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: 5ad02037d1031defccc1ff9a4d68ee4352367f22f2eeda6198aa294d7f834517

# Rock Paper Scissors Tournament

Participants play rapid pairwise rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Eliminated players join behind their victor as a personal cheering squad until two finalists meet with the entire room backing them.

**Time:** 10 minutes. Icebreaker-Games.org lists 15 minutes or 5 to 7 minutes for 20 players; 10 minutes fits a 24-person run including debrief.
**People:** 6 to 24. Initial pairs merging into two large squads backing the final pair

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Re-energize a group and shift focus from individual elimination to collective cheering.
**Use it when:** Use during energy slumps, post-lunch lulls, or to kick off an informal gathering where quick physical movement is welcome.
**Skip it when:** Skip during somber meetings, high-stakes formal negotiations, or in spaces where loud vocal cheering and milling about will disrupt adjacent rooms.

## Materials and tools

- No special materials.

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open floor space so people can move around freely without bumping into furniture.

## Say this to open

Find a partner facing you. When I say go, play one round of standard Rock, Paper, Scissors. If you win, you stay in the tournament and find another winner. If you lose, you become that winner's personal fan. Follow them, cheer for them, and join their cheering section for every round they play.

## How to run it

### 1. Pair up and explain rules (2 minutes)

Explain the rules and standard hand signals (Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beats Paper, Paper beats Rock). If an odd number is present, assign one person an automatic bye into round two or have them act as referee. Confirm everyone understands that ties immediately repeat until one person wins.

### 2. Run preliminary rounds (3 minutes)

Call 'Go!' Everyone plays their initial partner. Winners immediately seek out other winners. Defeated players step behind their victor and cheer them on. When two winners face each other, the losing winner and their entire cheering section join the victor's entourage.

### 3. Stage the final showdown (3 minutes)

When only two active players remain, bring them to the center of the room. Their respective cheering squads assemble behind them. Have the two finalists play a best-of-three match to determine the tournament champion.

### 4. Debrief group dynamics (2 minutes)

Gather the group and ask one or two brief reflection questions before transitioning to the next agenda item. Take two or three quick volunteer responses.


## Debrief questions

- How did the atmosphere change as individual competitors turned into supporting cheer squads?
- What did it feel like to cheer for someone who knocked you out just moments earlier?

**Finished output:** One tournament winner crowned with full room support; group mobilized and energized.

## Remote

Run in the main video room without breakout rooms. All players start with cameras on. The facilitator pairs players verbally. Paired players count '1, 2, 3, shoot' and show their hand gesture to the camera. The player who loses turns off their camera and types supportive cheers in the chat for the winner. Continue until two players with cameras on remain for the final round.

## Hybrid

In-person players pair with in-person players and remote players pair with remote players during preliminary rounds. When one in-person finalist and one remote finalist remain, feature the remote player on the main room screen so the entire in-person and remote room can watch and cheer the final face-off together.

## Access and participation choices

- Silent cheering (waving hands, silent clapping, or visual signs) is completely valid for anyone sensitive to noise or wishing not to shout.
- Participants may opt out of moving or playing by serving as neutral referees or scorekeepers without needing to give an explanation.

## If the session gets stuck

**Two winning players cannot find each other because crowds are milling around.**

Instruct remaining active players to raise both hands high in the air so they can spot each other across the room.

**An odd number of players leaves someone without a partner in round one.**

Give that player a round-one bye to immediately face a winner from the first wave, or ask them to serve as official referee for the final round.


## Sources and adaptation

Observed on Icebreaker-Games.org as 'Rock Paper Scissors Tourney'. Common traditional folk game and improv warm-up convention.

Retained core mechanic and cheering-section escalation from Icebreaker-Games.org. Structured into explicit timeboxed steps, added odd-player resolution, quiet cheering access options, remote camera-toggle instructions, and debrief prompts.

[Icebreaker-Games.org](https://icebreaker-games.org/rock-paper-scissors-tourney)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/rock-paper-scissors-tournament-high-energy-team-game/