Youth Ministry Games : Capture the Pookie

-This game plays like Capture the Flag.

-There are two "flags", which are Pookies. Pookies are named after Garfield's Teddy Bear, Pookie. So, the "flags" are huge Teddy Bears (the biggest you can find and afford). This is the main difference from Capture the Flag, making it harder to run with the "flag" and harder to hide it. (Plus it's funny to see a football jock running for his life, dodging socks, and holding a huge Teddy Bear.)

-You have a field divided in half. The more rocks, trees, and hills there are, the better the game is. Plus this game plays better at dark and in the snow (most games play better in the snow).

-The Pookies are hidden by both teams on their team's side of the field. The hiding rules are that it can't be on anything (examples: in a tree, on a roof, in a trashcan), and that no guards can stand within 20 feet of it, unless chasing a member of the other team.

-Both teams should be divided evenly, and there should be at least 20 people total playing the game (10 on each side, and that's pushing it).

-One third of each team is defense, and two thirds is offense. So if each team has 30 members, only ten can stay on that team's side. The other 20 should be on the other team's side hunting for the Pookie.

-The object of this game is to capture the other team's Pookie, and to carry it over the team line onto your side.

-The Capture the Flag tagging method is simple. With the field divided in half, each team gets a side. When someone from the other team is on your side, you tag them, and they go to your jail until their other team members free them.

-The next big change is the tagging method. This is how we control who is on defense and who is on offense. With Capture the Flag, most of both teams would be defense making offense almost impossible, and games would last too long. Plus, guys always had an unfair advantage over girls, being able to outrun them.

-In Capture the Pookie, the taggers are the defense and make up one third of the total team, so you'll have twice as many on offense as defense. (If 30 are on a team, 10 are defense.) Each defender gets one rolled sock (a rolled sock is usually a pair of socks tied and then rolled). The defenders use the socks to "tag" the other team's offense. If one of the other team's defense (someone with a sock) is hit by a sock on your side then they are sent to your prison, and your team gets their team's sock. If they are on your side and hit you with a sock, it doesn't count, and your team can steal the sock (since it's on your side), picking it up before they do. So it's important that those with socks stay defense. The way to switch from defense to offense is to give your sock to someone on your team who is offense. But there can never be more defense on you team unless you "steal" a sock fairly (it's brought to your side by the other team).

-This system is important because those who want to be defense but can't are hurting their team by staying on the defense side without a sock. Since the offense outnumbers the defense 2 to 1, the best strategy is for the offense to "charge".

-Only those with socks can be defense and "tag" the other team's offense (while on your side). The sock can be thrown or used to tag by hand. Nobody can tag without a sock. If they don't have a sock, they need to go pick it up (because they threw it), or they are on offense.

-The problem with playing at night in the snow is that socks might become lost, being white. The defense should pay attention to where they throw socks. If a rolled sock is found, and the finder doesn't know whose it is, the finder should give it to the defensive team for that side. If the finder is on the offensive team, then the finder should probably just leave it. The offensive team cannot take a sock thrown by the other team or found on the other team's side to their defensive side.

-If playing in the snow and socks become soaked, ring them out before throwing so it doesn't hurt as much.

-There is one jail on each side. The jail is placed by cones about halfway down each field. If you are tagged while on the other team's side, you must go to their jail.

-There can be one jailor assigned to guard the jail. The jailor must be 10 feet away from the jail, unless chasing an offensive player from the other team.

-The prisoners can be released one at a time. If an offensive player makes it into the jail without being tagged, they are safe, and then the player releases one prisoner and both must return directly back to their side (invincible to the defense) before trying to free another prisoner. If they don't return directly, they lose their "invincibility" and can be hit by the defense again. They can't free anyone else until they return to the other side.

-If a prisoner runs out from the prison without being legally free, the player is disqualified from the game.

-The Archangels is another new addition. Not necessary, but fun, the Archangels are staff members dressed up commonly (yellow T-shirts, Halo hats, etc.). They are an immortal third party (like refs that play the game). They tag with their hands and can tag anybody, whether defense or offense. If you are tagged by an Archangel, you must go to the other team's jail no matter where you are.

-The Archangel's job is to go after the players who make the game unfair. These are the main people they should go after: Any offensive players who are relaxing on their defensive side, defensive players who are helping out the jailor, any offensive player who is returning to their side with the Pookie, offensive players when they charge the other side in large groups (they could charge in a group of twenty), and team members that are so good that the team has an advantage over the other one. Of course, if they can't find those people, the Archangels are to run around scaring everybody and catching some.

-Every 30 minutes into the game, the Archangels will call out "JAIL BREAK" and all prisoners are free, and must walk directly to their side (invincible to the defense) before returning. If they do not go directly to the other side the defense may hit them and imprison them again.

-After "Jail Break" is called, the Archangels should be making sure everybody returns to their side directly. If they do not, the Archangel should tag them and imprison them again.

-I told you it was exhaustive. You should make a night of it and have two games, switching sides. If both teams win a game, hold a tie breaking game. So, once again, these are the changes Capture the Pookie makes to Capture the Flag: Pookies instead of flags, rolled socks instead of tagging, which reduces the amount of defensive players, and the Archangels (interactive refs).