Game Modifications for Volleyball
When is the right time to modify the game?
When observing the game being played, and player involvement and responses, ask yourself the following questions:
When observing the game being played, and player involvement and responses, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the game safe?
- Are all players having fun?
- Are all players engaged in the game?
- Is the game working?
- Do all players understand the game?
- Is the objective of the game being achieved?
- Are all the players being included?
- Is participation being maximised?
- Is the game appropriate to the ability level of each player?
- Are all players being challenged?
(Australian Sports Commission, 2013)
(Beaudet & Grube, 2005)
Mad Ball
Split up the group of players into two teams on opposite sides of the net. Every player will begin with a ball and when the game begins they must hit or throw (depending on the skill level of the players, if players are too young to hit the ball over the net they may throw the ball) their ball over the net and continue to throw balls over the net as the opposing team hits them over. Play the game for a predetermined amount of time and after time is up the team that has the least amount of volleyballs on their side of the net wins.
Hot Potato
This is a modified version of the classic school yard game where players attempt to not be the last player with the volleyball or to have been the last one to have touched the volleyball. Begin by having players form a tight small circle, players should be close to each other to prevent balls from rolling between them. Players will pass the ball to other players in the circle until the coach blows the whistle and the last player to have touched the volleyball is out. The circle then gets smaller for the next round and the game continues until one player is left standing. A beach volleyball or balloon can be substituted if players have difficulty passing the volleyball in the circle. Encourage players to not let the ball touch the ground and keep the ball in the air.
Passing Challenge
Split players up into groups of five to eight and challenge each group of players to see how many times they can pass the volleyball to other players in the circle without letting it hit the ground. Beach volleyballs or balloons can also be substituted for a regular volleyball depending on the age and skill level of the players. Older players can also do the same challenge but instead of passing they will set the volleyball to other players.
A variation of the passing challenge is to pair players up and see how many passes they can complete back and forth without the ball touching the ground. If there are not enough players to create a circle of players woking in pairs will work just as well and allow players to work on their passing technique.
Buckets
Set up four to eight buckets large enough to fit several volleyballs in various locations on one side of the court, if buckets are not available hula hoops will work as well. Every player will stand behind the end line and attempt to serve their volleyball underhand into the buckets or land them inside the hula hoop. Assign different point values for each bucket and have players keep track of their own score. Emphasize beating their own personal best score and challenge players to earn more points each time they complete the game. After players hit their ball they must track it down and return behind the end line to serve again. Give players a predetermined amount of time to serve into the buckets and count down the last ten seconds to add an additional thrill!
Volley Hero Tag
Split players up into three groups, a large group of runners, two to four freezers, and three to five heroes. The heroes will be the only ones with a volleyball. Limit the boundaries, keeping the children inside the court or one half of the court depending on the size of the group. The freezers will attempt to tag the runners and if they are tagged they must stop and stay in their location. Once “frozen” the only way to come “unfrozen” is with the help of a hero. The hero must toss the frozen runner a volleyball and they must pass it back to them using their forearms. Once they successfully pass the volleyball back they can move again. Make sure to allow every child the opportunity to take on each of the three roles. This game is a great way to build the foundational skills for passing a volleyball in a very fun way.
Splash Down
Spread players out all over the court and have one player at a time serve from the corner of the court. They are allowed to serve the ball anywhere on the court and every time the volleyball touches or bounces on the ground they score a point. The ball is dead once any player in the court touches the volleyball. Players in the court can score a point if they intercept the serve before it hits the ground and pass the volleyball to a teammate. Allow every player to serve five times and encourage players to beat their personal best score.
Mini Volleyball
Set up players into teams of two, these teams will compete against each other on a small volleyball court while on their knees. It is best to play this game on a mat or other soft surface. The court should be large enough so that players will not have to move much to keep a ball inbounds, most scoring will be off of errant passes or hits. Players play to 11 and score in the same manner of a regular game of volleyball. There does not need to be a net for this mini game of volleyball since the sides of the court are small enough for players to reach most balls. To add a challenge to this game require players to make one pass to their teammate before they play the ball to the other side of the court. To make this game easier substitute a beach volleyball or a balloon for a regular volleyball.
Partner Pass Race
Players will pair up and stand about five feet from each other. One player tosses the volleyball to their partner and they must pass the volleyball back to them. In order for the pass to count it must reach their partner without bouncing and their partner must not move more than one step to catch the return pass. If a pass is made successfully the player who passed the ball takes one step backwards. If the pass is not a successful one they must try again until they successfully pass the ball back to their teammate. Player will continue this until they step over the finish line. Again if players have difficulty with this game a beach volleyball can be substituted for the regulate volleyball.
Beach Towel Volleyball
Pair players up and give each pair a beach towel or blanket. the pairs must use their towel to toss the volleyball over the net to the opposing team of players. The opposing team of players must catch the volleyball with their towels and return it over the net. The first team to seven wins.
Safety Ball
Have players set up on one side of the court with one ball. One person is it and will attempt to take the other players. A player becomes “it” if the player who is it tags them or if the step out of the boundaries of the court. The one volleyball give players safety and if they are holding it they cannot be tagged and become “it”. Players can toss the ball to each other to prevent their teammates from being tagged. This is a great game to work on communication and building up a team of players.
Don’t Let the Ball Drop!
