Week 2 - Volleyball

Activity set-up 

• Set out the playing area (25 students = approximately 25m x 25m). 

• Select two groups of three students to act as 'nets'. • The remainder of students will act as 'fish'. 

How to play:

• Students acting as nets need to link hands in a chain, while the remaining students are the fish. 

• As the fish move around the area, the nets attempt to catch as many fish as possible by either surrounding or tagging them.

•  When a fish is caught they link hands and join the net. 

• When the net contains 4 people, split the net to become two separate nets of 2 students. 

Activity 1- Keep the ball up

Equipment: One volleyball, 3 bibs/sashes or alternative to distinguish players 

How to play: 2 teams are distributed over the playing area (15m x 10m). The team with the ball aims to make 5 passes using a set or dig between team-mates without the ball being intercepted. 

• The team with the ball: Try to make 5 passes between team-mates, then change possession. 

• The team without the ball: If the defenders prevent 5 passes being made, they score one point and become the attacking team. 

Activity 2 - Shuttle ball

Equipment: 1 vollleyball 

How to play: A cooperative game where a ball is thrown to a receiver who digs the ball. The thrower then runs to take the place of the receiver and the receiver, in turn, runs to join players at the thrower’s line. 

• Player 1 digs the ball to Player 2 and then runs to Line B. 

•  Player 2 digs  the ball to Player 3 and then runs to Line A. 

•  Repeat this pattern until time at the activity is complete.

Activity 3 - Pairs passing

Equipment: 1 volleyabll per pair

How to play: On a signal, players pass to each other for 30 seconds. At the end of 30 seconds, the player without the ball moves to form a new pair. Passing starts again 

• Players begin digging or setting the ball to each other. 

• When a designated student calls ‘CHANGE!’, players change their method of passing to either setting or digging (e.g. if players were digging, they change to setting). 

• A designated student calls time, the player without the ball moves to form a new pair.

Activity 4 - L-O-N-G throw

Equipment: 1 volleyball per pair

How to play: A cooperative game in which a ball is underarm served between two players. If the ball reaches the catcher on the full, both the catcher and the thrower step back. If it is dropped, both take a step forward. The winning pair is the one that has the most distance between them. 

• Distribute one ball per pair. 

• Use 2 markers to establish a ‘gate’ that the ball has to pass over. 

• Players are equidistant from a marker. 

• Play begins by Player A under arm serving to Player B.

• Player B catches the ball and returns the ball using an underarm serve.

• Each time the ball is caught on the full, both players take a step back. 

Game - Zone ball

Equipment: Marker cones to define playing area, 1 ball per game, bibs/braids to differentiate teams.

How to play: Players are divided into two teams – an attacking team and a defending team. The defending team prevents balls from landing in their zone by digging, setting or spiking them away. 

• Mark out a circle zone area approximately 4 metres in diameter with players in position as shown. 

• The attacking team has one ball. 

• On GO, the attacker throws the ball into the zone. Attackers must be at least 1 metre from the zone when throwing the ball.  

• Balls must enter the zone above waist height. 

• Defenders try to stop the ball from landing in their zone by digging, setting or spiking it away. 

• Defenders may need to work as a team by passing the ball to one another to prevent the ball from landing in their zone. 

• Play for a set time limit (eg: number of points scored in 5 minutes), and then swap attacking and defending teams.