# The Splits

Pairs play Rock-Paper-Scissors while managing foot placement on an imaginary line. Each round causes partners to step back or slide forward until one person loses balance or concedes.

**Time:** 8 minutes. UWT suggested duration based on Playmeo under 5-minute activity plus pairing and brief debrief
**People:** 4 to 24. Pairs; an odd participant can act as referee or partner with the facilitator

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Re-energize a group through a brief, lighthearted physical coordination game.
**Use it when:** Use during an afternoon lull or between intense working sessions when participants need quick physical movement.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants have mobility limitations, hip or knee pain, slippery footwear, or prefer not to engage in competitive physical play.

## Materials and tools

- Floor space with non-slippery surface; optional roll of painter tape to mark floor lines

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear furniture to allow pairs at least 2 meters of clear floor space along straight lines.

## Say this to open

Find a partner and face each other along an imaginary straight line on the floor. Touch your right toes together, then place your left foot directly behind your right foot. You are going to play Rock-Paper-Scissors. The winner retreats, the loser follows, and we will see who can keep their balance.

## How to run it

### 1. Set up pairs and demonstrate (2 minutes)

Explain the mechanics and demonstrate with a volunteer. Both stand toe-to-toe on an imaginary line in tandem stance (right foot forward touching partner toe, left foot immediately behind). Explain that only the front foot moves each round.

### 2. Play first duel (2 minutes)

Pairs play Rock-Paper-Scissors. On each duel: the winner picks up their front foot and places it directly behind their back foot. The loser slides their front foot forward along the line until it touches the winner's new front toe. Ties replay immediately. A round ends when someone steps off the line, touches the floor to steady themselves, or calls a stop.

### 3. Swap roles or partners and replay (2 minutes)

Reset the line. Pairs may switch starting lead feet (left foot forward) or rotate to a new partner and play a second match.

### 4. Debrief and reset (2 minutes)

Bring the room together standing. Ask one or two reflection questions about physical strategy and stability before transitioning back to the agenda.


## Debrief questions

- What happened to your center of gravity as the distance grew?
- How did you adjust your balance when you were forced to slide forward?

**Finished output:** Every pair completes at least one round of the movement duel or an equivalent seated hand-tracking challenge.

## Remote

This activity requires shared physical floor contact and is not fully equivalent online. For a remote team, run 'Digital Duel': pairs meet in breakout rooms or open video, play Rock-Paper-Scissors, and with each loss, the loser must tilt their camera downward or lean backward 5 degrees while maintaining face visibility until one person cannot stay in frame.

## Hybrid

Pair in-person participants together on the physical floor. Pair remote participants together in a virtual breakout using the camera-tilt variant so all participants experience an escalating coordination challenge.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may opt out of standing balance and play seated at a table, using index fingers walking along a tabletop line instead of feet.
- Any participant may stop a round instantly by saying 'reset' without penalty or explanation.
- An individual may serve as referee, scorekeeper, or timekeeper instead of playing.

## If the session gets stuck

**Participants slip in socks or dress shoes.**

Pause play immediately and ask everyone to play in bare feet or flat, rubber-soled shoes.

**A pair overextends into a painful stretch to avoid touching down.**

Remind everyone that touching down or stepping off is the intended end of a round, not a failure. Safety and comfort override winning.


## Terms used here

- Tandem stance: Standing heel-to-toe along a single straight line.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo, where it is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the exact movement and elimination mechanic from Playmeo (Mark Collard), where winner steps front foot behind back foot and loser slides front foot forward to touch partner toe. UWT added structured round timing, an odd-player referee option, tabletop access adaptation, and a distinct remote alternative.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/running-tag-pe-games/the-splits)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/running-tag-pe-games/the-splits/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/hilarious-competitive-partner-game-for-balance-fun-the-splits/