Chase and Catch Games Prisoners Base I
( Chase and Catch, Command and Response, Defense and Attack, Strategy, Tag, Team Wars and Battle )The ground is divided into two equal parts with a small base or prison marked off at the farther end of each division. From five to fifteen players guard each side. They venture into the enemys ground and if caught are put into the prison where they must remain until tagged by one of their own side who is free. Both prisoner and rescuer may be tagged and brought back to prison before reaching their own ground. The game is won when one side makes prisoners of all of its opponents or when a free man enters the opponents prison but this last may be done only when there are no prisoners there.
This form of Prisoners Base differs from others in greater simplicity both as to the arrangement of the ground and the rules of play. It is therefore better for younger players or beginners in the game.
The differences in detail consist in —
1. The ground being divided by a line through the center into two opposing territories. In other forms the main playground is neutral territory each party having a small home goal marked within it.
2. In this game (No. I) a player cannot “give a dare” without venturing into the opponents territory and any opponent may tag him. In other forms the tagging being on neutral territory is controlled by limitations as to which player was last to leave his home goal and makes a more complex game.
The rules about (1) a prisoner and his rescuer both being liable to capture on the way home and (2) to winning by entering the enemys prison with the restriction that no prisoners must be there are also distinctive features.