Doubles Call-It Game

Communication & Teamwork

11 minutesbeginnerteammental

Legend

player
coach / parent
movement path

How it works

Introduce verbal communication in doubles by teaching young players to call 'mine' or 'yours' before every ball during cooperative doubles rallies.

What you need

tennis racket
tennis balls
court

Your focus

Establishing the habit of verbal calling early prevents the silent confusion that leads to both players missing the same ball in doubles. Simple two-word vocabulary ('mine'/'yours') makes the communication task achievable for 6-9 year olds. Cooperative rally format removes competitive pressure so players can focus entirely on the communication skill.

Two players partner up at the boundary line on one side; coach and assistant or parent stand on the other side.

Coach feeds balls slowly into the middle of the doubles team so either player could hit it.

Before every ball, one partner must call 'mine' or 'yours', silence results in the coach freezing play and reminding the team to call.

Teams earn a point for every ball where a call was made before contact; first team to 10 communication points wins.

Helpful cues

Call it early, don't wait until the ball is next to you
One voice, one hitter, no guessing
Loud enough for your partner to hear, even across the court

Adjust the challenge

Make it easier

Strip it back

Allow either 'mine' or 'I've got it' so kids can use natural language rather than a specific word.

UpLVL it

Add the next challenge

Add a rule that the player who calls 'mine' must also announce where they are hitting ('mine, crosscourt') to introduce directional communication.

No account needed

Build a practice plan

Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.

This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.

After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.