Tag, Toss & Run

by Paul Tukey

  NO NEANDERTHAL FOOTBALL

  For millions of years, the ability to throw rocks, spears, and darts has given humankind its edge at the top of the food chain. A lack of throwing ability, according to archeologists, is what led Neanderthals to their extinction.

  Although American football probably evolved from British rugby (well after the Neanderthal era), a similar game, called cuju or “kickball,” has been played in China for at least 2,000 years, complete with goal posts and a feather-stuffed ball. The first air-filled ball, a blown-up animal bladder, came into existence around 600 CE.

  Rules. Some basics are always the same. Two goal lines are marked parallel and opposite from each other. The official distance is 100 yards, but the game can be played on any patch of grass or sand that seems reasonable for the number of players, usually no more than 11 against 11.

  In pickup games, teams are usually given four tries or “downs” to advance the ball from their end zone down the length of the field.

  Teams might agree not to kick off at the beginning of the game or after a touchdown, but rather to begin the play at a given spot on the field.

  Rather than tackling a player who is passing, or running with the ball, opponents either touch the player with one or both hands, or try to grab a flag that is loosely attached to every player’s waist.

  Quarterbacks are usually afforded time to throw the ball before being chased by an opponent, who must give a count of about four seconds before dashing in pursuit.

  Touch football has been played since at least the 1920s, but adding flags to the game first gained widespread acceptance at Fort Meade in Odenton, Maryland, during World War II. By then, football had become the nation’s most popular pickup sport among young men, but injuries suffered during rough versions of “touch” put too many soldiers into the infirmary. Flag football was first mentioned in Webster’s Dictionary in 1954.

  FLASHBACK PAUL

  As much as I enjoy playing outdoor games of all sorts, I have to say that football is my all-time favorite and that that has everything to do with the ball itself. Evolved from the first rugby balls made in London in the early 1800s — based on the oval shape of a pig’s bladder — the football is unlike any other ball in existence. It isn’t a natural object to bounce, kick, catch, or especially throw, but once you master it, tossing the ball back and forth can become a lifelong addiction.

  And because the ball is larger and heavier (but not too heavy) than other sport balls, it’s actually easier on the arm and shoulder than throwing, say, a baseball, which causes the rotator cuff to open and close at a higher rate of speed. Far more children develop sore arms from tossing baseballs than footballs.

  Although purists typically feel that a true football game must be played with a leather ball, the Parker Brothers company revolutionized youth games in 1970 with the introduction of balls made from nonexpanding recreational foam, better known as NERF balls. The 1972 introduction of the wildly popular NERF football allowed the tossing of a ball indoors and gave legions of would-be quarterbacks their first experience at throwing a spiral pass.

  Perhaps the only truly modern invention showcased in this book, the flying disc trademarked and commonly known as the “Frisbee” may well be the single outdoor game creation of the twentieth century that will still be played many millennia from now. The aerodynamic molded plastic toy, for which there is no precedent other than maybe the pie tin, has provided modern children and adults — and dogs — with a whole range of athletic activities that are enjoyed the world over.

  VARIATIONS INCLUDE Crosbee, Ding, Disc Dog, Disc Golf, Discathon, Target Frisbee, Ultimate

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA Toss the disc from one player to another; add rules as desired

  PLAYING AREA A large, flat area is best and safest, although discs can be thrown great distances over hilly terrain.

  EQUIPMENT

  • A flying disc

  • Targets (for Frisbee golf)

  • Posts or shovels (for Ding)

  AGES 5 and up

  PLAYERS 2 or more

  Frisbees can be incorporated into almost any type of outdoor game. Target Frisbee, Frisbee golf, and Ding reward excellent skill in throwing the grooved disc. Ultimate and discathon require high levels of speed and endurance. In the end, though, this is a toy that can be enjoyed by players of all ages in a simple game of catch in the backyard. Properly clad folks in the Victorian era would have loved the Frisbee, had they only had one.

  Rules & Strategy

  The first step for any would-be Frisbee player is to learn the basics of the throw and catch.

  The simple toss requires a backhand flick of the wrist with your thumb on top of the disc and the other four fingers balancing it underneath.

  Keeping the disc level on release helps ensure a straight throw; angling the disc will cause it to curve in one direction or the other.

  Torque your arms, shoulders, hips, and legs in unison with your hands and wrist to throw the disc great distances.

  Several techniques can be used to catch the aerodynamic plastic.

  Beginners can grab the flying disc by clapping it between their hands as it approaches — it’s all in the timing!

  More advanced players learn to pluck the disc with a one-hand clutch of the spinning edge.

  Frisbee wizards can stop the flight with a single index finger on the underside of the disc, which spins to a halt after several revolutions.

  Once the basic toss and catch are mastered, the rules can be what you make them. The formal games, from Frisbee golf to Ultimate, have official rules available from national and international associations; however, nothing more than the Frisbee itself is needed for a full day of fun. Players can range in age from 5 to 85. Targets can be trees and posts.

