Fun Volleyball Games for High School Students

Volleyball is traditionally played with up to 12 players per side on a rectangular indoor court that measures 60 feet by 30 feet, and is surrounded by a free zone that is 10 feet wide on all sides. Games are called sets and typically played to a best three-out-of-five conclusion. Sets are won by the team that scores 25 points first, or in case of a 24-all tie, wins by two points. To keep the game interesting, there are a number of variations of the game that can be played by high school students.

  1. Beach Volleyball

    • Although the court dimensions are the same, beach volleyball has a number of differences from traditional volleyball. For example, there is no center line, so the only type of interference that can occur is if a player crashes into a player from the other team. The ball tends to be heavier and under-inflated compared to a traditional volleyball in order to deaden it. Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two players up to 11-person teams. Setting must be done in the direction that the player faces and players cannot use an open hand to strike the ball.

    Newcomb Ball

    • Newcomb ball is a good game to play with students who don't know the rules of volleyball completely. Although played similarly to standard volleyball, players are allowed to catch the ball before getting the ball over the net or to a teammate. Additionally, the ball is not hit with the wrists or fists as in traditional volleyball, but is instead just thrown or tossed over the net. However, there usually is a limit to how many times a team can catch the ball. An additional variation of Newcomb ball incorporates elements of dodgeball in which, if a player makes a mistake, he is eliminated from the game and a team wins when there are no players left on the other side.

    Wallyball

    • Wallyball is an indoor version of volleyball that is played similarly to racquetball and is best played on a racquetball or handball court, but can be adjusted when only two walls are available. It can also be set up in a gymnasium that has dividers. The ball is slightly different, made of a more bouncy material, such as latex, similar to a dodgeball. Games can be played up to 21 points and the must be won by at least two points. The ball can be bounced off the walls similar to racquetball, but cannot be blocked or spiked at the net.

    Footbag Net

    • Footbag net, also known as Sepak Takraw or foot volley, is a variation of volleyball played with the feet only, not the hands. The game borrows from tennis and badminton in its scoring. The court layout is modified to be similar to badminton with a dimension of 20 feet by 44 feet. The serve is conducted similar to tennis in that it must go diagonally across to the opponent to be a legal serve. Footbag net games typically are played to no more that 15 points, with the winner having to win by at least two points.