Langdi: Hopping Tag Team Game
A traditional game from India in which the chasers may only move by hopping on one foot while trying to tag runners from the other team inside a rectangle. Students build dynamic balance, leg strength, and team strategy for cornering opponents.
How to play
- Two 40 x 33 ft courts marked with cones; two teams of 6 face off on each. The extra team keeps time and then rotates in.
- The chasing team sends 2 players at a time, who move only by hopping (they may switch feet once per turn on court). Runners move freely inside the court.
- Each hand tag on a runner earns 1 point. The tagged runner steps out at a sideline, circles a cone, and comes back in: nobody is out.
- If a chaser puts both feet down, they leave and the next teammate comes in at that same moment; the relay is continuous.
- Play 90-second turns, then switch roles. Each team plays 3 turns and points are added up.
- Between turns, chasers get 30 seconds to agree on how to trap runners in the corners.
Rules
- Runners may not leave the court; stepping out gives up 1 point.
- Tags are gentle, with an open hand on the shoulders or back.
- Chasers do not dive at runners or grab them to keep from falling.
- If anyone loses balance near someone else, both stop.
Variations
Easier
Chasers may switch feet freely and the court shrinks to 33 x 26 ft.
Standard
Two hopping chasers and a relay change when both feet touch down.
Harder
Three chasers, but each must stay on the same foot for their whole turn.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: as a chaser the student moves freely, but only within a marked zone in the center.
- Visual impairment: the student runs holding a guide's hand, and chasers call the student's name before tagging.
- Lower fitness: shorter turns as a chaser, switching every 20 seconds.
Learning goals
- Keep balance while hopping and changing direction.
- Work with a fellow chaser to corner the runners.
- Learn about langdi as a traditional game from India.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 16
- pinnies: 13
- stopwatches: 2
Teacher tip
Hopping is very tiring, so short turns and continuous relays keep anyone from wearing out. Check that the floor is not slippery and that nobody runs backward.
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