Aliyah Dunn of the Tactix shoots. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Analysis - When a two-point shot was introduced to Australia's Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition in 2020, there was an uproar across the Tasman.
The rather muted reaction to yesterday's announcement from Netball New Zealand that it would debut a super shot in this year's ANZ Premiership, shows what a difference five years can make.
The rule was seen an highly controversial and many Australian fans and players spoke out against it. Detractors said it just wasn't part of netball's DNA and feared the sport would become too much like basketball.
But it seems to have gradually become more accepted across the Tasman and little by little the initial shock factor has worn off.
The Australian experiment has desensitised New Zealand fans and players to the idea of a two-point shot. The United Kingdom will also introduce a two-point shot to its new-look Super League this year.
And with the ANZ Premiership starting to feel same-same the drum has been beating for Netball New Zealand to be more innovative. The national body had to do something to make the competition feel different and at least generate discussion.
Netball is now competing against other female sports that are finally getting more attention so the likes of women's cricket and rugby feel shiny and new.
Netball will have to keep evolving so it too can feel shiny and new and it's hoped that the incentive to shoot from further out will add more unpredictability to the game, making it more entertaining.
Silver Ferns' coach Dame Noeline Taurua has said in the past that she did not want to see the two-point shot brought into the traditional game and that Fast5 was the place for it.
Fast5 is World Netball's shorter five-aside version of the game, which was developed to try to bring new audiences to the game, similar to what T20 has done for cricket.
But any concerns across the Tasman that the change of rules might hurt the Australian Diamonds have been put to bed, with Commonwealth Games gold and the World Cup back in the trophy cabinet.
When ANZ Premiership coaches were asked a year ago if they would like to see the two-point shot in the domestic league, four out of six were a firm yes.
One of the more legitimate reasons for introducing a two-point shot is to negate the dominance that super tall goal shooters have on the modern game.
An obvious example is Jamaica's 198cm Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who is capable of putting up 60 shots a game, while her goal attack might put up half a dozen and that can make a game feel one dimensional.
But the two-point shot does not seem to have made any difference on that front, maybe because it is only used in the last five minutes of each quarter.
Martina Salmon at last year's Fast 5 Netball World Series in Christchurch. Photo: Martin Hunter
All you need to do is look at the goal shooters who will line up for the 2025 SSN season to see that coaches by and large still see tall holding shooters as their best investment.
In one of the biggest coups for 2025, the Queensland Firebirds recruited Ugandan goal shooter Mary Cholhok who at 2.01m will be the tallest player in the competition.
A little-known fact is just how far this debate goes back.
In 1995 NNZ appointed a panel to develop possible rule changes to counteract the dominance of the tall shooter, for consideration at a World Netball meeting in 1997.
One of the possibilities mooted by the panel was the introduction of a two-point goal for shots scored from outside the goal circle to give smaller, more agile player the chance to make long shots.
In the 2025 ANZ Premiership, shooters will have to be at least 3.5 metres away from the goalpost for a shot to be worth two-points, the same as Fast5.
In the SSN and UK competitions, shooters need to be just 3 metres away from the goalpost for shots to be doubled.
Other key changes set to debut in the ANZ Premiership this season are the introduction of a coach's box, which will allow them to have more direct communication with their players from a designated space.
Each team will be able to call one time-out per half, providing a chance to reset, and adjust tactics during the game.
And umpires will wear microphones with live audio broadcast in the stadium, offering fans greater insight into officiating decisions and improve clarity.
The ANZ Premiership season begins on 10 May.
