The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

RED ROVER

A GROUP OF KIDS GET TOGTHER AND TWO CAPTAINS ARE
CHOSEN. THE CAPTAINS GET ALTERNATE TURNS AT CHOOSING
MEMBERS FOR THEIR TEAMS, SO THEY WILL BE EVENLY
MATCHED. THEN THE TEAMS LINE UP OPPOSITE EACH OTHER,
PERHAPS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE STREET, AND THE TEAM
MEMBERS LOCK HANDS WITH EACH OTHER. THEN ONE CAPTAIN
YELLS OUT, RED ROVER, RED ROVER, SEND (NAME) OVER.
THE PERSON CALLED MUST RELEASE HIMSELF FROM HIS TEAM
AND RUN AS FAST AS HE CAN TOWARD THE OTHER TEAM. HE
CAN SWERVE AND DODGE SO THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHERE HE WILL HIT. HE MUST PICK A SPOT AND BY THE
FORCE OF HIS RUNNING BODY TRY TO BREAK THE HANDGRIP
OF HIS OPPONENTS. IF HE BREAKS THROUGH THEIR LINE,
THEN HE CAN CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THEIR TEAM TO COME TO
HIS TEAM WITH HIM. IF HE CAN'T BREAK THROUGH, THEN
HE BECOMES A MEMBER OF HIS ORIGINAL OPPONENTS TEAM.
THE TEAMS ALTERNATE IN CALLING PEOPLE OVER AND THE
GAME CONTINUES UNTIL ONE TEAM OR THE OTHER HAS NO
MORE MEMBERS LEFT.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT PLAYED THIS GAME ON THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
(GESU) IN DETROIT WHEN SHE WENT THERE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 12-00-1963 ; 01-00-1964