Freeze Tag — the rules of the game

Freeze Tag

заморозки

Tag in which the player tagged does not go out but freezes on the spot, and any free player can unfreeze them.

Freeze tag solves the same problem as ordinary tag, but from the other end. In ordinary tag the player tagged becomes the one who is on, and the game goes round without end. Here the player tagged drops out — but not for good.

That gives the game something tag does not have: a shared aim. The free players are no longer each saving themselves; they run to the rescue, and the fewer of them are left, the more dangerous it becomes to approach a player.

Why more than one player is on

One player against a large company never wins: while they chase one, three are thawed behind their back. So the number on is fitted to the number playing — about one to every ten.

The other two forms use the same device. They change not the mechanics but who has the right to thaw, and how.

Players3+

CategoriesOutdoor games

ObjectiveFor those on, to freeze everybody at once; for the rest, to see the round out with one player still free.

The rules of freeze tag

Setting up

The boundaries are agreed and the players on are chosen: one for a company of up to ten, two up to twenty, three beyond that.

A length for the round is usually set as well — about five minutes.

Freezing

The players on chase the rest. A player tagged stops where they were touched and stands still.

Running outside the boundaries is not allowed: whoever does counts as tagged.

Thawing

Any free player may run up to a frozen one and them with a touch. The thawed player rejoins at once.

Those on do not freeze a frozen player again, but they may guard them and catch whoever comes to the rescue.

End of the round

The round ends when everyone is frozen — then those on have won. If at least one player is still free when the time runs out, the rest have won.

New players are chosen to be on before the next round.

Worth knowing

The number of players on is fitted to the size of the company: roughly one to every ten. The length of a round, the boundaries and whether one player's touch thaws or two are needed are agreed beforehand.