Sitting Volleyball Scoot and Pass Drills

A skills session in sitting volleyball, the Paralympic sport where you must touch the floor while playing the ball. Students learn to scoot and combine sets and forearm passes, ending with small-sided games.

How to play

1. Movement: scoot on your bottom using hands and heels forward, back and sideways between two lines 20 ft apart; 3 trips each way (4 min).
2. Seated partners 10 ft apart: 10 sets and 10 forearm passes, tossing at forehead height (4 min).
3. One tosses 3 ft to the side of the partner, who scoots over and returns it two-handed; switch every 10 (5 min).
4. Trios at a net about 3 ft high: A tosses, B sets and C passes it over to a cone zone; rotate every 5 balls (6 min).
5. Three-on-three games on 4 taped courts about 20 × 13 ft, to 11; one bounce allowed before the first touch (5 min).

Rules

• When you play the ball, your bottom must be touching the floor; if you lift off, the other team scores.
• Call “mine” before going for the ball to avoid bumping heads.
• No hard spikes at anyone's face: this session is about control.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the sport is built for athletes with leg impairments; a student who can't get to the floor sets from a bench.
• Visual impairment: a high-contrast ball and a spoken cue before each toss.
• Fitness level: shorter scoots and rests leaning back on the hands.

Learning goals

• Move efficiently in every direction while seated.
• Perform sets and forearm passes seated.
• Learn about sitting volleyball as a Paralympic sport.

Equipment for a class of 25

• low net: 4
• soft balls: 12
• cones: 16
• masking tape: 2

Teacher tip

Tape smaller lines, since regular court lines are too big. Correct hip lifting right away: it's the defining rule of the sport.

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