The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

CAPTURE THE FLAG

THIS IS A TRADITIONAL Y.M.C.A. SUMMER CAMP GAME, I LEARNED AT "Y"
CAMP WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD. TEN OR MORE CHILDREN ARE DIVIDED
INTO TWO GROUPS. THEY PLAY ON A FIELD APPROXIMATELY FIFTY YARDS
LONG AND TWENTY-FIVE YARDS WIDE. THE FIELD CAN BE BIGGER OR SMALLER
DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN PLAYING. BOUNDARIES ARE USUALLY
MARKED BY A CHALK LINE. THE RECTANGULAR FIELD IS DIVIDED IN HALF.
TWO CIRCLES APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET IN DIAMETER ARE DRAWN AT EACH END.
ONE CIRCLE HOUSES CAPTURED PRISONERS. THE OTHER CONTAINS THE FLAG
(A STICK OR POLE STUCK IN THE GROUND, ITS HEIGHT IS USUALLY ABOUT
FOUR FEET). THE OBJECT IS FOR EACH TEAM TO GO OVER TO THE OTHER
TEAM'S SIDE, TRY TO GRAB THE FLAG FROM THE CIRCLE AND BRING IT
BACK TO THEIR OWN SIDE. IF TOUCHED THEY MUST GO TO THE OTHER TEAM'S
CIRCLE FOR PRISONERS AND REMAIN THERE UNTIL FREED BY BEING TOUCHED
BY A TEAM MATE, OR UNTIL ONE SIDE HAS CAPTURED THE OTHER SIDE'S
FLAG. EACH TEAM THEN, NOT ONLY TRIES TO CAPTURE THE OTHER TEAM'S
FLAG, BUT KEEP THEIR OWN FLAG FROM BEING CAPTURED. AN OPPOSING
TEAM MATE CAN ONLY BE CAPTURED WHEN IN ENEMY TERRITORY (THE ENEMY'S
HALF OF THE FIELD). THE GAME IS OVER WHEN A FLAG IS CAPTURED AND
BROUGHT BACK BY THE OPPOSING TEAM.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; PORT HURON

Date learned: 10-30-1972