup and Commonwealth Games, are considered in the calculation. The ranking of teams is determined by comparing teams' ratings, which is the average points earned per match in the last four years.^[4]

Points per matchTeams earn points for each match, with the specific amount determined based on the outcome of the match (win or loss) and the rating of their opponents.^[4]

• In matches between teams within 40 rating points of each other, winning a game earns a team 50 more points than their opponent's current rating, while losing a match earns a team 50 points less than their opponent's current rating.
• In matches between teams more than 40 rating points apart, an exception is applied where the rating of a team's opponent is treated as if it is exactly 40 points apart for the purpose of the calculation. That is, higher-rated team would have their opponent possess a rating of 40 points less than them, while the lower-rated team would have their opponent possess a rating of 40 above them.

A team's rating always increases following a victory and decreases after a loss. However, winning against a higher-ranked team increases a team's rating more and losing against a lower-ranked team decreases a team's rating more.

WeightingIn the calculation of a team's rating, the points earned for each game are weighted based on the time the match was played.^[4]

• Matches played in the two most recent years before the time of calculation are weighted at 100%.
• Matches played three to four years before the time of calculation are weighted at 50%.

Notes and References

1. Web site: New World Ranking System for Netball. Scoop. 11 December 2023. 12 February 2008.
2. Web site: England Netball: Commonwealth champions second in world for first time since rankings began. BBC Sport. 23 December 2023. 2 July 2018.
3. Web site: Current World Rankings . netball.sport . World Netball (WN) . 2 March 2024 .
4. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions. netball.sport. World Netball. 23 December 2023.