Fun Over Fundamentals: 4 Volleyball Games for 1st-6th grade players
Let’s start this out with a disclaimer: YES, fundamentals are important. YES, we should be teaching proper form to younger player… But FUN is what keeps your players happily returning to the court to work on those fundamentals, what provides incentive to improve their form, and is what makes your job more enjoyable :)
With that out of the way, here are 4 of my favorite volleyball drills to run with young players, plus some variations to make them harder or easier depending on your team’s needs.
Drill 1: Dead Fish Serving GAME
Quick Summary
Players split into two teams and try to serve the ball in. If they miss, they have to go lay down (“belly down”) on the opposite side of the net. Their teammates then try to hit them with a serve to bring them back into the game. If they’re “rescued,” they return to serving. The last team with servers left standing wins!
Drill Setup
Split your team into two groups (counting off 1, 2, 1, 2 works best).
Send Group 1 to the serving line on one side, Group 2 to the other.
Put a ball cart on each side, or just have every player grab a ball to start.
Run The Drill
Blow your whistle to start. Everyone serves at once!
If a serve goes in, that player keeps serving.
If a server misses, that player sprints to lay down on their stomach on the other side of the net (becoming a “dead fish”).
To get rescued, a teammate must serve the ball so it hits or touches the “dead fish” before hitting the ground.
Once a team runs out of servers, the other team wins the round.
If you have time, play 2–3 rounds. I usually cap this drill at about 15 minutes.
Coaching Tips
Set rules for down players. I require that players be fully on the ground before they can be rescued. No halfway running into position and calling it good.
No scooting around. I don’t allow players to scoot or throw themselves around on the ground to make it easier for their teammates to hit them. Staying still forces servers to really work on their aim.
Safety first. Multiple balls flying around = accidents waiting to happen. Make sure your team is aware of not just their own side’s serves, but also what the other team is doing.
Not a fan of the name? You can call it “Rescue” instead. “Dead Fish” is what most volleyball players know it as, but the game works either way.
Dead Fish vs. Spider. Some coaches prefer Spider because weaker servers get more reps. Personally, I think Spider drags a bit and Dead Fish keeps the energy up, which makes it my go-to serving game for younger teams.
Variations
Turn-taking version: Have players serve in order instead of all at once. They get fewer reps, but some coaches prefer the structure and the “fairness” of this version.
Timed rounds: Instead of playing until one side is out, set 5-minute rounds so the game doesn’t drag if your servers are especially accurate.
Serve to zones: Split the court with cones and call for cross-court or down-the-line serves. This is better for older or more advanced groups but adds a fun challenge.
Why I Love This Drill
Dead Fish is amazing for teaching volleyball. Players think they’re just laughing and laying on the floor, but really:
They’re getting a ton of serving reps without even realizing it.
They learn quickly where most serves go (lay down in zone 2? Good luck getting rescued).
Everyone gets a chance to be the hero. Whether it’s rescuing a strong server or just outlasting the other team, anyone can save the day!
This is one of those rare drills where fundamentals (aim, consistency, awareness) are built naturally inside a fun, chaotic game. It’s everything I love about teaching volleyball to 12U players!
Drill 2: Queen of The Court
Quick Summary
Small teams play short but high-intensity rallies, with winners staying on and challengers rotating in. Games move quickly, so everyone gets lots of touches and chances to compete. The “queen” side stays on until they lose a rally, then the next team rotates over.
Drill Setup
Designate one side as the “Queen” side and the other as the “Challenger” side.
Start with 3 players on each side of the net (just have them run on, they’ll all filter through anyway).
Extra players line up behind left back, middle back, and right back on the Challenger side. Make sure lines start OFF the court BEHIND the court line.
The coach stands opposite from the “Queen” side, with a ball cart nearby to initiate play.
Run The Drill
The coach initiates play by tossing a freeball to the Queen’s side.
The teams will play out the rally.
If the Queens win? They stay!
If they lose? They get off the court and shag the ball, then get back in a line (any line of their choice).
If the Challengers win? They run under the net and take over the Queen’s side.
If the Challengers lose? Too bad so sad. They get off the court and shag the ball, then get back in a line (any line of their choice).
Play for 10-15 minutes of solid fun.
Coaching Tips
Safety first: Keep players who are in line OFF THE COURT. Especially lines along the back of the court, they tend to get sucked in. This puts them in harm’s way and can interrupt the game.
Safety second, too :): Make sure the losers are shagging their balls and placing them in your ball cart (not throwing them at you!!!). With high energy, fast-paced drills, we want to make sure the gym floor is clear, and that no one is chucking balls at the coach.
Variations
Initiate the drill with downballs, or mix them in to challenge Queens who have stayed on for too long.
Play 4 v 4 instead of 3 v 3 if you have a large team or are using this drill in a camp or clinic. The easiest thing to do here is to add a right front line for setters. The line stays off to the side but close to the position.
If your team is consistent enough at serving, have them initiate the drill with a serve. You can make adjustments like having them just downball from half court instead if needed.
Make the Queen’s side rotate after every successful win. This will mix things up and get them exposure to different elements of the game. It often stops one group from dominating as well.
Have players keep score of their wins on the Queen’s side. The player with the most points at the end of the drill wins, or the player to reach 5, 8, 10, etc first wins (depending on how quickly the drill is moving for you).
Form teams if you have even numbers and make it a competition between teams. Either you make the teams or let them choose.
Why I Love This Drill
It’s fun. REALLY fun. Like, one of the funnest.
Players get a ton of reps, the pace is fast so there’s limited standing around (even for larger teams), and there’s very little downtime to worry about mistakes. This drill fully embodies the quote “the game teaches the game.”
