Tag (game)

This article is about the game named "tag." For articles on other possible usages of the word "tag," such as in information processing and graffiti, see tagging.

Tag is a simple, informal sport which usually involves one or more players attempting to "tag" other players by touching them with their hand. In its most basic form, it is a very simple game, but may be made more complex with various rule modifications. Due to its simplicity – most forms of tag require neither teams, nor scores, nor sports equipment such as balls – tag is a popular game amongst children and often played in informal areas such as playgrounds or back yards.

The basics of tag

In its most basic form, a game of tag involves at least two players. As the game begins, one player is "it;" who starts as "it" is decided by volunteering or by another simple game such as Rock, Paper, Scissors or drawing straws. Another popular form of deciding who is "it" is having the players concurrently shout "not it," the idea being whoever shouts "not it!" last is "it." However, since it's very easy to shout "not it!" at the same time as everyone else, this method is rarely successful in choosing "it" in a timely manner.

After "it" is chosen, the players who are not "it" scatter. It is now the task of the "it" person to chase down the other players and tag them. If "it" can successfully tag another player, the newly tagged player now becomes "it" and the former "it" must now avoid the new "it's" tag along with the other players. This process repeats.

In a typical game of tag, no score is kept, nor is a winner selected, though those who can avoid being tagged by "it" or who can stay "it" for the least amount of time are generally regarded as the best players. There is also no time limit on a typical game of tag; therefore, the ending of the game will be arbitrary, perhaps when the players simply tire of the game.

Variants

There are many variants on the basic game of tag. The below list should by no means be viewed as conclusive or authoritative; these are just some of the most popular types of tag.

Borders and bases

In order to keep the action fast and fun, a game of tag will often have arbitrary borders that the players, whether "it" or not "it," cannot step beyond; for example, a fenced-in back yard or the end of a street. This prevents players from running far beyond the area where the game started to avoid being tagged.

A game of tag may also have one or more "bases." A base will be a landmark such as a tree trunk or patch of dirt that, when touched or stood upon by those who are not "it," grants them invulnerability from being tagged; they cannot become "it" if they are touching the base. It is usually seen as cowardly to spend so much time on the base that ever becoming tagged is impossible, so prideful players will usually resort to the safe haven of "base" only in emergencies.

Freeze Tag

Freeze Tag varies from normal tag in that, once a player who is not "it" is tagged by "it," they do not become "it;" rather, they are "frozen" must stand in place without moving, while "it" continues to tag and "freeze" all the other players in the play area. Whoever avoids "it's" tag the longest is considered the winner.

In some games of Freeze Tag, "electricity" is allowed. With this rule, if two frozen players can extend their arms far enough (without moving their feet) to touch each other, they may shout "electricity!" and become un-frozen. "It" must then re-tag each of them to "freeze" them again. In another variant, players may be un-frozen when someone crawls between their legs. Such an action helps prevent "It" from winning, but puts the person crawling in a position where they may be easily tagged and frozen as well.

Blob Tag

Blob Tag (or Amoeba Tag) varies from normal tag in that, once the first player is tagged by "it," the tagged player will join hands or arms with "it" and both of them are now "it." With hands linked, the two "it" players will then work together to tag a third player, who will link hands with one of the other two players. The "blob" of players who are "it" then continues to grow until the final player who is not part of the "blob" is tagged. Blob Tag is popular with elementary school physical education teachers as it works well with large groups of children and emphasizes teamwork, as each member of the "blob" must work together to ensnare and tag other players.

Marco Polo

This variant of tag is named after Marco Polo, the thirteenth-century explorer. in Marco Polo, whomever is "it" is either blindfolded or must keep their eyes shut firmly lest they be accusted of cheating. "It" still tries to tag those who are not "it," but in Marco Polo, "it" may shout out "Marco" at any time; in reply, the other players must shout out "Polo," thus giving the blind "it" an audial clue to their location. Marco Polo is most often played in swimming pools due to their small size and the difficulty of trying to escape "it" without making noise.

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek (sometimes also called Hide and Go Seek) is a very popular form of tag. A round of Hide and Seek starts with "it" either sitting in a corner, covering his or her eyes, or using some other method that obscures the others from view as "it" counts out loud for a certain number of seconds. "It" will often count with the aid of a word that takes about one second to say; for example, "one-alligator, two-alligator," or "one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi." While "it" is counting and cannot see, the other players scatter and hide themselves as well as possible before "it" finishes counting. When "it" finishes, the common phrase that is shouted to the others is "Ready or not, here I come!" and "it" then tries to find the hidden players. The same person will stay "it" until every hidden person is found.

