Pass-the-Racket Partner Badminton
A 2-on-2 badminton game with oversized shuttlecocks where each pair shares one racket: after hitting, a player hands it to their partner, who must make the pair's next hit. It builds striking, recovering position after a hit, and teamwork under time pressure.
How to play
- String the long rope at about 5 ft and use cones to mark 16 x 13 ft courts on each side. Match two pairs per court, with one racket per pair and one oversized shuttle per court.
- Practice without opponents (3 min): partners take turns hitting the shuttle straight up, handing the racket over by the handle after each hit.
- Game (4 min per game): serve underhand from the back. Each time a pair returns the shuttle, the racket must go to the other player before that pair's next hit.
- The opponents score if the shuttle lands in your court, goes out, or if the same player on your team hits twice in a row.
- Oversized shuttles are slow, so encourage high, deep hits to buy time for the handoff.
- Rotation: after each game, pairs switch opponents clockwise. Play 3 games and a final one with the whole class's combined score.
Rules
- Hand the racket over by the handle, never toss it.
- The player without the racket stands behind or beside their partner, never in front of the racket head.
- Do not step on or touch the rope.
- Greet your opponents at the start and end of every game.
Variations
Easier
The shuttle may bounce once before you hit it.
Standard
One racket per pair with a required handoff after every hit.
Harder
Also, the player who hands off the racket must touch the back cone before receiving it again.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: a student using a wheelchair always receives the racket at the front of the court while the partner covers the back.
- Visual impairment: use fluorescent shuttles and a 10 x 10 ft court.
- Lower skill: start with the opponent tossing the oversized shuttle by hand instead of serving with a racket.
Learning goals
- Hit the shuttle high to buy time during the rally.
- Coordinate the racket handoff and court position with a partner.
- Work together as a pair to beat the other team.
Equipment for a class of 25
- rackets: 7
- Oversized shuttlecocks: 7
- long rope: 2
- cones: 28
Teacher tip
The first minutes will be full of laughs and messy handoffs; let it happen, then ask which pair found the best way to position themselves. Make sure nobody passes the racket over someone's head.
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