What is Catch In or Out?

Catch In or Out puts one volunteer in a marked square as the catcher, with everyone else waiting in an inner circle. Yell "In" and the group breaks for the outer circle without getting tagged; yell "Out" and they scramble back. Whoever gets caught trades places with the catcher, and the round starts again.

It works because the catcher can't just spam the call — miss a tag and they have to return to the square before trying again, so the suspense resets instead of escalating. The role keeps moving around the group instead of settling on one person, and it plays the same way for a six-year-old as it does for a full-grown adult in the same round.

It's not the move for a cramped room or a group that can't run safely — Catch In or Out needs real open space, indoors or out, for the chase to mean anything. For a seated group or a room with nowhere to sprint, reach for a lower-energy activity instead.

The rules

Mark three zones with cones — an inner circle, a square for the catcher, and an outer circle around the whole space.
One volunteer becomes the catcher and stands in the square; everyone else gathers in the inner circle.
The catcher yells "In" whenever they're ready, and runners bolt for the outer circle without crossing it.
Yell "Out" instead, and the runners sprint back into the inner circle.
Catch nobody on a call? The catcher returns to the square before shouting "In" or "Out" again.
Get tagged, and you switch places with the catcher for the next round.

Before you start

Group size: 6–10 players. A full circle with room to spare keeps the chase lively without crowding the boundary.
Cones or similar markers. You'll need enough to lay out three zones — an inner circle, the catcher's square, and an outer circle marking the whole play area.
A gym or open outdoor space. Catch In or Out works indoors or out — just leave real distance between the inner and outer circles so the chase means something.
Age check. Built for ages 6 and up.

How to run it

Mark the play areas 2–3 min
Lay out the inner circle, the catcher's square, and the outer circle with cones before anyone takes a position.
Choose the catcher 30 sec
One volunteer stands in the square. Everyone else moves into the inner circle.
Call "In" 15 sec each
The catcher yells "In" whenever they're ready. Runners break for the outer circle, trying not to get tagged before they cross it.
Call "Out" 15 sec each
The catcher can also yell "Out," sending everyone sprinting back into the inner circle instead.
Reset after a miss 10 sec each
If the catcher tags nobody, they have to return to the square before calling "In" or "Out" again — no calling from outside the box.
Switch and continue 8–10 min
Whoever gets tagged trades places with the catcher, and the next round starts on the new catcher's call.

← nobody stays the catcher for long.

Facilitator tips

Mark the boundaries clearlyBright or oversized cones for all three zones mean less arguing about who crossed the line and more actual chasing.

Keep the calls to two words"In" and "Out" are the whole vocabulary. Anything longer slows the catcher down and gives runners extra reaction time they shouldn't get.

Rotate the catcher on a timer, not just a tagIf one player is dominating as catcher, swap in a new one every few rounds so everyone gets a turn running the game.

Offer a modification, not a benchA player who can't run can still call "In" or "Out" as catcher, or cover ground with a scooter or wheelchair as a runner — the roles still work the same way.

Why it works

Reaction time, on a single wordThe catcher's call is unpredictable by design — "In" and "Out" send runners in opposite directions, so every round tests how fast players process one shouted word.

Agility from reversal, not just runningRunners have to change direction across a boundary line on command, which builds quicker turns than a straight chase ever would.

Spatial awareness across three zonesStaying inside the outer circle while dodging the catcher and other runners means constantly tracking where the boundaries and other players are, not just where the catcher is.

HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"This is the one I reach for when a room needs to move. It's dead simple to explain, needs nothing but a handful of cones, and works just as well in a gym as a backyard. The switch between catcher and runner keeps everyone in it — nobody gets to coast on the sideline for long."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

For classrooms and teams that want the debrief — these turn the chase into a conversation.

What did you enjoy most about playing Catch In or Out?A quick temperature check, and a natural opener for the debrief.
How did working as a team help you in this game?Gets the group naming the cooperation they just did without noticing.
What strategies did you use to avoid being caught by the catcher?Sharing tactics helps the whole group get better before the next round.
Did you find it difficult to follow the catcher's calls of "In" or "Out"? What made it challenging?Surfaces whether the rules need a clearer explanation next time.
How did you feel when you were the catcher? Did that change as roles switched?Encourages empathy for both sides of the chase.
What can we learn from this game that applies outside of it?Connects quick reactions and role-switching to situations off the field.