Chasing, dodging and tagging games
Physical Education · Key Stage 1 · The School
Why straight lines get caught
A chaser only has to guess ONE thing: which way you will go next. If you run in a straight line, there is nothing to guess. The chaser simply runs the same straight line, and because chasers often start closer, they catch you. A straight line gives away your whole plan at once.
A good dodge
Bend your knees, stay low, and push off sharply to one side. The best moment to dodge is just before the chaser is close enough to commit to a direction. Dodge too early and they simply adjust. Dodge right as they commit and they cannot change fast enough to follow.
Tagging safely
A tag is a gentle touch on the shoulder or back with an open hand, never a grab, a push or a shove. Call out "tag" as you touch so there is no argument. Chasing games only stay fun and safe when every tag is gentle.
Watch two players: one chasing, one being chased. The chaser is fastest in a straight line, so the whole game is the chased player refusing to give them one. Notice the exact moment the runner changes direction — it is always just as the chaser gets close enough to nearly reach out, never earlier. Too early, and the chaser has time to adjust and follow. That single well-timed change of direction beats raw speed almost every time, which is why a slower dodger can still escape a faster chaser.
Playing it safely
Agree a clear space with boundaries before you start. Look where you are going, not just at the chaser. Slow down before you reach a wall or another game. A chasing game is exciting because of the dodging, not because of how hard the tag lands — so tags stay gentle every single time.