Pass the front-and-back pair

Purpose & setup

Find a passing lane against a staggered pair rather than two baseline defenders.

A is alone behind the near baseline. B stands near far-left net and C behind the far-right baseline. Use singles width for all shots so the solo player is not asked to defend doubles width.

How to play

1. C gently drop-feeds to A. A returns after one bounce, choosing a passing lane away from B.
2. B may intercept a comfortable volley; C covers the backcourt. Play out the point using singles boundaries and at most one bounce.
3. A net ball, out ball or second bounce ends the point. For this practice game no lobs are used; a lob loses the point.
4. After four points rotate A → B, B → C, C → A. Mirror the staggered pair after a complete cycle; finish the current point at time.

Scoring or success

One point to the solo player or pair winning the rally. Record each player’s four-point solo total; these are custom equal-width practice rules.

Rotation & roles

Rotate all roles after four points, regardless of the score. All three are active and change positions only on a dead ball.

Mixed levels

Give the solo player a slower opening feed and have B use controlled volleys rather than hard put-aways.

Safety & spacing

B stays clear of C’s forward swing path and calls interceptions. Avoid body passes and abandon balls that create a partner collision risk.