Sack Race Rules: Fair Lanes, Heats and Safety Tips
In a sack race, every racer stands inside a sack, holds it up round their waist, and jumps to the finish line. It is slow, wobbly and full of falls, which is exactly why children love it. The sack race is a fixture of school sports days and village fairs. Here are the rules, what to use if you have no sacks, how to run fair lanes and heats, and how to keep it safe.
What you need
- One sack per lane. Traditional hessian potato sacks work, but they can be scratchy; purpose-made nylon jumping sacks with handles are softer and easy to buy.
- A flat, soft grass track about 10 to 20 metres long for children.
- A start line, a finish line, and lanes about two metres apart.
- A starter and a judge at the finish line.
No sacks? Large, strong pillowcases work for small children. Bin bags are not a good idea, as they tear easily and are slippery underfoot.
Rules
- Each racer stands in a sack behind the start line, with both feet inside and the top of the sack held at waist height.
- On “Ready, steady, go!”, racers jump towards the finish line with both feet together.
- Racers must keep both feet inside the sack all the way. Running in the sack, with feet poking out of the corners, is not allowed.
- A racer who falls gets up and carries on from the same spot.
- The first racer to cross the finish line, still in the sack, wins.
- Racers stay in their own lane and must not push or grab other racers.
Some sports days allow shuffling instead of jumping, which is slower but safer for younger children. Agree on this before the start.
Fair lanes
Lanes are rarely all the same: one may be bumpier, sloping, or right next to the crowd. Number the lanes and let each racer draw a lane with the Random Number Generator, or use the Random Name Picker to deal names into lanes. A fresh draw for every heat stops the same child from always getting the bumpy lane.
Fair heats
With more racers than sacks, you need heats. Deal the racers into heats at random, and then decide how many from each heat go through to the final. That choice matters more than most people expect. The table shows, for heats of four racers, how often at least one of the three fastest racers misses the final, depending on whether only heat winners go through or the top two from each heat:
| Racers | Winners only | Top two |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 100% | 14% |
| 12 | 71% | 6% |
| 16 | 54% | 3% |
| 24 | 37% | 1% |
With 16 racers and only heat winners going through, more than half of all draws knock out at least one of the three fastest, simply because two of them land in the same heat. Sending the top two from each heat through cuts that to about 3%. In a sack race, falls play a big part anyway, but for a race that counts towards house points, the top-two rule is fairer. The same idea is explained for the egg and spoon race.
Safety
- Race on soft grass, never on concrete or a hard floor.
- Use sacks that come up to the waist, so racers can hold them with their hands free to break a fall.
- Keep races short; most falls happen when racers get tired.
- Leave enough space between lanes, so a falling racer does not knock over a neighbour.
- Teach racers to fall forward onto their hands, and to take their time getting up.
Variations
- Sack relay: teams of four; each racer jumps to a cone and back, then hands the sack to the next racer.
- Parents’ sack race: a crowd favourite at the end of a sports day.
- Obstacle sack race: racers jump round cones or over a low line on the way.
- Kangaroo race: no sacks at all; racers jump with a ball or beanbag held between their knees.
- Two-in-a-sack: for older children, two racers share one large sack, which is harder than it sounds.
The sack race sits well alongside the three-legged race and other kids party games.
For a race that works the arms instead of the legs, see our wheelbarrow race rules.
FAQ
What are the rules of a sack race?
Each racer stands in a sack, holds it at waist height and jumps to the finish line with both feet inside. A racer who falls gets up and carries on, and the first one across the line still in the sack wins.
What can I use instead of a sack for a sack race?
Purpose-made jumping sacks are best. Large, strong pillowcases work for small children. Avoid bin bags, which tear and are slippery.
How long should a sack race be?
About 10 to 20 metres is plenty for children. Longer races lead to tired racers and more falls.
How do you make sack race heats fair?
Deal the racers into heats at random and let the top two from each heat go through to the final. If only heat winners go through, fast racers who land in the same heat are knocked out.