  WHAT’S IN A NAME?

  A baker named William Russell Frisbie, who ran a shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, stamped his name in the bottom of his pie tins. Students at nearby Yale University took to tossing the metal tins though the air, hollering out “Frisbie” as they threw. Talk about a good marketing scheme!

  In 1958, the same year that the Wham-O company’s Hula Hoop exploded onto the American market (see page 108), the company borrowed the baker’s name, trademarked as Frisbee, and changed the original name of its flying disc from “Pluto Platter.” Sales exploded, with an estimated 250 million purchased in the past 50 years.

  Variations

  DING

  In the game of Ding, four shovels or other posts are stuck in the ground, two on each end of the lawn, with the handles two feet apart. These serve as goal posts and a Frisbee thrown between the handles scores two points. Some versions of Ding include paper cups placed upside down on the top of the shovel handles. If a Frisbee hits a shovel and sends a cup flying, a player from the opposite team must catch the cup before it hits the ground; otherwise, a point is scored.

  DISC GOLF

  As in regular golf, disc golf rewards target-shooting skill. The player or players to hit a series of targets with the disc in the fewest tries is the winner. The Professional Disc Golf Association publishes all kinds of rules that include creating official baskets with chain nets as targets; however, for backyard games, anything can be a target, including trees, swing sets, lamp posts, and mailboxes.

  ULTIMATE

  Popular on college campuses since its origins in the late 1960s, Ultimate involves teams of seven tossing the disc to one another with the aim of moving it into the other team’s end zone. All movement of the disc must be by throwing; players may pivot and turn to make the throw, but must keep one foot planted on the ground. Games can be played to 13, 15, or 17 points.

  DISC DOG

  Almost from the moment the Frisbee craze caught on, many pet owners found their dogs could catch the discs, too. Disc dog’s breakthrough moment, however, came in the middle of the 8th inning of another sport. On August 5, 1974, just before the Los Angeles Dodgers came to bat, 19-year-old Ohio State University student
Alex Stein leapt over the wall at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium with his dog, Ashley Whippet, at his side and two Frisbees in his hand.

  With the crowd, players, and a national television audience watching for eight minutes, the dog became an instant cult hero by making dozens of dazzling twisting, leaping catches up to nine feet off the ground. Stein was arrested and fined $250, but he and Ashley were soon regulars at every major stadium and talk show in the United States, and disc dog soon became an international canine sport.

  The current world record disc toss was achieved by Christian Sandstrom of Sweden, who threw a Frisbee 250 meters in 2002 at a contest in El Mirage, California.

  Whether it involves jumping, clapping, singing, dancing, or just making funny noises, Follow the Leader just may be the most joyous game of our classic collection. A lifetime activity, the game teaches attention skills and expands horizons for children and creates social breakthroughs and bonds for adults; mostly, however, it just seems to make people laugh.

  ALSO KNOWN AS Copycat, Simon Says

  It’s all up to the leader. If he or she flails hands wildly, then everyone else in line follows suit. If the leader squeals like a pig, the rest of the group is obliged to do likewise. When all of this plays out in a wide-open area of a lawn or playground, the possibilities are endless. How about trying Lucy’s grape stomp from the 1956 television show, Chubby Checker’s twist, or Michael Jackson’s moonwalk? Just watching everyone try those moves is a recipe for hilarity.

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA Players follow the actions of the designated leader, no matter how silly

  PLAYING AREA A flat surface free of tripping hazards is essential because players will have their eyes focused on the leader rather than the ground.

  EQUIPMENT A blindfold (optional)

  AGES 4 and up

  PLAYERS 3 or more

  Make Your Own Rules

  The game can be played just for fun or competitive elements can be added. For example, in one version, one player is blindfolded while another is quietly tapped as the leader.

  Everyone arranges in a circle around the blindfolded player and begins to follow the moves of the leader, trying not to make it clear who is actually leading.

  After eye contact and a nod to indicate everyone is ready, the players call out “Copycat, copycat, can you see?”

  The player in the center removes the blindfold and tries to guess the identity of the leader.

  If he or she is correct, the leader becomes the next guesser. If the guess is wrong, the blindfold goes back on, the group picks a new leader to follow, and the game continues.

  Another version is set up as a relay race.

  The leader stands on one end of the field and the rest of the players divide into two teams, who form single-file lines at the other end.

  The leader calls out commands such as “hop,” “skip,” “somersault,” or “run,” while a player on each team races toward the leader and back to the line to tag the next teammate’s hand.

  The first team to have all of its members complete the relay wins.

  One of our favorite variations pairs two-person teams in a race, with one player on each team blindfolded.

  Without touching the blindfolded player, the leader must guide his or her teammate through an obstacle course using only verbal commands and cues.

