flashlight tag

I've been playing flashlight tag for 2 years now, and I've gotten to be quite good at it (not nearly as good as the one who showed me the game, you know who you are). It is a game played after dark with you and your dumb buddies. It is actually great exercise, because you go from walking to sprinting and back to walking a lot, and you need really alert senses at all time. This is the self-explanatory guide written for you, so you don't suck.

I. The Rules

Standard P.G. County play is as follows. Minimum 4 players. Whoever is "It" counts to a number (depends on the size of the field -- larger field = higher number). The other players go to seek out somewher to hide/stand. After It reaches that number, It goes out in search of the other players. Only It is able to use a flashlight. If It sees a player, It must call out their name. If It sees and calls you, you are to go back to the starting point, where It had counted. Whoever It finds first of the players is It the next round. Anfter all of the players are found, the new round begins.

Not allowed:

As you can see, I do take Flashlight Tag seriously. Here are the strategies:

II. General Strategies

Know your friends. This helps much more than many things, including your own athletic ability. After playing the same field with the same people for a while, you begin to know their general patterns and styles of play. I have a friend who does the exact same thing every time he is It (he sprints down the left side). Once you know who are are up against, you have an edge.

Use lighting effectively. If there is a street lamp that illuminates part of the area, then make sure you know how to use that if you're hiding or seeking.

Don't wear bright colored clothing. Anything that doesn't reflect will work.

Keep in mind that running fast and making a lot of noise is usually worse than slinking along quietly.

III. Strategies for being "It"

A. Sprinter
As soon as you count to 40, get up and run like a motherfucker in any direction. Hopefullly you will be able to pick off anyone who is standing around still trying to find a hiding spot or communicating, thinking they have time.
PROS: Will catch a few off guard.
CONS: Will not work against "campers" (see section IV)

B. Double-Back
After moving one way for a while, and searching if necessary, turn sharply back around and run to catch anyone who was following you or anyone who got up because they thought you were gone.
PROS: Catchers people who are in Motion (see section IV)
CONS: Weak against campers, and takes up time.

C. Flush-Out (thanks to Eric for this one)
Go to one area, and shine the flashlight around a lot. Then turn around and wait for a while. Anyone who was in Motion could have been fooled and run right to you. It's basically a variation of the Double-Back.
PROS: Catches Motioners well.
CONS: Campers are totally unaffected.

D. Look for groups of people
It's amazing how stupid some people are. If you're It, you should know that people like to hide with their buddies. So when you find one behind a bush, check the nearby places. Don't take their word for it when they tell you "No, no one else is with me"...

E. Look/listen for movement
It's easier, and more effective to watch for the dark shapes moving around than to fixate your eyes on one point.

IV. Hiding from It

A. Signals, signals, signals
If you're playing in pairs (which is usually a good idea), you should come up with hand signals that you can flash them. I generally have one for 1. It is coming but don't run yet, 2. I don't see anything and 3. It's coming, run like a motherfucker.

B. "Camping" effectively
Camping is the art of finding a good hiding spot and holing up in that spot for an extended period of time. A good camping spot is one that provides sufficient cover to keep your body unexposed. If you are hiding in pairs, then one person can have a scouting spot, while the other can completely hole up. There is a trade-off, however; the harder it is to get to your hiding spot, the harder it is to get out. For instance, if you hide really deep in the woods in a bush, it is much more difficult to leave that spot in a hurry if you hear It coming. However, it is also less likely that he will find you. If you camp in a spot that's easier to see, it's more likely that you will get found there but its easier to roll out of.

C. "Moving" effectively
If camping is not for you, you might prefer to be in Motion. This means constantly moving to evade It. You can try following It, but be careful in case they double-back. You should try to keep them within eyesight but not just walk behind them. You can move from hiding spot to hiding spot, so if they turn around you at least have some chance of not getting caught. One effective implementation of Motion is playing Corners. That mean that you have two people, one at each corner of the school that you're playing on. They are both watching to see if It will come down their side. If It comes down the side you're watching, you signal your corner pal and you both run like shiznit.

D. Combining Camping and Motion
You can combine the two styles of play. A favorite technique of mine is to follow It, and when you see that they have inspected a hiding spot and left, immediately camp in that hiding spot. Usually It is either too lazy to check again or figures that no one was in there before, so no one will be in there now. Or, you can camp until you see them run past your hiding spot, and then follow them so that they don't find your hiding spot and you can use it again next round.

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