Find the Open Space 1v1 Net Game
A 1v1 net game with no racket in which students throw and catch a ball over a low net, aiming for the open space on the other side. It teaches the tactics behind net games: send the ball away from the opponent, recover position, and defend your court.
How to play
- Use cones to mark courts about 13 × 13 ft on each side of a low net or rope at 3 ft; put one pair per court, with three or four courts along each long net.
- Explain the rule: throw one-handed over the net; the opponent catches and must throw from the spot where they caught it, without walking, within 3 seconds.
- For 6 minutes, play to 7 points: you win the point if the ball bounces on the other side or the opponent throws it out; throws must go above head height.
- For the second round, add the recovery rule: after throwing, the player must touch a cone in the middle of their court.
- For 6 minutes, play to 7 with that rule and switch opponents at the end.
- Finish with 6 minutes: each pair traces on the floor where they threw most often, and the teacher asks what badminton, volleyball, and this game have in common.
Rules
- Always throw over the net and above head height, never straight at the opponent.
- Catch with your hands; kicking is not allowed.
- Before throwing, wait until the opponent is standing and facing you.
Variations
Easier
Allow one bounce before catching and shrink the court to 10 × 10 ft.
Standard
1v1 with high throws and the recovery rule in the second round.
Harder
Play 2v2 on a 20 × 20 ft court and allow only one-handed catches.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: narrow the student's court and allow two bounces before catching.
- Visual impairment: use a ball with a bell or a bright ball, and the opponent says 'coming' when throwing.
- Lower skill level: use a bigger, softer ball that is easier to catch.
Learning goals
- Send the ball into open space on the opponent's side.
- Recover to a central position after each throw.
- Recognize tactical principles shared by net sports.
Equipment for a class of 25
- soft balls: 13
- low net: 4
- cones: 40
Teacher tip
This is ideal for the first lesson of a net games unit, before rackets come out, because it sets technique aside and focuses on tactics. Freeze play briefly to ask students where the open space is in each situation.
PatioLab has "Find the Open Space 1v1 Net Game" and 1299 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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