  FOLLOW CAREFULLY

  Children at the Knife River Indian Village in South Dakota, where Sacagawea joined the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804, played a version of Follow the Leader that translates to “Follow the Bad Road.”

  According to a National Parks Service guide to Native American activities, “Young boys followed each other down a very difficult path. The boys did not hang on to each other in this game. If one of them stumbled or fell, he had to go to the end of the line. This sort of game would develop strength, surefootedness, and agility.”

  Follow the Music

  Recreation centers, summer camps, and senior citizens’ facilities often introduce music to the Follow the Leader game, which then evolves into dances like the conga line, snake, train, or the Finnish dance letkajenkka, which closely resembles the American dance known as the bunny hop from the 1950s.

  With deep historical ties to hunting, running, and hide and seek, versions of Fox and Hounds have been enjoyed by children and adults for centuries. By combining social bonding with exercise, the game has maintained a level of popularity not shared by many lost games of the past.

  ALSO KNOWN AS Chalk Chase, Fox and Geese, Hashing, Hounds and Hare, Paper Chase, Witch in the Woods, Wolf and Sheep

  “It is not only a recreation, but a splendid exercise that keeps the blood from stagnating,” said an article in Harper’s Weekly magazine in 1874 that included a detailed illustration of a gaggle of boys, the “hounds,” leaping over a fence in hot pursuit of the “hares.”

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA The fox hides and the hounds give chase; many variations exist

  PLAYING AREA Games for younger children can be played on open lawns or in the snow; adult games are often staged on wooded trails.

  EQUIPMENT Chalk or paper (optional)

  AGES 5 and up

  PLAYERS 3 or more

  Modern variations have scaled back the game for children to fit into the average suburban yard, while the communal sport of hashing is contested by adults across miles of trails. The common elements, the hunters and the hunted, have nearly limitless possibilities.

  How to Play

  In the simplest form of Fox and Hounds, a player is selected to be the fox, who heads off first and hides. After an agreed-on period of lead time, the hounds must find the fox.

  For backyard games involving young children, the boundaries can be limited to match the size of the players.

  Sometimes, hounds hunt alone; other times, they hunt in packs.

  Most typically, the hound who finds the fox becomes the fox in the next round.

  In Paper Chase, the fox marks his or her trail with pieces of paper.

  In Chalk Chase, usually contested in urban neighborhoods, the fox uses chalk to leave a trail on sidewalks and buildings.

  Formed in 1867 on Wimbledon Common in southwest London, the Thames Hare and Hounds club is the oldest formal cross-country running group in the world. In the early days, the club staged long-distance Hare and Hounds contests. Today the club organizes all forms of races, both social and highly competitive, including the London Marathon.

  Variation: Wolf and Sheep

  This game requires a minimum of four players. Two players are chosen as sheepdogs, who lock hands in a triangle with another player, the sheep. The wolf tries to tag the sheep, while the sheepdogs, maintaining their grips on each other and the sheep, spin around and try to keep the wolf away.

  Variation: Fox and Geese

  In winter, players can trample a large circle into the snow that is divided into at least four equal sections by perpendicular paths. In this game, one person is the fox, the rest are the geese. In one version, the geese run all around the circle, staying on the outer path, while the hound, who can run in the interior paths, tries to catch them. The first goose caught then becomes the fox.

  Or, the geese start out in the middle (the henhouse) and try to evade the fox while running to the outer circle and then returning to the center. A similar game can be played in fall using paths in fallen leaves.

  RUNNER IN A RED DRESS

  “Hashing” is a worldwide adult social phenomenon that began as a Hounds and Hare game in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938. In 1987, a young woman came to a hashing event in San Diego, California, but was told she could not join the run because of her attire — a red dress with high-heeled shoes.

  Nonetheless, she ran the full six miles, making such an impression that the next year, the San Diego “Hash House Harriers” staged the first Red Dress Run in her honor. All runners wore, as you can probably guess, a red dress. Hundreds of Red Dress Runs involving tens of thousands of runner
s are now held annually all over the world.

  FLASHBACK VICTORIA

  Our game of Witch in the Woods was a blast to play at night in an area with lots of hiding places. We would establish a base and one person to be the “witch,” who went off to hide. After a minute or so, the rest of us would then scatter from the base to find the witch.

  Once the witch was found, the successful player sent out a signal, such as “Olly, olly, oxen free!”, and all the players ran back to the base. The witch would then try to tag all the players before they got there. If the witch was successful, she or he got to play witch again for the next round.

  Quite possibly the best of the myriad games that combine elements of tag and hide and seek, Ghost in the Graveyard has been a time-honored tradition for thousands of years. A reversal of the many tag contests that pit one person against many, this game puts the “it” player, the ghost or the witch, in control from the start, and because the rules of the game keep it moving nonstop, everyone gets exercise, everyone wins, and, ultimately, everyone enjoys a bonding experience offered by few other games. This is an activity that can consume hours of playtime on warm summer nights.