Depending on the rules agreed to by the players, the players who are not "it" may be "tagged" simply by being spotted by "it," or they may give chase once they are spotted, in which case "it" must run them down and tag them. Also, the hidden players may try to confuse "it" by quietly moving to another hiding spot while "it" isn't looking. Those who can remain hidden the longest are considered the best players.

When the player who is "it" has decided that he or she cannot find any more players, "it" can call out, "Alley, alley, oxen free", meaning that they give up and all the players who have not yet been found are "safe". ("Alley, alley oxen free" is probably a corruption of the German "alle, alle, auch sind frei", or "all others are free.")

Due to the nature of the game, Hide and Seek is best played in an area with lots of potential hiding spots such as a forest or a large house.

Smear the Queer

Smear the Queer (often just called Smear) is sort of like tag in reverse. It's usually a rougher game than other tag variants and is therefore more common among older children and teenagers. In this game, whoever is "it" does not try to tag the other players; instead, they try to avoid being tagged, or, more often, tackled (knocked down to the ground) by all of the other players.

Smear the Queer is often played with an object such as a ball which is held by the person who is "it," or, in this case, the "Queer" (this word is in the Victorian sense of "strange person," not the modern definition of "homosexual person"), as they avoid the other players. Once the Queer is tagged or tackled, they must throw the object randomly in the air. The other players will then try to grab the object, thus becoming the Queer, and then avoid the other players. Conversely to other forms of tag, those who can stay "it" the longest are considered the best players.

Ghost in the Graveyard

Ghost in the Graveyard is a tag variant that is played outdoors after dark. One player takes on the role of the "ghost in the graveyard" and runs away from the group to find a hiding spot. The remainder of the players start at a location chosen to be "base", close their eyes, and count aloud to 12 in this fashion:

"One o' clock, two o' clock, three o' clock rock! Four o' clock, five o' clock, six o' clock rock! Seven o' clock, eight o' clock, nine o' clock rock! Ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, twelve o' clock rock! MIDNIGHT!"

At this point the group ventures out into the yard or forest in search of the "ghost in the graveyard". If any player sees the ghost, he yells "GHOST IN THE GRAVEYARD!" and all players run as quickly as possible back to base. The goal of the ghost is to tag another player, which means that that player becomes the ghost for the next round. If the ghost is unable to tag any of the other players, he must be the ghost again for the next round.

Much of the game's appeal lies in the fact that it is played at night. Children are inherently afraid of the dark, and the hiding "ghost" adds to the scare factor.

Variants requiring equipment

Some variants of tag use special equipment such as balls, guns, or even flashlights to replace tagging by hand.

Pickle

Pickle is a form of tag that is played with a ball and two bases. The bases are usually trees, and the ball is usually a tennis ball or other small, soft ball. One player guards each base, and the remaining players run between the bases. When a player is touching a base, he is safe. However, once a player begins to run from one base to another, he is vulnerable to a tag by one of the base guards. The guards attempt to tag the runners by throwing the ball at them. If a runner is tagged by the ball, he replaces the guard who threw the ball, and that guard becomes a runner.

Dodgeball

Dodgeball is a playground team-based tag game which uses rubber balls. Players throw balls at players on the opposite team to eliminate them from the game.

Flashlight Tag

Flashlight tag is a form of tag that is played at night. Rather than physically tagging each other, players tag each other by shining flashlight beams on one another. Once a player is illuminated by a flashlight, that player is considered tagged. Many of the various games of tag can be played in this manner.

Laser Tag

Laser Tag is very similar to flashlight tag, in that it uses beams of light for the purposes of tagging. However, laser tag uses special equipment to avoid the inevitable arguments that arise in flashlight tag about whether one was actually tagged by the beam of light. Laser tag players carry "guns" which emit a beam of light and they wear electronic equipment that can detect these beams of light. The a player is hit by a beam, his equipment detects the hit. The equipment can be quite sophisticated, often having scoring systems and various penalties for taking hits being built in.

Paintball

Paintball is similar to Laser Tag, except that it uses guns (usually called "markers") which fire paint pellets with compressed air. A tag is scored by hitting another player with a paint pellet. Paintball can be played freeform, but is often played with complex rules on custom designed courses.