Touch Iron Tag
An old-school street tag game: touching iron keeps you safe, but only briefly and one at a time. On the playground, the "iron" posts are poles standing in cones around the court. Students work on speed, deciding when to take refuge, and anticipation.
How to play
- Stand 8 poles in cones around a 65 x 65 ft area: these are the iron posts. Three taggers wear pinnies (2 min).
- On the signal, taggers chase. Touching a post keeps you safe while you count out loud to 5; then you must leave (1 min).
- Only one person fits per post: if someone else arrives, the one already there leaves right away (2 min of practice).
- Tagged players put on the pinnie and become taggers. Play 3-minute rounds with 30 seconds of rest; in the last one, the call "Hot iron!" cancels all posts for 10 seconds (8 min).
- Finish by discussing when it paid to take refuge and when to keep running (2 min).
Rules
- One person per post, for no more than 5 seconds counted out loud.
- No tag-backs for 5 seconds.
- Safety: touch posts with your hand without grabbing or hanging on them; if a pole falls, stand it up before playing on.
Variations
Easier
Two taggers, more posts, and 8 seconds of safety.
Standard
Three taggers, eight posts, and 5 seconds of safety.
Harder
Four taggers and five posts that move to new spots each round.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student has a personal post with no time limit and tags anyone within arm's reach.
- Visual impairment: the student holds hands with a sighted guide, and posts have jingle bells.
- Lower fitness: the student counts to 8 on the posts.
Learning goals
- Decide when to take refuge based on where taggers are.
- Accelerate and change direction to escape or tag.
- Respect safe-time limits by counting honestly.
Equipment for a class of 25
- poles: 8
- cones: 12
- pinnies: 4
Teacher tip
Don't use metal goals or fences as posts, to avoid collisions with the frame. Swap out any tagger who goes a long time without tagging.
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