 Netball is a popular participant sport in countries of the Commonwealth of Nations . Non @-@ Commonwealth entities with full IFNA membership include Switzerland , Taiwan , Thailand , Argentina , Bermuda , the Cayman Islands and the United States , along with former Commonwealth members Zimbabwe , Ireland and Hong Kong . According to the IFNA , over 20 million people play netball in more than 80 countries . International tournaments are held among countries in each of the five IFNA regions , either annually or every four years . School leagues and national club competitions have been organised in England , Australia , New Zealand and Jamaica since the early 20th century . Franchise @-@ based netball leagues did not emerge until the late 1990s . These competitions sought to increase the profile of the sport in their respective countries . Despite widespread local interest , participation was largely amateur . 
