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Netball Maths

Maths in netball: personal bests

Compare old and new results.

Quick answer

Maths in netball: personal bests helps you compare your old and new scores to see how much you’ve improved. You can use subtraction to find the difference between your scores and decide if you’ve beaten your personal best.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare old and new scores using subtraction and decide if you’ve beaten your personal best. Success signs:
  • You can find the difference between two numbers
  • You can tell if your new score is better than your old one
  • You can record your progress in a simple table
  • You can explain how much you’ve improved

Why this matters

In netball, it’s exciting to beat your personal best! Whether you’re scoring more goals, making more passes, or running faster, maths helps you track your progress. When you compare your old scores with new ones, you can see how much you’ve improved. This is not just for netball – it’s useful in school, sports, and everyday life. Maths helps you understand your growth and celebrate your achievements.

How it works

To find out if you’ve beaten your personal best, follow these simple steps:
  1. Write down your old score
  2. Write down your new score
  3. Subtract the old score from the new score
  4. If the answer is positive, you’ve improved!
  5. If the answer is zero, you tied
  6. If the answer is negative, you didn’t beat your best

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you play netball and you want to track your scoring. Here’s how it works: Example 1: You scored 5 goals last week and 8 goals this week.
  • Old score: 5 goals
  • New score: 8 goals
  • Subtract: 8 - 5 = 3
  • You scored 3 more goals this week – that’s a personal best!
Example 2: You scored 7 goals last month and 6 goals this month.
  • Old score: 7 goals
  • New score: 6 goals
  • Subtract: 6 - 7 = -1
  • You scored 1 fewer goal – not a personal best
Example 3: You scored 10 goals last time and 10 goals this time.
  • Old score: 10 goals
  • New score: 10 goals
  • Subtract: 10 - 10 = 0
  • You tied your best – no improvement
You can also use this method for other netball skills:
  • Number of passes made
  • Number of defensive stops
  • Distance run in a game
  • Time taken to complete a task

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: Beat Your Netball Personal Best! You are a netball player who wants to beat your personal best in scoring goals. Here’s your challenge: Week 1: You scored 4 goals. Week 2: You scored 6 goals. Week 3: You scored 9 goals. Week 4: You scored 7 goals.
  1. Week 1 to Week 2: 6 - 4 = ? goals
  2. Week 2 to Week 3: 9 - 6 = ? goals
  3. Week 3 to Week 4: 7 - 9 = ? goals
Which week did you beat your personal best? What was the biggest improvement? Challenge: Draw a chart showing your goals each week and mark your personal bests.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting the new score from the old score instead of the other way around.
    Why it happens: Confusion with the order of subtraction.
    Fix: Always subtract the old score from the new score to find how much you’ve improved.
  • Mistake: Thinking that a negative result means you did better.
    Why it happens: Not understanding what negative numbers mean.
    Fix: A negative result shows you scored fewer points – you did not beat your best.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write down your scores before comparing them.
    Why it happens: Not keeping track of numbers.
    Fix: Always write down both numbers before doing the subtraction.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child track their netball progress by:
  • Setting up a simple chart or table to record scores
  • Encouraging your child to compare old and new scores
  • Using real-life examples like scoring in other games or activities
  • Practising subtraction with fun objects like counters or toys
  • Helping them understand what positive and negative differences mean
What to say:
  • "How much better did you do this time?"
  • "Let’s see if you beat your last score."
  • "Can you tell me how many more goals you scored?"
What not to worry about:
  • Not getting the right answer straight away – that’s part of learning
  • Not winning every game – progress is more important than results
  • Children may get confused with negative numbers at first – it’s normal

Practice questions

  1. You scored 3 goals last game and 5 goals this game. How many more goals did you score?
  2. Your old best was 7 goals. This game you scored 6 goals. Did you beat your best?
  3. You scored 10 goals last week and 12 goals this week. What is the difference?
  4. Your old best was 4 passes. You made 3 passes this time. Did you beat your best?
  5. You scored 8 goals last month and 11 goals this month. How many more goals did you score?
Answers:
  1. 5 - 3 = 2 goals
  2. 6 - 7 = -1, No, you didn’t beat your best
  3. 12 - 10 = 2 goals
  4. 3 - 4 = -1, No, you didn’t beat your best
  5. 11 - 8 = 3 goals

FAQ

How can I track my netball progress?

You can write down your scores each week or game, then compare them to see how much you’ve improved.

What does it mean if the difference is negative?

A negative difference means you scored fewer points than before – you didn’t beat your personal best.

Can I use this method for other sports?

Yes! You can use this method for any sport or activity where you track scores or performance.

Why is it important to beat your personal best?

Beating your personal best helps you see your growth, stay motivated, and feel proud of your efforts.

How can I make this more fun?

You can draw charts, make a trophy for your best score, or play a game where you try to beat your last score each week.