Up/Down Tennis Doubles with the Two-Bounce Rule

Mini tennis doubles where each pair teams a seated player, who may let the ball bounce twice as in wheelchair tennis, with a standing player allowed one bounce. Students work on striking, positioning and teamwork.

How to play

1. Mark 6 mini-courts about 20 × 13 ft with chalk, cones and a low net. Doubles 2-on-2: in each pair, one sits on a chair in the middle of their side and one stands (3 min).
2. Soft cooperative rally: the seated player gets two bounces, the standing player one (4 min).
3. Practice game to 7 with an underhand serve; the standing player stays out of the 3-ft space around the chair (3 min).
4. A point is won when the ball bounces in the opponents' court and isn't returned in time. A point won by the seated player counts double.
5. Switch roles every 4 minutes and rotate opponents clockwise. Three rounds (12 min).

Rules

• The seated player keeps their bottom on the chair, and the standing player respects the 3-ft space around it.
• Hit softly and below the shoulder: no smashes at the seated player.
• The first bounce must land in the court; the seated player's second bounce may be outside.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: wheelchair users play in their own chair and, if skilled, move around their side.
• Visual impairment: large, bright foam balls and three bounces.
• Skill level: the strongest player uses the non-dominant hand.

Learning goals

• Apply the two-bounce rule.
• Coordinate positioning with a partner who moves differently.
• Learn about wheelchair tennis and its mixed formats.

Equipment for a class of 25

• rackets: 24
• tennis balls: 12
• low net: 3
• chairs: 12
• cones: 24
• chalk: 6

Teacher tip

In real wheelchair tennis players move in a sport chair; the fixed chair helps students grasp the rule. With no low nets, a rope between two chairs works.

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