Beach Tennis Doubles with Paddles
A school version of beach tennis: doubles with paddleball paddles over a high net where the ball may not bounce and everything is played on the volley. Students work on volleys, overheads, partner positioning, and anticipation in a fast-paced game.
How to play
- Raise the net to about 5.5 feet and mark 26 x 26 ft courts per side with cones; two pairs per court.
- Warm up for 4 minutes with a cooperative rally over the net without letting the ball bounce.
- Explain: serve overhand or underhand from behind the baseline, one try only; a ball that bounces on your side is a point for the other team.
- Play rally-scoring games to 11 for 6 minutes; partners alternate serving every point.
- Rotate opponents after each game and play three games.
Rules
- Each pair may hit only once before sending the ball over.
- Touching the net or reaching over into the opponents' court is a fault.
- For safety, use partly deflated tennis balls and keep an arm's length from your partner.
Variations
Easier
One bounce is allowed on your own side.
Standard
All volleys with one hit per pair.
Harder
Points can only be won with an overhead or a drop shot near the net.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: one bounce is allowed in their zone and their area is smaller.
- Visual impairment: use a brightly colored ball and slow the game with a foam ball.
- Lower skill level: use a slower foam ball and lower the net slightly.
Learning goals
- Volley and hit overheads with control without letting the ball bounce.
- Coordinate positioning with a partner in a fast game.
- Learn a beach paddle sport and its basic rules.
Equipment for a class of 25
- paddleball paddles: 24
- tennis balls: 12
- nets: 6
- cones: 24
Teacher tip
Old or partly deflated tennis balls make the game slower and safer. If there are no tall posts, tie the net to two poles held up by weighted cones.
PatioLab has "Beach Tennis Doubles with Paddles" and 2499 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for High School
1-2-3-2-1 Running Pyramid Intervals
An interval workout where the fast segments build from 1 to 3 minutes and back down, with half that time as jogging recovery.
1-on-1 Self-Pass Volleyball
One-on-one games on narrow 10 x 20 foot courts where each player must self-pass before sending the ball over.
10-20-30 interval running in pairs
The 10-20-30 method strings together 30 seconds of easy jogging, 20 at a moderate pace and 10 at top speed, in five-minute blocks.
1v1 Ball Volley Matches
1v1 ball volley: singles games on a small court with a low net, hitting the ball over the net and allowing one bounce.
2-on-1 Fast Break with a Chasing Defender
Two attackers push a fast break against a defender waiting at the basket while a second defender chases from behind with a few yards' head start against them.
2-on-1 Through Three Defensive Zones
Pairs of attackers cross the court through three zones, each with a defender who cannot leave it, and finish with a shot on goal.