Tag Game Rules: Who Is It, Safe Tagging and Freeze Tag
Tag, also called tig, tag you’re it, or simply chase, may be the simplest running game of all. One player is “it” and chases the others. Whoever gets tagged becomes it, and the chase goes on. It needs no equipment, works with almost any number of players, and has dozens of variations. Here are the classic rules, a fair way to choose who is it first, how to tag safely, and the most popular versions, including freeze tag.
What you need
- An open, flat space such as a playground, field or large hall.
- Clear boundaries, such as lines, cones or the edge of the grass. Players who run out of bounds count as tagged.
- At least three players, and ideally five or more.
- Optionally, a “base” or safe zone, such as a tree or a wall, where players cannot be tagged.
Classic rules
- Choose one player to be it.
- It counts to five out loud while the other players run away.
- It chases the others and tries to tag one of them with a light touch of the hand.
- The tagged player calls out “I’m it!” and becomes the new chaser. The old it joins the runners.
- Play continues with no winner, until the time is up or everyone is tired.
Most groups add a no tag-backs rule: the new it cannot tag the player who just tagged them straight away. Without it, two players can tag each other back and forth while everyone else stands around.
If there is a base, agree how long a player may stay on it, for example a count of five, or the game stops moving.
A fair way to choose who is it
Children often pick it with a counting-out rhyme such as Kick the Can Game: Rules, Fair Picks and Variations. Rhymes feel random, but the person counting can work out who the rhyme will land on, so it is easy to cheat. Shouting “not it!” is no fairer either: the slowest player always loses.
A better way is to put every name into the Random Name Picker and spin. If you play many rounds, switch on “remove and spin”, so each child is picked once before anybody is picked twice. The difference is bigger than you might expect. With plain random spins, some names come up again and again while others wait. The table shows how many spins it takes, on average, until every player has been it at least once:
| Players | Random spins | Remove and spin |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 11 | 5 |
| 10 | 29 | 10 |
| 15 | 50 | 15 |
| 20 | 72 | 20 |
| 30 | 120 | 30 |
So in a class of 20, plain random spins need about 72 picks before the last child gets a turn as it, while remove and spin needs exactly 20.
Safe tagging
- A tag is a light touch on the arm, shoulder or back. No pushing, grabbing clothes, or tripping.
- No tagging on the head or face.
- Agree on clear boundaries away from walls, fences, steps and play equipment.
- Allow a short rest time for anyone who needs it, for example by stepping onto the base.
- With very young children, the chaser walks fast instead of running.
Popular variations
- Freeze tag: tagged players freeze on the spot. Another runner can unfreeze them by touching them, or by crawling through their legs. It wins when everyone is frozen. With a big group, use two or three chasers.
- Stuck in the mud: a British version of freeze tag. Frozen players stand with their legs apart and arms out, and are freed when a runner crawls between their legs.
- Shadow tag: on a sunny day, it tags players by stepping on their shadow.
- Chain tag: each tagged player holds hands with it, and the chain grows until it catches the last runner.
- Everybody’s it: every player can tag every other player. A tagged player kneels down until the player who tagged them is tagged.
- Toilet tag: a funny freeze tag where frozen players kneel with one arm out, and are freed when another player “flushes” the arm.
- Ball tag: it tags by gently throwing a soft foam ball, which keeps the chaser from grabbing.
Where tag fits
Tag is the starting point for many other playground games. kick the can and hide and seek both mix hiding with a tag, and red light, green light is a slower game for when the group needs a breather.
FAQ
What are the basic rules of tag?
One player is it and chases the others. When it touches another player, that player becomes it. Agree on boundaries, a gentle tag and a no tag-backs rule before you start.
What does no tag-backs mean?
The new it cannot tag the player who just tagged them straight away. It stops two players from tagging each other back and forth.
How do you play freeze tag?
Players who are tagged freeze on the spot. Other runners can unfreeze them with a touch. The chaser wins when every runner is frozen.
What is the fairest way to choose who is it?
Use a random name picker. Counting-out rhymes can be steered by the person counting, while a random pick gives every player the same chance.