Red Rover

Red Rover the game (also known as Bullrush, Forcing the City Gates and Octopus Tag) is an outdoor game played primarily by children on playgrounds. "Red Rover" was very popular into the 1970s.

The game starts when the first team (usually called the "East" or "South" team, although this does not relate to the actual relative location of the teams) calls out, "Red rover, red rover, send [name of player on opposite team] right over."

The immediate goal for the person called is to run to the other line and break the chain (formed by the linking of hands). If the person called fails to break the chain, this player joins the team which called "Red rover." However, if the player successfully breaks the chain, this player may take his/her pick of either of the two "links" broken by his/her successful jaunt. This unfortunate broken link then joins the team that had been called out. The other team then enjoys the opportunity and challenge of calling out "Red rover" for a player on the first team, and so on.

The distance between the two lines is also subject to variation, but tends to fall within about 30 feet.

"Red rover" was very popular into the 1970s, but with the invention of other forms of entertainment for children, the game has declined in its popularity and is primarily played in school or playgrounds, where such modern devices are not present.

Strategy

Players on a team hold hands, forming a line. The leader of a team will call a player from the opposing team. That player must try and break through two players' hands (a link) to stay on their own team. If the player is not able to break through the link, that team will gain control of that player. Before a player would try to break the link, the link would normally say "Red Rover, Red Rover, we call (player's name) over!" (Variations include replacing "we call (player's name) over!" with "send (player's name) right over", or "send (player's name) on over") Typically, the weaker players are chosen first to increase the chance of taking them.

When only one player is left on a team, they must try and break through a link. If they do not succeed, the opposing team wins. Otherwise, they are able to get a player back for their team.

The game can be a potentially painful experience. For example, when the runner breaks through a link (or attempts to break through), it can hurt the linkers' arms, or body depending on if he falls or gets bruised by somebody's bones. "Clotheslining", or when one shorter player runs into the link made by two players and is caught by the neck, is also a very common injury, that while it is not fatal, can cause a player to have a sore neck for a length of time, or even knock a player unconscious if he/she falls in a certain way. Due to the possibility of injury, the game has been banned in a number of schools.

Origins

The origin of the name, Red Rover, and its usage in association with this game is not clear. Red Rover appears to have been used as a name for boats in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1828 a steamboat called 'The Red Rover' was the first to service the Hatchie River.

In 1855, J. Fenimore Cooper, wrote a book called 'The Red Rover':

"...the lawless vagaries of the Red Rover himself, the pirate chief who glories in chaos and who orders his men 'All hands to mischief, ahoy!'"

On Christmas Eve 1862, Sisters of the Holy Cross, pioneers of the US Navy Nurse Corps , boarded the first hospital ship, The Red Rover, which aided the wounded soldiers of both sides during the American Civil War.

It is possible the name of the game derives either from the shuttling motion of a ship across a river, or, in the case of the nurses, from aid being given to both sides of a conflict.

See also

• British Bulldogs
• Hana Ichi Monme (A similar Japanese game.)