Good press - it happens!

[crfriend]

Out of curiosity, and if anybody can sum it up quicker than I might be able to look it up and interpret all the rules, how does netball differ from US-style basketball (sans the poor-sportsmanship and lax rule-following of the NBA)?

[Caultron]

It appears that men do sometimes play netball in a skirt.

"...men mostly wear shorts when playing netball. But, as more men play in mixed teams or practice with ladies only teams, it is no longer unheard of for a male player to show off his legs in a regulation short, pleated skirt..."

http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A224768/co ... 60/T169840

This is because women's netball is much more popular than men's. In fact, even coed netball seems to be more popular than men's, and having everyone in the same uniform leads to the men skirts.

Similarly, most US schools that have field hockey teams have them only for girls. So if a guy wants to play field hockey, he has to join the girls' team and wear the girls' uniform, which is customarily a skirt.

Contra dancing is another activity in which men sometimes wear skirts.

[skirtyscot]

Carl, I'm no expert, but as I understand it, the main difference is that you are not allowed to travel with the ball. So once you receive it, one foot must remain on the same spot until you pass.

Also the players have specific roles which they must stick to. These roles are usually marked on their shirts (or dresses!) for example "GD" which (I guess) means "goal defence". As part of that, players are restricted to certain parts of the court. It is divided into three equal parts, and a defender may only enter her / his "goal" third and the middle third.

That's all I can remember from my only ever game of netball - boys v girls at primary school!

Keep on skirting,

Alastair

[skirtyscot]

Btw, excellent article linked from the OP. Fashionistas clearly have got used to the idea of men in skirts, but has that spread out to the other 99.9% of the country yet?

Keep on skirting,

Alastair

[Stu]

skirtyscot

but as I understand it, the main difference is that you are not allowed to travel with the ball

You are allowed to take just two paces once you receive the ball. You can thrown the ball and then move forward and pick it up again, which is OK so long as nobody beats you to it, which they almost always do. You don't bounce the ball like you do in basketball and you can only shoot for the goal from certain areas of teh court. You are correct about there being specific positions and only certain people are allowed in certain parts of the court, and only two positions are allowed to attempt a shot at the goal.

For ordinary play, positions are normally marked on your bibs which you pull over the top of your shirt. The more "professional" players these days wear dresses with the position printed on, but the traditional netball kit - the one which existed when I was at school, was a polo top and short, pleated skirt for proper matches, although for informal play you tended to wear shorts or tracksuit bottoms. If you are playing in a proper, competitive match, you are "inspected" by the referee first and she will check you aren't wearing any jewellery and even that your fingernails have been properly clipped.

Stu

[skirtingtoday]

There is also no backboard in netball as there is in basketball.

[Sinned]

You have to remember when considering Flintoff's size that he is a well-known international cricketer ( in England, anyway ) is quite tall and has taken up a lot of body building in order to take part in some of his challenges. He even took part in some boxing events at one stage!!!! In doing so he would build up a lot of upper body musculature and it is this that would determine the dress size not his waist. I have a 42" chest which puts me in the English 18/20 dress size even though I have a 34" waist which means a 14/16 skirt size. So you may NOT be surprised to learn that skirt and dress sizes bear no relation to each other.

[dillon]

I have a field hockey kilt, but it looks a bit too much like a cheerleader skirt for wearing i public, though I do use it for twilight strolls around the neighborhood.

[Kirbstone]

We seem to be cut from the same block, Dennis & I totally agree about dress sizes, not that I'm into them at all.

Tom.

[Sinned]

Yeah krbstn,

I'm not really into dresses either but, considering the aggro I get from MOH, she gave me two dresses and I have ended up with another one. A black lbd with a huge pink flower embroidered into the bottom lhs and a yellow t shirt type material that I could probably use as a tunic or long t shirt. The one give is a blue crochet dress. I only understand the dress sizes as she doesn't mind me looking out for ones for her. Anyway you need to understand dress sizes when looking out for tops as they tend to be similarly sized.

[pelmut]

There's a ceilidh caller (Gordon Potts) who wears a black Utilikilt. We've nodded approval to each other

Charlie

At folk festival ceilidhs it is not unusual to see one or two men in kilts (in addition to myself and Gordon Potts), they are slowly becoming less unusual. The second half of the evening often begins with a waltz, so I change into a long black full skirt during the interval and have fun swirling around for the rest of the evening.

[Kirbstone]

Good for you, Pelmut.

I do hope you didn't get flooded out this year. I really feel for those who had water up to their whatever for weeks on end.

Coming up to Patrick's Day long week end here, but I bet I won't see a single kilt where I'm going......Kerry, way down SW.

Tom K.

[Kirbstone]

This cartoon appeared today on the English Independent News

daily-cartoon-Independant News. 21.3.2014.jpg

I'm afraid the story and implications escape me, but the kilt illustration is entertaining at least.

Tom

[Big and Bashful]

I wonder if it is supposed to be Alex Salmond? maybe losing the plot?

[skirtingtoday]

As I said, there seems to be a gradual increase in sightings of men (and boys) in skirts/dresses - here are a few recent obes you may have missed:-
Jaden Smith (Will Smith's lad) 2013

Jaden-Smith-in-a-dress cropped.jpg

Richard Branson (albeit after losing a bet) 2013

Richard Branson 2013.jpg