Soccer Tennis
Two teams of three trade volleys over a small court — one bounce and two touches to get it back across, scored like tennis.
Volleys and balls out of the air — judging and controlling the flighted ball — inside a game the older kids will love, playable virtually anywhere.
Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive
- Grab: Flat cones for the lines, the tall cones, and a ball.
- Build: Build a court 12 by 24 yards — two 12-yard squares. Size it up or down for your numbers and their age.
- Place: A team of three on each square; the serving team's server starts behind their back line with the ball.
Show me the setup picture
One thing to remember: Volleys and half-volleys, first touch, and controlling and judging flighted balls.
How it runs — the whole game in one sentence
The server volleys or half-volleys it over from behind the back line; the receivers have one bounce and two touches to play it back; two bounces or a ball out of the court is a point for the serving team.
1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Make teams of three and give each team one square of the court.
Coach says
Three on this side, three on that side — your square is your court.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk the serve and the return — the server volleys or half-volleys the ball over from behind the back line; the receiving team can let it bounce once and use up to two touches to play it back, though it doesn't have to bounce and can go back in one touch.
Coach says
Serve it over — volley or half-volley. Coming back? One bounce, two touches — or take it straight out of the air.
3Play▾
Coach does
Play points — a ball that touches the ground twice or gets knocked out of the court is a point for the serving team. Keep score just as you would in tennis, and let them experiment with controlling and judging the flighted balls.
Coach says
Judge it early — get set before it lands!
Look for: The judgment — a receiver reading the flight and set early, not scrambling after the bounce.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Keep score just as you would in tennis, game after game. Between games, adjust the touch and bounce limits to the skill level in front of you.
Coach says
Game! New server — and let's tighten the touches this round.
If it's not working
If the rallies never start, loosen the bounce and touch limits until the ball keeps coming back — then tighten them again as the skill shows.
Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.
Why are we doing this?
What are they learning?
How can I change it?
Easier: Allow more bounces or touches.
Harder: Tighten the touch and bounce limits.