Underhand Serve Cone Knockdown
A team competition where students serve underhand over a rope to knock down cones on the other side while the other team keeps setting them back up. It works on underhand serve technique, aiming, and controlling force.
How to play
- Two halves of a 30×20-foot court split by a rope 6.5 feet high; on each half, spread 10 cones across the back and sides (3 min).
- Teams of 6 or 7 per half, each student with a light ball behind the serving line (16 feet from the rope); teach the serve: opposite foot forward, ball in the holding hand, hit it from below with the palm.
- On the whistle, everyone serves into the other half trying to knock down cones; after serving, each student grabs a ball on their side and returns to the line to serve again.
- Two students per team are "cone fixers" who stand knocked-down cones back up on their side; switch them every minute.
- Rounds last 3 min: at the end, count knocked-down cones on each side, and the team with fewer cones standing wins the round (4 rounds with 1 min rest).
- Between rounds, the teacher gives one technique tip (look at the target, swing the arm like a pendulum, shift weight forward).
Rules
- Only underhand serves from behind the line count; thrown balls don't.
- Cone fixers can't block cones with their bodies and must always face the rope.
- No one serves toward a teammate picking up balls on their own side.
- Serve only after the start whistle and stop everything on the end whistle.
Variations
Easier
Move the serving line to 10 feet and allow a bounce of the ball before hitting.
Standard
Underhand serves from 16 feet, 10 cones per side, and two cone fixers per team.
Harder
Group cones into colored zones worth different points, and serve from 23 feet.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: serves from a line 10 feet away, seated or in a wheelchair, hitting up with a fist.
- Hearing impairment: start and end of each round are signaled visually (arm up with a scarf).
- Lower strength: uses a large balloon or a very light ball and serves from the closest line.
Learning goals
- Perform the underhand serve with correct foot and arm position.
- Aim the serve at a specific area of the other court.
- Accept each round's result and respect the start and stop signals.
Equipment for a class of 25
- lightweight volleyballs: 25
- cones: 20
- long rope: 1
Teacher tip
With one ball per student no one waits; extra balls are even better. Safety depends on fixers facing the rope, so rotate them often.
PatioLab has "Underhand Serve Cone Knockdown" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More main activities for Elementary
1-on-1 Mini Volleyball Up and Down the River
One-on-one mini volleyball duels on 3 x 3 m courts under a rope 2 m high, using a receive, self-set and send rule.
1-on-1 Side-Step Square Duels
In pairs, inside 5 x 5 m squares, an attacker holding a football tries to get from the starting side to the far side without the defender pulling a flag.
1v1 Four-Gate Soccer Duels
In a square with a gate on each side, two players go head to head and score by dribbling through any of the four gates.
2-on-2 Mini Volleyball with a Neutral Setter
Two-on-two mini volleyball with a neutral setter under the rope who always plays for the team with the ball.
2v1 Attack Waves to Mini Goals
Two attackers take on one defender and try to score on a small goal in under 10 seconds.
2v2 Alley Mini-Volleyball
A 2v2 mini-volleyball game on a very long, narrow court, about 33×10 feet, where the only way to win a point is by playing for depth: short near the net or deep to the…