This game involves all of the players and requires them to keep the volleyball in the air for as long as possible. Players must pass or set the volleyball to teammates and prevent the ball from touching the ground. Challenge the group to see how many times they can pass or hit the ball to each other without it touching the ground. A beach volleyball or balloon can be substituted for younger players. The game can become competitive if desired by eliminating the player who last touched the volleyball before it touched the ground for the next round. Continue the game until there are only two players.
(Martin, 2010)
Split up the group of players into two teams on opposite sides of the net. Every player will begin with a ball and when the game begins they must hit or throw (depending on the skill level of the players, if players are too young to hit the ball over the net they may throw the ball) their ball over the net and continue to throw balls over the net as the opposing team hits them over. Play the game for a predetermined amount of time and after time is up the team that has the least amount of volleyballs on their side of the net wins.
Hot Potato
This is a modified version of the classic school yard game where players attempt to not be the last player with the volleyball or to have been the last one to have touched the volleyball. Begin by having players form a tight small circle, players should be close to each other to prevent balls from rolling between them. Players will pass the ball to other players in the circle until the coach blows the whistle and the last player to have touched the volleyball is out. The circle then gets smaller for the next round and the game continues until one player is left standing. A beach volleyball or balloon can be substituted if players have difficulty passing the volleyball in the circle. Encourage players to not let the ball touch the ground and keep the ball in the air.
Passing Challenge
Split players up into groups of five to eight and challenge each group of players to see how many times they can pass the volleyball to other players in the circle without letting it hit the ground. Beach volleyballs or balloons can also be substituted for a regular volleyball depending on the age and skill level of the players. Older players can also do the same challenge but instead of passing they will set the volleyball to other players.
A variation of the passing challenge is to pair players up and see how many passes they can complete back and forth without the ball touching the ground. If there are not enough players to create a circle of players woking in pairs will work just as well and allow players to work on their passing technique.
Buckets
Set up four to eight buckets large enough to fit several volleyballs in various locations on one side of the court, if buckets are not available hula hoops will work as well. Every player will stand behind the end line and attempt to serve their volleyball underhand into the buckets or land them inside the hula hoop. Assign different point values for each bucket and have players keep track of their own score. Emphasize beating their own personal best score and challenge players to earn more points each time they complete the game. After players hit their ball they must track it down and return behind the end line to serve again. Give players a predetermined amount of time to serve into the buckets and count down the last ten seconds to add an additional thrill!
Volley Hero Tag
Split players up into three groups, a large group of runners, two to four freezers, and three to five heroes. The heroes will be the only ones with a volleyball. Limit the boundaries, keeping the children inside the court or one half of the court depending on the size of the group. The freezers will attempt to tag the runners and if they are tagged they must stop and stay in their location. Once “frozen” the only way to come “unfrozen” is with the help of a hero. The hero must toss the frozen runner a volleyball and they must pass it back to them using their forearms. Once they successfully pass the volleyball back they can move again. Make sure to allow every child the opportunity to take on each of the three roles. This game is a great way to build the foundational skills for passing a volleyball in a very fun way.
Splash Down
Spread players out all over the court and have one player at a time serve from the corner of the court. They are allowed to serve the ball anywhere on the court and every time the volleyball touches or bounces on the ground they score a point. The ball is dead once any player in the court touches the volleyball. Players in the court can score a point if they intercept the serve before it hits the ground and pass the volleyball to a teammate. Allow every player to serve five times and encourage players to beat their personal best score.
Mini Volleyball
Set up players into teams of two, these teams will compete against each other on a small volleyball court while on their knees. It is best to play this game on a mat or other soft surface. The court should be large enough so that players will not have to move much to keep a ball inbounds, most scoring will be off of errant passes or hits. Players play to 11 and score in the same manner of a regular game of volleyball. There does not need to be a net for this mini game of volleyball since the sides of the court are small enough for players to reach most balls. To add a challenge to this game require players to make one pass to their teammate before they play the ball to the other side of the court. To make this game easier substitute a beach volleyball or a balloon for a regular volleyball.
Partner Pass Race
Players will pair up and stand about five feet from each other. One player tosses the volleyball to their partner and they must pass the volleyball back to them. In order for the pass to count it must reach their partner without bouncing and their partner must not move more than one step to catch the return pass. If a pass is made successfully the player who passed the ball takes one step backwards. If the pass is not a successful one they must try again until they successfully pass the ball back to their teammate. Player will continue this until they step over the finish line. Again if players have difficulty with this game a beach volleyball can be substituted for the regulate volleyball.
Beach Towel Volleyball
Pair players up and give each pair a beach towel or blanket. the pairs must use their towel to toss the volleyball over the net to the opposing team of players. The opposing team of players must catch the volleyball with their towels and return it over the net. The first team to seven wins.
Safety Ball
Have players set up on one side of the court with one ball. One person is it and will attempt to take the other players. A player becomes “it” if the player who is it tags them or if the step out of the boundaries of the court. The one volleyball give players safety and if they are holding it they cannot be tagged and become “it”. Players can toss the ball to each other to prevent their teammates from being tagged. This is a great game to work on communication and building up a team of players.
Don’t Let the Ball Drop!
This game involves all of the players and requires them to keep the volleyball in the air for as long as possible. Players must pass or set the volleyball to teammates and prevent the ball from touching the ground. Challenge the group to see how many times they can pass or hit the ball to each other without it touching the ground. A beach volleyball or balloon can be substituted for younger players. The game can become competitive if desired by eliminating the player who last touched the volleyball before it touched the ground for the next round. Continue the game until there are only two players.
(Martin, 2010)