The County Programme runs up to Year 10. From Under-17 level onwards, the Netball Super League (NSL) Franchise teams take over the performance pathway.

NSL franchises operate a Player Development Programme (PDP) covering the U17, U18, U19, U21, and U23 age groups. They also run U17 and U19 Academies (sometimes referred to as NPL squads), which compete in the Netball Performance League (NPL). The NPL season runs from October to February, ahead of the Netball Super League (NSL) starting in March.

Trials for all squads are held in September and are open entry. This means that players can trial for any Franchise, regardless of their home location or County team history.

At this stage, England Netball age banding applies, based on an athlete’s age on 31 December of the relevant year (not school year groups). To be eligible for U17 trials, athletes must be under 17 on 31 December.

For example:

• Amy is in Year 11 (moving into Year 12 in September). Her birthday is 27/02/2009, so she turns 17 in February 2026. On 31/12/2025, she is still under 17, so she is eligible for U17 trials.
• Laura is in Year 11 (moving into Year 12 in September). Her birthday is 09/10/2008, so she turns 17 in October 2025. On 31/12/2025, she is already 17, so she cannot trial for U17s and must instead trial for U19s.