Drill 3: Hitting Survivor
Quick Summary
Similar to “Dead Fish,” players must execute a successful attack in order to stay in the game. If they hit it out or in the net (or miss 🤦🏻♀️) then they must go to the other side of the net. Once there, they will compete with other players who are out to catch a teammate’s attack to get back in. The final player who “survives” on the hitting side wins!
Drill Setup
Send all your players to a single line to hit from left front. As always, make sure the line starts a few steps back from the first hitter for safety.
Station a coach with a ball cart in right front, ready to toss to the outside hitter.
Make sure all balls are picked up before you start!
Run The Drill
The coach will toss a ball to the outside hitter, mimicking a set to outside.
The player attempts to take their full approach and hit the ball over and in.
If they hit it in? Awesome! They shag their ball, place it back into the ball cart, and get back in line.
If they miss? They shag their ball, place it in the ball cart, then position themselves on the opposite side of the net from the hitters.
Once a player is on the opposite side, they are trying to catch an attack from a teammate to get back in. No, bounces don’t count! If they catch it, they shag and can get back in line!
If a player catches a ball, the person who hit it is “out” and must go to the passing side.
Go until only one person remains in the hitting line. To “prove” that they are the true winner, they must hit the ball successfully over and in, without it being caught.
Depending on how long this takes, you might do 2-3 rounds.
Coaching Tips
Keep it moving: If you take too many coaching breaks or don’t keep this one moving, it can be really slow. Trust that players will learn from the drill, not from coach interruptions.
Redo tosses only if necessary: Volleyball coaches are professional tossers. But even professionals make mistakes once in a while. If you send a player a horrible toss, redo it. But keep this limited, encourage players to adjust to the “set” rather than complain.
Head on a swivel: Even soft hits can injure players. If a player is running to the other side, make sure they are paying attention to the hitting line. Make sure all balls are picked up. While it may be a players own fault for not paying attention, you need to do the best you can to keep the environment safe.
Variations
Move the line from outside to middle to right front, as players complete successful hits and return to a line.
Add back row attacks.
Let players hit from any position they want.
Instead of just catching a hit, require that players pass the ball to themselves and then catch it. This is more advanced.
If going this route, enforce that once a player passes it, they are the only ones who can catch it. This keeps it safer for everyone.
Do rounds where players must tip or push the ball only, chip/roll shot the ball, or any other requirement you can think of.
Use an actual setter instead of a coach tossing the ball.
Make it a serving game by moving the hitting line back to the service line. Call it “Serving Survivor.” Similar to Dead Fish, but players are up and can move.
Why I Love This Drill
It may just seem like just another fun drill, but it is teaching so much. Hitters want to stay in, and therefore are learning to use their peripheral vision to see where not to hit the ball. Passers start to learn where most hits go and begin to “read” the hitter’s body language. Multiple skills are focused on (hitting and passing) so really anyone can win depending on the variation you choose.
Drill 4: Half Court Round Robin
Quick Summary
The name is the game… split the court in half, then run a round robin tournament!
Drill Setup
Split the court down the middle with floor markers (and even an extra antenna if your program has one).
Make teams with 2 or 3 players each.
Have the tournament matchups on a whiteboard or in your practice notes:
Round 1: Team 1 v Team 4, Team 2 v Team 3
Round 2: Team 1 v Team 3, Team 2 v Team 4
Round 3: Team 1 v Team 2, Team 3 v Team 4
The first team to 10 points wins (no “win by 2” for this tournament).
Run The Drill
Players initiate play with a serve from half-court.
The teams play volleyball!
You monitor and settle rules disputes, but they should ultimately make their own calls. When in doubt, a replay is often a simple solution!
Coaching Tips
No fully crossing the center line: Stepping in/near the middle to play a ball is fine, but fully crossing over the marked center line will mean that player’s team loses the rally.
Encourage hitting control: Teams should attempt to direct their attacks mostly straight to avoid interfering with the games on the other half.
Be ready with a tie-breaker: If team 2 and 3 both have 2 wins, both scored 25 points total, and tied against each other, how do you know who ranks higher? You can either do a coin toss (you assign heads and tails) or have them duke it out with rock paper scissors :)
Teams don’t have to be even: If you’re missing a player or two and some teams have different numbers, so be it! Players will learn to adjust as they go and make it work.
Give the safety talk: Everyone stops no matter what if they hear “ball ball ball!” Hitting that perfect set in a silly practice game is not worth a broken ankle.
Variations
More advanced/older teams can serve from behind the service line, but if they aren’t successful often this will take away from the drill. Better to focus on playing rather than serving for this “drill.”
Tally scores, tracks wins and losses, rank teams, then add a bracket:
Team #1 plays Team #4
Team #2 plays Team #3
The winners play for the Championship, and the losers play for 3rd place.
Only allow tips, roll-shots/chips and pushes (sets over the net) for the attack.
Shorten the court if your players are small or it’s 2 v2 and they have a hard time covering their entire court.
Play 4 v 4 if you have a lot of players. This can get pretty crowded so I don’t recommend it, but have them play in a “diamond” shape (one setter/blocker at the net, two players around half court to pass and attack, and one player deep who serves and mostly passes).
Why I Love This Drill
Since the court is smaller, players really have to work on ball control. Also, weaker players can’t really hide in this drill. This forces them to step up their game and gives them a lot of opportunities for contacts.
Additionally, a lot of younger players may not be familiar yet with how tournaments are structured. This can give them an idea of what to expect when they play in a real tournament!
Playing volleyball is the best way for players to learn to play volleyball. This version gives them a lot more contacts than a full scrimmage and is low pressure, which often leads to better learning.
