Tag (game)

Tag (also known as chase, tig, it, tiggy, tips, tick, on-on, or tip) is a playground game where one or more players chase others, trying to touch them with a hand to mark them as caught. Most versions have no teams, scores, or equipment. When someone is tagged, the tagger typically says "It!", "Tag, you're 'It'!", or just "Tag." The last player tagged becomes "It" for the next round. Around the world, the game goes by different names: in India it's called "running and catching," in the Middle East "catch and cook," in Vanuatu "lelu," and in Poland "berek."

The name varies across the UK: "tig" in Yorkshire, Scotland, and northwest England, and "it" in the south. In the United States, it's usually "tag," while in Australia it's sometimes "chasey" or "tips." A 2018 internet meme claimed "tag" stood for "touch and go," but Snopes found this false. Merriam-Webster says the origin is unknown, while the Oxford Dictionary of English suggests it might be a variant of "tig," which itself may come from "tick."

Tag-like games have been played since at least the 4th century BC. The ancient Greek poet Erinna wrote about a version where one child, the "tortoise," chases others, and the tagged child becomes the new "tortoise." In India, kho-kho has been played since at least the 4th century BC, and both kho-kho and kabaddi may appear in the Mahabharata (around 300 AD or earlier). Atya-patya (also called Klithatu) was mentioned as early as 300 AD in the Naṟṟiṇai. Langdi is believed to have been played in the Pandya dynasty over a thousand years ago. Some Indian variations may represent ancient history: for example, the Bengali game gollachut, where players try to escape a circular field without being tagged, might symbolize escape attempts by agricultural slaves during the Indus Valley Civilization.

In early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, social media described children playing tag variations that involved roleplaying the spread of the coronavirus.

Major modern competitions for tag-like games—those with at least 100 million views—include World Chase Tag, Pro Kabaddi League, and Ultimate Kho Kho. Kabaddi is part of the Asian Games, and both kabaddi and kho-kho are in the South Asian Games; the Indian government has proposed both for the 2036 Olympics.

Basic rules: Two or more players decide who will be "it," often using a counting-out game like eeny, meeny, miny, moe or rock paper scissors. The chosen player chases others, trying to tag them with the palm of a hand. A tag makes the tagged player "it." In some versions, the previous "it" is no longer "it," and the game continues indefinitely. In others, both players stay "it" until everyone is tagged—this is sometimes called "Family tip," "Infection Tag," "Manhunt," or "Zombie Tag." Many variants have team play or elimination rules. Some have a "no tag-backs" rule (also called "no catch-backs," "no returns," "can't tag your master," or "can't get the butcher back"), or require a wait before tagging again.

Players can be safe from tagging in certain spots: a pre-determined area, off the ground, or when touching a specific structure. Traditional variants include Wood tag (see knock on wood), Iron tag, and Stone tag, where touching the named material grants safety. This safe zone is called a "gool," "ghoul," or "Dell" (likely from "goal"), first recorded in Massachusetts in the 1870s and common in the northern US. Alternatives include "base" and "home." In the UK, it's often called a "den." In much of Canada and parts of the northern US, the safe state is known as "times" or "T," probably from "time out." Players may also use a truce term: crossing fingers can signal immunity, but only if the fingers are shown to the tagger. If you tag the current "it," you become "it" yourself.

In some parts of Scotland, the call is "Tig, you're het!" instead of "Tag, you're 'It'!" In India, the player who is "it" is called the "denner."