Resource
PlaySport
Division(s)
Intermediate,
Senior
TGfU Category: Net/Wall Games
Locations: gymnasium, multi-purpose room
Game/Sport Connections
Net/Wall games are activities in which players send an object toward a court or target area that an opponent is defending. The aim is to cause the object to land in the target area while making it difficult for the opponent to return the object. By playing these games, participants develop skills and tactics to play other net/wall games or games that require the application of similar skills, concepts, and strategies (e.g., sitting volleyball, tennis, badminton, squash, racquet ball, volleyball, Sepak Takraw, wheelchair tennis).
Activity Overview
Participants learn about and practise working together with another group to sustain a rally by sending and receiving a ball over a net.
Key Movement Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies to help participants learn how to work together to sustain a rally by sending and receiving a ball over a net. Note that this is not an exhaustive list and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.
Movement Skills and Concepts
- Manipulation skills and effort awareness: applying a controlled force while sitting and sending the ball over a net (e.g., placing hands above the forehead, making a triangle shape with the thumbs and index fingers, and bending the arms with the elbows at a 45° angle and pointed out to the sides while maintaining eye contact with the ball, and then following through at the moment of impact to send the ball upward with the fingertips).
- Body awareness: relationship of how the body moves when the participant is sitting (e.g., moving body under the ball, placing hands above the forehead, and then sending the ball upward with fingertips).
Movement Strategies
- Applying appropriate movement skills to be proficient at sending the ball to a participant on the other side of the net while sitting down (e.g., adjusting force to increase the height of the ball, allowing groups members more time to get into position).
- Making decisions on how to send and receive the ball successfully to continue the rally with the group while sitting (e.g., anticipating where the ball will go and assuming a position of readiness to send and/or receive the ball).
Considerations
- Incorporate some or all of the variations listed in the “Variations” section while planning the activity. This will help to best meet the diverse backgrounds, identities, needs, and interests of participants and maximize the fun, inclusion, participation, and success of everyone.
- To elevate participant voice and choice, periodically pause the activity and share the variations with participants. Ask them to determine how they would like to change the activity to maximize the fun, inclusion, meaningful participation, and success for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.
Equipment
- 1 ball per pair (e.g., volleyball, beach ball, small or large foam ball, balloon)
- 4 cones, pylons, or floor markers per mini court
- Volleyball or badminton nets and poles with padding per court or chairs and skipping ropes (as an alternative to setting up poles and nets)
Safety
- Inspect the equipment and activity area to identify and remove hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction.
- Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area at a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Share the boundaries with participants.
- Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
- Instruct participants to be aware of their surroundings, including the locations of other participants during play.
How to Play
- Set up and divide existing badminton or volleyball courts into 2 or 3 mini courts. Mark the boundaries of each mini court using cones, pylons, lines, or floor markers.
- Have participants divide into pairs and assign each pair to a mini court, 2 pairs per court.
- Each pair sits on one side of the net within the boundary lines of their side of the court.
- Pairs can also decide to play 1 to 1 with one participant sitting on one side of the net and the other participant sitting on the opposite side of the net.
- Participants choose the ball they would like to use.
- Participants start with catching and tossing the ball to simulate the flow of the game and to become familiar with moving while sitting. Participants may also choose to start by kneeling and then progress to sitting. Participants progress to overhead and forearm passing with the goal of maintaining rallies. A rally ends when the ball hits the floor.
- Participants count the number of consecutive times they can pass the ball over the net during each rally.
- After each rally, participants may choose to set a new goal of trying to match or beat their previous attempt. They may also decide to use a different ball, allow 1 or 2 bounces before receiving the ball, establish the number of contacts allowed per side before sending the ball back over the net, etc.
- Participants may choose to change partners or change to 1 to 1 or pairs play at any point during the activity.
- After a period of play, provide participants with some or all of the variations. Ask them to decide how they might change the game to enhance the fun, inclusion, and participation for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.
- Consider having groups share their variations and select another variation to try with their group.
Video: Visual Depiction of the Activity Instructions
Pause for Learning
Throughout the activity, ask open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement skills, strategies, and tactical solutions. Examples include:
- How does a successful rally look like between two groups?
- How do you send the ball to the other group so that they return it successfully to your court?
- How do you adjust the force applied to the ball to send it to various areas of the court?
- How do you move to be more successful at contacting the ball when receiving it?
- What successful strategy do you and your partner apply to play this game?
- Which games or sports have you played or know about that use similar rules and strategies to the ones used in this game?
Variations
- Lower the net (e.g., use a skipping rope tied to two chairs).
- Increase the height of the net.
- Increase the number of participants per court.
- Play the game against a wall instead of over a net.
