Escort the Secret President
A team must cross the field to a finish zone while protecting its president, whose identity only that team knows. Hunters pull flags: if they catch the president before the finish, they win the round, so they have to read the escorts' behavior to work out whom they are protecting.
How to play
- Mark a 40 x 25 m field with a start zone and a finish zone at the ends (3 min).
- The escort team deals cards in secret: one says president and the rest say escort; everyone wears a flag belt (2 min).
- Round: escorts can act as decoys or shield by stepping in the way without contact; a hunter who pulls a flag asks whether that player was the president and the player answers honestly; caught escorts go back to the start and may re-enter (3 min).
- Play six rounds, switching escort and hunter roles, with 1 minute of planning before each (12 min).
- Each team records how many rounds the president made it and how many seconds the hunters took to find them (2 min).
- Analysis: which escort formations worked best and which signals gave the president away (3 min).
Rules
- Only pull flags, with no grabbing or pushing.
- Escorts protect by getting in the way, never with their arms or by charging.
- The president may not stand still for more than 5 seconds.
- Always tell the truth when a hunter asks after pulling your flag.
Variations
Easier
The president wears two flags and is only caught when both are pulled.
Standard
A secret president, free escort play and six alternating rounds with 1 minute of planning.
Harder
There are two presidents and one is a body double worth nothing; hunters must catch the real one.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: play president in a wheelchair with an escort, with flags attached to the backrest.
- Autism: may keep a fixed escort role with a clear job (always lead the group).
- Ankle injury: coordinate the hunters from the sideline using hand signals.
Learning goals
- Design protective and deceptive formations.
- Show clear leadership in team decision-making.
- Read the opponent's intentions from how they organize in space.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 16
- pinnies: 28
- flag belts: 28
- cards: 14
Teacher tip
Ask each team to try at least two different formations (tight block or spread out) so they have data to compare. A student can time each round.
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