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- This article is about the game "tag". For other possible uses of the word "tag", such as information processing and graffiti, see tagging.
Tag is an informal sport or game that usually involves one or more players attempting to "tag" other players by touching them with their hands. The game is inherently simple -– most forms require neither teams, nor scores, nor sports equipment such as balls -- but it may be made more complex with various rule modifications. Both of these aspects make tag a popular game amongst children, and it is often played in informal areas such as playgrounds or back yards.
Basic rules
In its most basic form, tag involves at least two players. One player is "it"; a position that is determined by volunteering or by another simple game such as rock, paper, scissors or drawing straws. Another popular form of deciding who is "it" is for the players to concurrently shout "Not it!" Whoever shouts "Not it!" last is made to be "it". However, since it is 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 other players scatter. "It" must chase them down and tag them. A tagged player becomes "it", and the former "it" joins the others in trying to avoid being tagged. This process repeats.
In a typical game of tag, no score is kept, nor is a winner selected. Those who can avoid being tagged or who can stay "it" for the least amount of time are generally regarded as the best players. There is no time limit; the end of the game is chosen arbitrarily, perhaps when the players tire of the game or when recess ends.
An anomalous property of tag is that although being "it" gives a player the most influence upon the game and thus could be considered the best role to play, the position is stigmatized and avoided. There are exceptions, of course; in the variant known as Mafia, for example, it is almost invariantly considered best to be selected "it" (a member of the "Mafia"). While most agree that the temporary stigma associated with being "it" is harmless, some have criticized tag because, they allege, a player who is often pursued to be made "it" or who is physically slow can be singled out and embarrassed. Because of this, tag and dodgeball were banned from New Jersey schools on November 18, 2002.
In the UK, the same game is often simply known as "it" or, in the Midlands, "dobby".
Variants
There are many variants on the basic game of tag. The following list should by no means be viewed as complete or authoritative. These are just some of the most popular forms of the game.
Borders and bases
In order to keep the action fast and fun, a game of tag often has arbitrary borders that the players cannot step beyond (e.g., 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", usually a landmark such as a tree trunk or patch of dirt. When a base is touched or stood upon, it grants a player invulnerability from being tagged. It is usually considered cowardly to spend so much time on the base that becoming tagged is impossible, so prideful players usually resort to the safe haven of "base" only in emergencies.
Freeze tag
Freeze tag varies from normal tag in that once a player is tagged, he does not become "it"; rather, he is "frozen" and must stand in place without moving while "it" continues to tag and "freeze" the other players. Whoever is the last to be tagged is the winner.
Freeze tag often includes some mechanism for freeing frozen players and thus forcing "it" to re-tag them. For example, if two frozen players can extend their arms far enough to touch each other (without moving their feet), they may shout "electricity!" and become un-frozen. In another variant, sometimes known as "stick in the mud" or "Chinese freeze tag", 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 he can be easily tagged and frozen as well.
A continuous version of freeze tag goes something like this: A player that is frozen may be unfrozen if tagged by a player who is not "it." A player that has been tagged/frozen by "it" becomes the new "it," and all freeze-counts are reset.
Blob tag
Blob tag (or amoeba tag) varies from normal tag in that players who are tagged by "it" must join hands or arms and work together to tag further players who must also join the chain. The "blob" of "it" players continues to grow until the final player has been tagged. Blob tag is popular with elementary school physical education teachers as it works well with large groups of children and emphasizes teamwork.
Bulldog
Bulldog is not usually considered a form of tag, but the game is similar enough to be included here. Bulldog is played across a broadly rectangular area, with a physical or imaginary line across the area near each end. The catching player cannot cross this line, and cannot catch any player who is across it, even if he can physically reach them.
The catching player gets his chance to catch the others when they attempt to run from one end zone to another. Using the idea of "safety in numbers", when one player runs the others will generally follow. Such mass runs generally happen often - the game would be rather boring otherwise. If, however, the catcher feels that the runners have waited too long in the end zone, he can call "bulldog" to force them to run.
In most versions of the game, those who are caught become catchers themselves, alongside the existing ones. Thus, the game ends with one (presumably skilled) runner facing a horde of catchers, and eventually being caught.
Usually, a catch is achieved by simply touching a player. However, versions exist where, to be caught, a runner must be immobilised on the ground.
Marco Polo
In this variant, named for the 13th-century traveler, "it" is either blindfolded or made to keep his eyes shut firmly. The game then progresses as per normal tag, but "it" may shout out "Marco!" at any time. The other players must then reply "Polo!", thus giving the blinded "it" an audial clue to their locations. 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. If "it" suspects that someone has exited the pool, they can shout "fish out of water," and whoever has been out of the pool the longest becomes the new "it."
