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Take and Run

Two teams each send a runner to grab one item from the center and sprint it home — get tagged first, and the round resets to zero. It works because the sprint is only half the game: every trip to the center is also a bet against a defender's reflexes.

15–30 min8–16 peopleEasyOne grab itemIn personClassroom ✓
By Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker · Last updated February 19, 2024

What is Take and Run?

Take and Run pits two teams against each other over a single grabbable item: pick one representative, race to the center, grab it, and sprint back to your own safe zone before the other team's runner tags you. Get tagged and the round resets — new representatives, item back in the center. Reach your zone clean and your team scores a point; first team to 5 points wins.

It works because it compresses a whole team's strategy into one short sprint. The runner without the item has to decide, mid-stride, whether to chase the grab or drop back and guard — and if both representatives hesitate, the judge can call in reinforcements from either side, so no round stalls out for long.

It needs real running room and a judge willing to make quick calls — skip it for tight indoor spaces, video calls, or a group under 8, where there isn't enough distance between the center and the safe zones to make either the grab or the tag much of a gamble.

The rules

  1. Split into two teams and set up a safe zone for each, with a neutral judge in the middle.
  2. Choose a designated grab item; skip a ball, since it just rolls away.
  3. The judge calls one representative from each team to the center.
  4. Both representatives race to grab the item first, then sprint for their own safe zone.
  5. The player without the item must tag the runner before they reach their zone to reset the round.
  6. A team scores when its runner reaches the safe zone with the item, untagged; first to 5 points wins.

Before you start

  • Group size: 8–16 players, plus a judge. The judge doesn't count toward either team — they stand in the middle, call names, and rule on tags.
  • One grab item, chosen ahead of time. A bandana, small toy, or other soft object works. Skip anything that rolls, like a ball — it turns the grab into a scramble nobody controls.
  • Two safe zones, marked on either side. Set them up before you start — opposite ends of a room or field both work, as long as the judge can stand between them and see both.
  • Ages 8 and up. The running and tagging call for a bit of speed and coordination, so it plays best from age 8 on.

How to run it

  1. Pick the item and appoint a judge 1–2 min

    Choose your grab item and pick an extra player, outside either team, to referee. They'll hold the item, call names, and make the tag calls.

  2. Mark the safe zones 2–3 min

    Set up a safe zone for each team on opposite sides of the space, with the judge stationed in the middle where they can see both.

  3. Call two representatives to the center 10 sec

    The judge names one player from each team. Both race to the center and try to grab the item first.

  4. Sprint home or make the tag 15 sec

    The player with the item runs for their own safe zone; the other chases and tries to tag them before they get there.

  5. Score, reset, and call the next pair 10–20 min

    A clean run scores a point for that team. A tag resets the round — new item toss, new representatives. First team to 5 points wins; if both reps stall out at the center, the judge can call in more players from either side.

← a bandana beats a ball every time.

Facilitator tips

Swap the item for something softerA soft ball or scarf is easier to grab safely than a stick or a shirt, and it lowers the odds of anyone getting hurt in the scramble.
Let slower players pick their momentInstead of the judge calling names cold, let each team send whoever's ready. It keeps the fastest runner from being the only person who ever plays.
Make the safe zones easy to seeMark them clearly enough that nobody argues about who was in or out — a line of cones or a taped edge both work.
Bring in reinforcements when the room stallsIf both representatives are hanging back, have the judge call more players from each side. It breaks the standoff and gets quieter players into the action too.

Why it works

The call is genuinely randomThe judge names representatives on the spot, so nobody knows when they're up — that unpredictability keeps the whole group alert, not just the fastest two runners.
Every sprint is two decisions at onceChase the item, or drop back and guard your own runner — each representative reads the situation and picks in real time, the same trade-off Capture the Flag runs at a bigger scale.
A tag resets the whole round, not just one playerGet tagged and both representatives return to center together — a near-miss becomes something the whole team absorbs, not a loss one runner carries alone.
HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"I like that this one needs nothing but an item and a judge — you can run it anywhere there's room to sprint. Every representative is grabbing and defending at the same time, and that split-second call is where the real bonding happens, not the running itself."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

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

  1. What did you enjoy most about playing Take and Run?Surfaces the moment that actually landed — usually a specific chase, not the win.
  2. How did you communicate and work with your team during the game?Names what worked, since half the game happens off to the side while a teammate races the center.
  3. What strategies did you try to grab the item, and how did they work?Gets at the split-second read: grab first, or hang back and guard.
  4. Did you hit any setbacks or challenges? How did you handle them?A tag resets the round for everyone — this is the resilience question in disguise.
  5. What did you learn about yourself and your teammates through the game?The judge's random calls put everyone in the center eventually, not just the fastest runners.
  6. Would you play Take and Run again? Why or why not?Gauges real interest, and flags what to adjust before the next round.

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Jon Zajac

Founder & Chief Icebreaker

I started IcebreakerSpot because I believe strong connections are the foundation of successful teams. This site exists to make it easy to find and share the icebreakers and team-building activities that build trust, spark collaboration, and help groups do great things together.

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