How to Play Foam Tag
On a field eighteen meters (59 feet) long by nine meters (29.5 feet) wide, one meter from either end in the middle, place each sides Marker. Four meters in front of each sides Marker, in the middle, place each sides Barricade. In the center of the field (four meters in front of each sides Barricade), place the Center Field Marker. Extra Barricades are recommended for six or more players, and can be placed anywhere on the field.
Games have 9 x 60 second rounds with a 90 second “rest and reset” between each round for Dart pickup, reloading, reseting the field, re-hydrating if needed, and recording the score. A game lasts twenty four minutes.
Payload
Objective: A Helicopter is arriving at the field in 60 seconds to collect a Payload from a Payload Stand. To win, retrieve your your Payload from the Center Field Marker and place it on your Payload Stand whilst ensuring the oppositions Payload is not on their Payload Stand when the Heli arrives.
Setup: Place Payloads on the Center Field Marker. Players start at their Marker.
Rules: When tagged by a Foam Dart or Foam Sword, players can no longer tag other players until they run around their Marker, unless they are tagged within a meter of their Marker. Players can only carry their Payload for the purpose of taking it to their payload stand and can not engage the opposition whilst doing so. Players can toss oppositions Payload anywhere on the field except into their own zone.
Conquest
Objective: A Helicopter is arriving at the Center Field Marker in 60 seconds to collect the Payload closest to it. To win, place your Payload closer to the Center Field Marker than the oppositions.
Setup: Place Payloads on their Payload Stands. Players start at their Marker.
Rules: When tagged by a Foam Dart or Foam Sword, players must run around their Marker to resume play. The only exception is if a player is tagged within a meter of their Marker. Players can only carry their Payload for the purpose of taking it to the Center Field Marker, and can not engage the opposition whilst doing so. Players can toss oppositions Payload anywhere on the field except into their own zone.
Rush
Objective: Attackers win by activating the 20 second alarm and ensuring it goes off before the end of the round. Defenders win by ensuring the alarm does not go off before the end of the round.
Setup: Place a phone/timer with a 20 second countdown on top of the Center Field Marker, or on a small table/stool/upside down bucket on top of the Center Field Marker. Players start at their Marker.
Rules: When tagged by a Foam Dart or Foam Sword, players can no longer tag other players until they run around their Marker. The only exception is if a player is tagged within a meter of their Marker.
Elimination
Objective: Eliminate (tag) all players on the opposition to win.
Setup: Players start at their Marker.
Rules: When tagged by a Foam Dart or Foam Sword, players must exit the field and await the next round.
Backyard Blasters 