Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 51aab9e08ad426f5d7532aed860d36da781f77f851eca383212383303d73ead7

# Elbow Tag

Pairs stand scattered across an open room with linked elbows while a chaser pursues an unlinked runner. When the runner links an elbow with either partner, the opposite person is bumped free and becomes the new runner.

**Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested 10 minutes (fits traditional 5 to 15 minute tag warm-up band).
**People:** 8 to 24. One chaser, one initial runner, and the remaining participants standing in stationary pairs with elbows linked.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Re-energize the room through brief bursts of movement, awareness, and fast role switching.
**Use it when:** Use during an afternoon lull or between intense work blocks when people need physical movement and quick spatial coordination.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the space has tight obstructions, slippery flooring, or when group members cannot participate in fast foot movement or arm-linking.

## Materials and tools

- No special equipment needed; floor cones or painter tape optional to mark boundaries.

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open indoor area or move to an outdoor lawn with safe footing and clear boundaries.

## Say this to open

We are going to play Elbow Tag. Two people will start active: one chaser and one runner. Everyone else, find a partner, link one elbow, and put your outside hand on your hip. If you are the runner, you escape by hooking elbows with either person in any pair. Once you hook in, that pair now has three people, which is one too many. The person on the far outside is instantly bumped out and becomes the new runner. If the chaser tags you before you link, roles switch immediately: you become the chaser, and the person who tagged you becomes the runner.

## How to run it

### 1. Set boundaries and pairs (2 minutes)

Check the room for obstacles. Form participants into pairs with elbows linked and outside hands on hips. Pairs spread out across the space and remain stationary. Select two volunteers: one to be 'It' (the chaser) and one to be the runner. If the group has an odd number of people, form one trio or invite the extra person to act as a sideline boundary monitor.

### 2. Demonstrate the bump mechanic (2 minutes)

Walk through one slow-motion demonstration. The runner walks up and links an elbow with Partner A of a pair. Explain that Partner B, who is on the opposite side, must immediately release their arm, put their hands ready, and run. Partner A stays linked to the new runner. Show what happens on a tag: a gentle two-finger tag on the upper arm or shoulder switches the roles of runner and chaser.

### 3. Play active rounds (4 minutes)

Start the chase. Call out rule reminders if pairs forget to stay stationary until bumped. If a chase continues for more than 45 seconds without a switch, call 'Link now!' to prompt the runner into a pair, or rotate in fresh runners and chasers. Pause briefly halfway to let everyone catch their breath and adjust pacing.

### 4. Cool down and debrief (2 minutes)

Bring the group to a circle to catch their breath. Ask two quick reflection questions about anticipation and role changes, then transition into the next agenda item.


## Debrief questions

- What cues helped you anticipate that your partner was about to get linked, making you the runner?
- How did the dynamic shift once people started linking quickly rather than running long sprints?

**Finished output:** A shared physical warm-up completed with all participants rotating through roles or active support.

## Remote

Elbow Tag requires physical dodging and spatial linking, so it cannot run online without becoming a different game. For remote teams, run a virtual naming game like 'Hot Potato Tag' instead: one person names a colleague to pass a virtual object within three seconds, and that colleague names someone else before the timer expires.

## Hybrid

Elbow Tag is strictly an in-person physical game. Hybrid groups should run an alternate verbal warm-up together, or present people can play while remote colleagues take a timed movement break.

## Access and participation choices

- Walking-only modification: all participants must keep one foot on the floor at all times, removing running while preserving the logic.
- Participants can opt out of physical contact by acting as safety referees, boundary line callers, or step-in callers.
- Anyone may release linked arms at any time for comfort without stopping the game.

## If the session gets stuck

**The runner keeps running in circles without linking, tiring out the chaser.**

Enforce a five-second link rule: any runner must link to a pair within five seconds of entering open space.

**Participants grab or pull each other when linking.**

Pause and remind the group that contact is strictly linking an elbow, with gentle shoulder tags only. No tackling or pulling allowed.


## Terms used here

- The Bump: The moment a runner links an arm to a pair, forcing the opposite outside partner to release and run.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Teampedia as an open playground and icebreaker tag game.

Retained the traditional rules and mechanic recorded in Teampedia (observation-0, cached-public-d99f538e9e1b). UWT added step durations, a walking variation for accessibility, boundary safety rules, explicit consent options, and debrief prompts.

[Teampedia](https://www.teampedia.net/wiki/Elbow_Tag)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/elbow-tag/