Synopsis: Here is a variation on the 2-ball Volley Tennis (or Vollis).
Age/Skill Level: This is a game for all levels
Requirements: 6+ players, full court
Execution: Split the group in half and put the teams on opposite sides of the court. Three players from each team will be involved in each rally, so the rest will be off behind the end line waiting to rotate in (if you have more than the minimum).
A rally starts with one player from each team acting as “server”. The servers simultaneously underhand throw the ball over the net to the other side (I generally require the ball be above the height of the antennae). From here the teams play volley tennis with one contact per ball per side. Play continues until one ball is dead. At that point the game becomes normal 3-touch 3v3.
If one team wins both balls they get a point. Otherwise, it’s a wash (no point). Game is to 10, or whatever you choose.
Here’s a short clip of the game being played by a group of U22 men in England.
Variations:
- You can play on a reduced sized court for younger players.
- You could play with teams of 2, but probably wouldn’t want to go with more than 3.
- The video shows players attacking on the net once it goes full 3v3, but you could make it back row only if you prefer.
- Illegal “serves” (toss too flat) can either be a replay or you could count them as if they were a missed serve. The latter counts as a ball won by the receiving team.
- You can split the group out any number of ways – by age, by height, by shirt color, etc.
Additional Comments:
- These sorts of games are really good for getting the players to coordinate and communicate on court, as well as to strategize and problem-solve.
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