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Description

Traditional English catching game (wide game) involving teamwork

Resources

Two markers to mark bases (could be cones, or just kit that is temporaily not needed)
1 Necker
Whistle or other signal for the Leader to ssignal the game is over or time is up.

Instructions

Put one base at each end of the available space. For this explanation I'm going to call these North and South, but change these names if it is confusing (your space runs East--West, for example ).

A team of two players starts at each base (name these teams after their starting asbe - so I''ll call them North and South in this explanation).

A further pair act as catchers, and start in the middle of the playing area.

Everyone in the game needs to know where the two bases are, and whether there are any areas that are out of bounds for safety or other reasons (e.g. you can't leave the woods).

The aim of the North and South teams is to make it past the catchers to the opposite base. The can do this by running speed, or by stealth if there is cover in the playing area.

The catchers aim to catch (tag) North and South before they can do this.

Catchers must stay together as a pair. To enforce this, they must hold a necker between them (or hold opposite ends of a short piece of rope) at all times.

Players who are in the other teams may split up on their journey to the opposite base. But if either player of a team is caught then the whole team is out.

North or South teams win by both players making it to the opposite base (once a player is on the opposite base they may not be caught). Catchers win by getting both North and South 'out' (that is, catching at least one player from each team).

The winners become catchers for the next round.

Before play begins, establish a signal such as a Leader's whistle to stop the game after a resonable time limit or because a team has won. (If the playing area has cover, some players may not be able to see the game is over). And establish where the players regroup when they hear the whistle.

More than one game can be run at once, in which case each game needs its own whistle signal, and a signal to call everyone back to the agreed rendezvous (e.g. in case of emergency or when time for all games is up).

If the number of young people you have isn't some multiple of 6, deploy some as referees (to see if players are tagged, look for the catchers failing to keep hold of their tie) Or let them stay by the bases to watch who made it home. This also gives a role to anyone who can't play the game or doesn't want to.

You could also make North and South teams larger so that everyone who wants to can play. The rule is still that the team is out if any member is caught.

This game is old enough to be mentioned in 16th and 18th Century literature. The version described above is adapted from a reconstruction by the Opies [1]. I've added or interpreted rules where this seems needed to make it workable for Scouting.

[1] https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198607663.001.0001/acref-9780198607663-e-52

Tags

• wide game, english, tag

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