Key Stage 2 PE · Competitive games

KS2 net and wall games: badminton and tennis for parents

Net and wall games are games where players send a ball or shuttle over a net, or against a wall, so that an opponent cannot return it. Badminton and tennis are the best-known examples, and both appear in the list of games the National Curriculum gives for Key Stage 2. Schools choose which games to teach and usually modify them with smaller courts, lighter rackets and softer balls, so that children in Years 3 to 6 can rally, compete and enjoy playing together.

Net and wall games, explained

In a net game, each player or pair has their own side of a court. A point is won by hitting the ball or shuttle so that the opponent cannot return it, or by the opponent making a mistake such as hitting it out or into the net. Wall games, where the ball is hit against a wall, are less common in primary schools, but the ideas of control, timing and placing are the same. The curriculum doesn’t say a school must teach tennis or badminton. It gives them as examples, and some schools choose other net games, such as volleyball or table tennis, or play simple versions with hands or bats.

The games are modified to suit the age group. You might see mini tennis or short tennis, played on a smaller court with a lower net, a shorter racket and a soft, slow ball, or badminton played on a smaller court, sometimes with a lower net and shorter rackets. Scoring is usually kept simple too, with games to a fixed number of points rather than the full tennis system. Many lessons begin with a cooperative rally: two children try to keep the ball or shuttle going over the net as many times as possible. Only once they can do that do they move on to a competitive game, where each player tries to win the point.

The basic skills are the ready position, grip, hitting and moving. The ready position means knees slightly bent, weight on the toes and the racket held out in front, so the player can move quickly in any direction. Children learn a comfortable grip, often described as shaking hands with the handle, then a forehand (hitting on the racket-hand side) and a backhand (hitting across the body). They learn to serve to start a point: a badminton serve is always hit underarm, and in tennis children usually begin with an underarm serve before trying overarm. Good footwork is a recurring theme, because most mistakes come from being in the wrong place rather than from the swing.

Attacking and defending look different in a net game, as the opponents stay on opposite sides of the net and never tackle each other. Attacking means sending the ball where the opponent is not, perhaps into a corner, short near the net or deep to the back. Defending means returning the ball safely and getting back to a central position, ready for the next shot. Teachers also encourage players to count their own score honestly, call their own lines fairly and cooperate with a partner in doubles. Children are asked to watch one another, say what went well and decide on a target for next time, so they are developing an understanding of how to improve.

Words your child will hear

Rally: A series of shots hit back and forth over the net before the point ends.
Serve: The first shot of a point, which starts the rally.
Forehand: A shot hit on the same side as the racket hand, with the palm leading.
Backhand: A shot hit across the body, with the back of the hand leading.
Ready position: The balanced stance between shots, with knees bent, ready to move.
Court: The marked area in which the game is played, with a net across the middle.
Placement: Choosing where to hit the ball or shuttle so that the opponent finds it hard to return.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
Pupils should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: winning a point by moving your opponent

In a game of short tennis, your child keeps hitting the ball straight back to the opponent. How can they win more points?

Look at what happens. Each shot goes down the middle to where the opponent is already standing, so the opponent has an easy return. The first aim is simply to hit the ball somewhere different.
Pick a target. Place a cone or a mark near each corner of the opponent’s side. Aim the first shot to the corner on the left and the next to the corner on the right.
Use the whole court. Hit one ball short, close to the net, then the next deep, towards the back. The opponent has to run forwards and then backwards, which makes mistakes more likely.
Stay balanced. After each shot, return to the middle of your own side, ready to move again. A player who stays where they hit the ball leaves gaps.
Count and compare. Play ten points trying to aim at a target and ten points hitting wherever. Count how many points were won in each group of ten.

Hitting to different places, left and right or short and deep, makes the opponent move and gives them less time to prepare. A child could say, “When I hit to the corners instead of the middle, my partner had to run, and I won more points.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Hitting as hard as possible every time

A hard shot feels powerful and exciting, so children try to win each point with one big hit. In reality hard hits often go out or into the net.

What helps: Make a game of keeping a rally going for ten shots at a gentle speed. Talk about control first and power later. Placement beats power at this age.

Staying where you hit the ball

Once a shot has been played, children watch to see what happens instead of moving, so they are out of position for the next shot.

What helps: Introduce a “home spot” such as a cone or a mark in the middle of the court. After every shot, ask your child to return to it before the next ball.

Reaching with the arm instead of moving the feet

Taking a step takes effort and time. Reaching with the arm feels quicker, but it often leads to a late or awkward hit.

What helps: Use small, quick steps to get beside the ball. Gently throw a soft ball a little to one side of your child, then the other, so they practise stepping across to it and hitting it from beside the body rather than at full stretch.

Trying to win every shot, even in a practice rally

Children are eager to win and may forget that a good rally takes two players and that practising together helps both improve.

What helps: Talk about the difference between a practice rally, where you help your partner, and a competitive point, where you try to win. Both are part of the game, and both need respect and good sportsmanship.

How to help at home

Balloon rally. Tie a piece of string between two chairs at about head height as a net, and keep a balloon going over it using hands or a paddle. Count how many hits in a row you can make. The slow-moving balloon gives plenty of time to practise movement and timing.
Wall target. Chalk a target on a solid outdoor wall away from windows and take turns hitting a soft ball against it with a bat or an open hand. Count hits in a row, and try the forehand and then the backhand side.
Mark a court. Mark a small court on the lawn or a patio with chalk, or use skipping ropes, and play a gentle game with a soft ball over a low net or line. Keep the score simple, for example first to seven points.
Aim for the corners. Place a cushion or a towel in each far corner and see if your child can hit it from the baseline. It encourages placement and gives them a clear target.
Watch and describe. If you watch a match together, or see people playing at a local court, ask your child to describe how one player wins a point. Is it speed, placement or a mistake? Putting the idea into words deepens their understanding.

Builds on

Key Stage 1: Team games, rules and fair play
Key Stage 1: Attacking and defending tactics

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Invasion games tactics
Key Stage 3: Net and wall games tactics
Key Stage 3: Striking and fielding tactics
Key Stage 3: Athletics technique
Key Stage 3: Gymnastics technique