Team Tennis: A Singles and Doubles Tie
A team tournament inspired by national-team competitions: each tie has singles and doubles matches, and the captain decides who plays which. The group runs lineups, refereeing and results.
How to play
- Teams and roles: four balanced teams picked by the captains with skill in mind; each team chooses a captain, a referee and a scorekeeper (6 min).
- Lineups: each captain secretly turns in a singles order and a doubles pair (4 min).
- Tie 1: two singles and one doubles at once on three courts, timed; those not playing referee or cheer from the sideline (12 min).
- Tie 2 against another team with a mandatory new lineup (12 min).
- Final and third-place match based on standings (8 min).
- Captains' review: which lineup call worked and which didn't (3 min).
Rules
- Every team member plays at least one match in the tournament.
- Each court's referee comes from a team not playing on it.
- Cheer for your team; never put down the opponents.
Variations
Easier
Points start with a hand toss and simple scoring.
Standard
Timed ties with singles and doubles.
Harder
Full tennis scoring, with a deciding doubles match if the tie is even.
Adaptations
- Wheelchair users: play singles with a two-bounce rule for their match.
- Deaf or hard of hearing: start and end of matches are signaled with a flag or raised cone.
- Hesitant students: may play only the doubles with a trusted partner.
Learning goals
- Make lineup decisions with the team in mind.
- Compete in singles and doubles with fair play.
- Run a team tournament with clear roles.
Equipment for a class of 25
- tennis rackets: 30
- low-compression tennis balls: 20
- cones: 32
- badminton net: 4
- whiteboard: 1
- pinnies: 30
Teacher tip
Secret lineups add a lot of fun and keep the tension up; have blank lineup sheets ready. If a team is losing badly, the captain may call a one-minute timeout to regroup.
PatioLab has "Team Tennis: A Singles and Doubles Tie" 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 High 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.
“Throw Like a Girl”: Your Other Arm Explains It
In pairs, each student throws with their dominant arm and their other arm while their partner checks technique.
1 vs. 1 Channel Duel: Dodge and Score
In narrow channels, an attacker with the ball tries to reach the line without the defender pulling a tag.