Hide and seek
Hide and seek (sometimes also called hide and go seek) is a popular tag variant that is best played in areas with lots of potential hiding spots, such as a forest or a large house. The game starts with all players in a central location. "It" covers his eyes or uses some other method to avoid seeing the other players while he counts out loud for a predetermined number of seconds, often with the aid of a word that takes about one second to say (e.g., "one-alligator, two-alligator . . ." or "one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi . . ." Meanwhile, the other players hide. It announces when he has finished counting by shouting a phrase such as "Ready or not, here I come!" He then tries to find the hiding players. The next "it" is either the first or the last player found, depending on the rules agreed to by the players.
Hiding players may be "tagged" simply by being spotted by "it," or they may give chase once they are spotted, forcing "it" to run them down and tag them. Also, players may move to other hiding spots while "it" isn't looking. Those who can remain hidden the longest are considered the best players.
"It" may give up, of course. A common way of doing this is to shout "Alley, alley, oxen free!" or "Ollie, Ollie, oxen free!" – probably a corruption of the German "Alle, alle auch sind frei", lit. "Everyone, everyone also is free").
Kabuki
This variant (named for the Japanese theatrical tradition) is played in darkness, but is otherwise similar to hide and seek. Being "it" is thus harder due to the low visibility. The "it" player can shout out "Kabuki!", however, thus forcing the hiding layers to reply with the same and therefore give a clue as to their whreabouts.
Smear the queer
Smear the queer (often just called smear) is a rougher tag variant more common among older children and teenagers. In this game, "it" is instead called "the queer" (the word is used in the Victorian sense of "strange person" rather than the modern definition of "homosexual", though contemporary players may interpret it in the latter sense). The queer does not try to tag the other players; instead, he tries to avoid being tagged, or, more often, tackled (knocked down to the ground).
Smear the queer is often played with an object such as a ball which is held by the "queer". Once the "queer" is tagged or tackled, he throws the object into the air. The other players then try to grab the object, thus becoming the new "queer". Unlike other forms of tag, those who stay "it" the longest are considered the best players.
Ghost in the graveyard
This variant is played outdoors after dark. The "it" player is known as the "ghost in the graveyard" and runs away from the group to hide. The other 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". 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, thus making him the "ghost" for the next round. If all players make it back to base safely, the "ghost" retains that role for the next round.
TV tag
In TV tag, when "it" is about to tag one of the players, the player can avoid being tagged by squating and slapping the ground while calling out the name of a television show. If the player successfully does this, "it" must turn his/her attention to a different player. If the player is too slow, or fails to name a show, he or she may be tagged, and thus becomes "it". This version can also use other categories, such as movies.
Variants requiring equipment
Some variants of tag use special equipment such as balls, guns, or even flashlights to replace tagging by hand.
Paper-ball tag
In this game, "it" must tag the other players by throwing a piece of crumpled paper at them.
Spud
Spud is a tag variant that is best played in large, open areas. Players begin each round in a central location. "It" then throws a ball high into the air. The other players run but must stop as soon as "it" catches the ball and shouts "Spud!" "It" may then take three large steps toward the player of his choosing before throwing the ball at that player. If the ball hits the target, that player becomes "it", and the game starts over.
One variation of Spud requires numbering the participants. "It" throws the ball in the air and calls out a number. Whichever player's number is called instantly becomes "it", and must catch the ball and shout "Spud" as above. This variation does not require all participants to gather in one location at the beginning, but if you are far away and your number is called, it will take longer for you to catch the ball.
Pickle
Pickle is a form of tag that is played with a ball (generally something soft like a tennis ball) and two bases (usually trees). One player guards each base while the others run between them. Players are safe while touching a base; however, while running from one base to another, players are vulnerable to being tag by balls thrown by the base guards. If a runner is hit by the ball, he replaces the guard who threw it, and that guard becomes a runner.
Kick the Can
In Kick the can, tagged players must sit in a "jail" until a free player kicks a soda can or some other object near the jail, freeing everyone.
Dodgeball
Dodgeball is a playground team-based tag game which uses rubber balls. Players throw balls at members of the opposite team to eliminate them from the game.
Flashlight tag
Flashlight tag is played at night. Rather than physically tagging each other, the "it" player can tag the others by shining a flashlight beam on them. 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. Players carry "guns" instead, which emit beams of light. They also wear electronic equipment that can detect these beams and thus register being "hit". The equipment can be quite sophisticated, often with built-in scoring systems and various penalties for taking hits.
Paintball
Paintball is similar to laser tag, except that it uses air guns (usually called "markers") that fire paint pellets to tag other players. Paintball can be played freeform, but games often include complex rules on custom-designed courses.
Phone Tag
Phone tag is not exactly a game, but more a reference to the game of tag. Phone tag occurs when two senders try to reach each other by telephone but always reach each other's voice mail and leave messages instead. After two or three back and forth messages, it is not uncommon for a person to jokingly say, "Tag, you're it." A more recent derivative of phone tag is IM Tag.
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