3 Skill-Based Volleyball Games for PE!

Looking for volleyball games to play with your PE classes? Here are my top 3 volleyball games to help student practice their volleyball skills.

Volley Four Square

For this volleyball game, students will use a volleyball instead of a playground style ball in the classic game of four square. Encourage the players to hit the ball with both of their forearms similar to a volleyball pass. Although, one handed hits may be necessary to keep the ball alive. The ball must bounce in an opposing player’s square before it can be hit by another player, just like in the game four square. As student’s skills progress, consider modifying the rules to allow no bounce and the option to set the volleyball instead of passing.

Knock Out Setting

This volleyball game is played just like the classic basketball game Knockout only using volleyballs instead of basketballs and setting the ball instead of shooting. The goal of the game is to eliminate the person in front of you one by one until you are the last person. To start the game, the first person attempts to set the volleyball into the basketball goal from the free throw line. After the person in front goes, the following person is free to go. If the set is missed, you keep trying from anywhere (can be closer to the goal if you want) to make the set into the goal before the person behind you does. If the person behind you makes it before you, then you are out. If you make the set before the person behind you does, then you are safe and you go to the end of the line to wait your next turn. Don’t forget to quickly return the volleyball to the next person in line, so they can try to get the person out who is in front of them and who was just trying to get you out!

Queen/King of the Court

This is a more advanced game for students who understand the rules of volleyball and has a good foundation of basic skills. For this game, create six lines at the baseline of the basketball court (or enough room away from the back volleyball court line, so students waiting in line don’t interfere with game play). Start with two teams on the court. The team on the side of the net furthest away from the waiting lines are considered the Queens or Kings of the court and have to defend their spot by winning the volleyball point. Only one point is played and the ball is always served from the side of the net closest to the waiting lines. The team that wins the point stays on the court while the other team wipes off the court and heads to the back of any line waiting. If the Queens or Kings lose the point, the challenging teams takes over that side of the net and becomes the new queens and kings of the court.

I hope your students enjoy these volleyball games. If you have any additional volleyball games you’d like to add, please share them in the comment section below!

Other Volleyball Articles:
Introductory Volleyball Activities for Elementary PE [Video] by Terri Pitts
5 Resources to Take Net Games to the Next Level by Jessica Shawley
9 Net Games to Try Today! | Podcast Ep. #4 by Jessica Shawley

Volleyball Equipment:

5 Responses

  1. I am also a P.E. teacher, and what I especially appreciated about these three videos is how clearly they’re explained, and how they each end with the games being played without any additional commentary. That’s good teaching! Thank you.

    1. Thank you! I am glad you found the videos helpful. I enjoy sharing with others and appreciate the positive feedback.

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