Cooperative Crossings: Everyone Touches Before It Goes Over
A whole-class cooperative game: both sides of the net are one team trying to get the ball across as many times as possible. Each crossing needs three contacts by three different people, and over the series everyone has to touch it.
How to play
- Two groups of seven or eight on each side of two nets. Explain the shared goal and the class record, written on the whiteboard (3 min).
- Series 1 with a soft ball: the ball crosses after three contacts by three different people; one catch per side is allowed (5 min).
- Series 2 with no catching. Each time the ball drops, the group huddles for ten seconds and agrees on one adjustment (6 min).
- Series 3 with the everyone rule: the record only counts if every person in the group touches it at least once within the first ten crossings (6 min).
- Final record attempt with a volleyball or a soft ball, group's choice, and reflection: which adjustment helped most? (5 min).
Rules
- Nobody touches twice in a row.
- Call "mine!" or the name of the person you're passing to.
- Nobody laughs at a mistake: the group only talks about what to adjust.
- One net per group and 3 m of open space between the two courts.
Variations
Easier
You can catch on every contact, and two contacts per side are enough.
Standard
Three contacts per side, no catching, everyone touches.
Harder
The third contact on each side must be a set that lands in the back half of the other court.
Adaptations
- Fear of the ball: start with a soft ball and decide when to switch; catching is always allowed.
- Limited mobility: teammates send the ball to their spot, and their contact counts like any other.
- Students who are deaf or hard of hearing: the group uses an agreed hand signal instead of "mine!"
Learning goals
- Cooperate toward a shared whole-class goal.
- Make sure everyone participates.
- Adjust group strategy after every error.
Equipment for a class of 25
- soft volleyballs: 4
- volleyballs: 4
- volleyball net: 2
- whiteboard: 1
Teacher tip
If you only have one net, use an elastic cord for the second court. Track the record across several lessons on the whiteboard: it really motivates groups who don't usually enjoy volleyball.
PatioLab has "Cooperative Crossings: Everyone Touches Before It Goes Over" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Middle School
"Switch!": Talking Defense Against Screens in 3v3
3v3 games where the offense uses ball screens and the defense must decide out loud whether to switch or stay with their player.