Key Stage 3 PE · Competitive games

KS3 net and wall games: badminton and tennis tactics

In net and wall games, players send a ball or shuttle over a net or against a wall so that an opponent cannot return it. In Key Stage 3, PE moves beyond hitting the ball over the net and asks pupils to plan how to win points: where to hit, which shot to choose, where to stand afterwards, and how to work with a partner in doubles. Pupils also learn to describe what makes a performance effective.

Net and wall games tactics, explained

The National Curriculum asks pupils to use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition, through team and individual games. Badminton and tennis are named as examples only, and schools choose which net and wall games to teach. Some schools also offer table tennis, volleyball or squash. The underlying thinking is similar: create a situation in which your opponent cannot make a good return.

The simplest tactic is placement. A shot hit to a space away from the opponent is harder to return than one hit straight at them. Pupils learn to vary direction (left and right), depth (short and deep) and pace (fast and slow) so that the opponent is always on the move and cannot predict what is coming next. A short shot followed by a deep one, for example, drags an opponent forwards and then sends them backwards, which is much more tiring and difficult than moving in one direction.

Just as important is what you do after you hit. Pupils learn to return to a central ready position (in badminton singles, near the middle of the court; in tennis, often just behind the middle of the baseline), so they are balanced and able to reach the next shot in any direction. They also learn to read the opponent: if they are out of position, hit to the open space; if they are weak on one side, aim there more often. Serving is treated as a tactical choice too. In badminton singles, the serve is often high and deep to push the opponent to the back; in doubles, it is short and low over the net.

In doubles, pupils learn to work as a pair. They agree who covers which area and how to move as a unit. In badminton doubles, for example, pairs usually defend side by side and attack with one player at the front and one at the back. Communication, such as calling “mine” or “yours”, avoids collisions and gaps. Pupils also learn to watch their own and others’ performances and to say what is working, which is the second part of the curriculum aim: understanding what makes a performance effective.

Words your child will hear

Placement: Hitting the ball or shuttle to a chosen spot, usually away from the opponent.
Rally: A series of shots exchanged between players until one wins the point.
Base position: The balanced ready spot, usually near the middle of your court, that you return to after each shot.
Drop shot: A gentle shot that just clears the net, designed to land close to it.
Clear or lob: A high, deep shot sent over the opponent towards the back of the court.
Unforced error: A point lost because of your own mistake rather than a good shot by the opponent.
Rotation: In badminton doubles, moving between front-and-back and side-by-side positions as the rally changes.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 3 says:

Pupils should be taught to use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby and tennis]
Pupils should understand what makes a performance effective and how to apply these principles to their own and others’ work.

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

Try it: planning a rally in badminton singles

You are playing badminton singles. Your opponent has just played a short shot and is still standing near the net. How could you set up a winning point?

Notice where your opponent is. They are near the front of the court, so the back of the court is open. The space is the target, not the player.
Choose a clear: a high, deep shot to the back corner. A flat or low shot would let them reach it easily, while a high one gives you time to recover your own position.
As soon as you hit, return to your base position near the centre of your court. Do not stay where you hit the shuttle or admire the shot.
Watch the reply. If they lift it back weakly, hit a drop shot to the front corner, making them travel the full length of the court. If they send it deep to one corner, get there, hit it high and deep to the opposite corner, and make them cross the court.
Vary the next shot so that the opponent cannot guess. If you clear twice, they will start running back early, which leaves the front open for a drop shot.

Hit the shuttle to the space away from the opponent, return to base after every shot, and alternate between deep and short so the opponent runs in both directions. A point is usually won by a plan of two or three shots, not by one big hit.

Common mistakes and how to help

Hitting every shot as hard as possible

A fast shot feels powerful, and winning points in a hurry feels exciting. But hard shots are harder to control, so more of them go out or into the net, and an opponent in position can return them easily.

What helps: Ask what the shot was meant to do. A well-placed gentle shot away from the opponent usually beats a powerful one hit straight at them.

Staying where you hit the ball instead of recovering

Players focus on the contact and watch the result. The next shot arrives while they are still out of position.

What helps: Make “hit, then back to base” a habit, by counting “hit, move” out loud in practice. Balanced, early movement is a tactic as much as a skill.

Playing the same shot every time

A shot that wins once feels like it should keep winning. Opponents notice quickly and move early.

What helps: Practise mixing shots in a pattern, such as two deep and then one short. Variety is what creates the gap.

In doubles, one player does all the work, or both stand in the same place

A confident player takes every shot, while the partner stands back, or both go for the same one. Gaps open on court.

What helps: Agree a plan before the game: who covers the middle, when to rotate and how to call. Even a simple “you take the middle” rule makes a difference.

How to help at home

Target practice. Put two towels or sheets of newspaper in the corners of a space and aim a gentle shot at each in turn with a racket or hand. The goal is control, not speed.
Keep a rally going, then add a plan. Play a cooperative rally with a family member in the garden or park, then switch to a game where each player must hit to the side away from the other. The change from keep-it-going to win-the-point is the tactical step.
Watch and spot the pattern. When watching professional tennis or badminton, ask your teenager what shot set up the winner. Often it is a short ball followed by a deep one, or a shot to one corner followed by the other.
Talk through a match. After a school match or club session, ask what the opponent did well and what your teenager would try next time. This helps them practise analysing performance, not just playing.
Keep it safe. Play with space around you, away from roads and windows, and swing rackets only with enough distance between people.

Builds on

Key Stage 2: Invasion games
Key Stage 2: Net and wall games
Key Stage 2: Striking and fielding games
Key Stage 2: Attacking and defending

Leads on to

Key Stage 4: Tactics in team games
Key Stage 4: Tactics in individual games