Capture the Flag. A classic game, but think big . . . no, think HUGE. We took over one of the local parks for three hours, made maps of the boundaries, had four-foot-tall flags and stands, and the dad that organized October’s tailgate party cooked dinner for us again.
Everyone has their own rules for capture the flag (people usually have different rules about how to handle prisoners), and that’s fine, just make sure everyone playing your game agrees on one set of rules before you start playing.
To win: Enter the enemy’s territory, capture their flag, and carry it back to your territory without being caught.
Capturing the Flag
The teams are separated by a boundary line. On my signal (a fog horn if you are playing in a huge area), the teams will place their flag somewhere in their territory. The flags must be visible. Remember, the game is called “Capture the Flag” not “Hide the Flag.” Six games that last twenty minutes are more fun than one game that lasts two hours. One trustworthy person on each team will be appointed to ensure the flags are placed appropriately.
After five minutes another signal will be given to start the game. People guarding your flag must stay at least 15 feet away from it unless an enemy moves within 15 feet of your flag.
If your enemy successfully captures your flag, they must carry it back into their territory to win. If you tag them before they make it back into their territory, they must drop the flag and the flag stays there.
Once the game begins, you cannot move your own flag at any point.
Capturing Prisoners
You cannot be captured in your own territory, but as soon as you cross over into enemy territory you may be captured.
When an enemy is captured, the captor must accompany the prisoner to the jail.
A prisoner may be released by a teammate touching them. Prisoners must be in (or touching) the jail at all times – if the prisoner steps out of the jail before their teammate touches them, the prisoner cannot go free. If the rescuer is caught by the guards before he touches the prisoner, the would-be rescuer must go to jail. A rescuer can rescue only one prisoner at a time. Once a prisoner is rescued, both must return immediately to their territory, and they cannot be re-captured on their way back to their territory.
Ending the Game
If neither side captures the enemy’s flag within 30 minutes, the team with the most prisoners wins.
A fog horn will be blown signally the end of the game, and all players must reassemble in the center of the field (That keeps spies from hiding in enemy territory while they are placing their flag at the beginning of the next game).
