Snake Pit

back to: Game Library

Requirements

• Age 8+
• Players 3-10
• Time 3-5 min rounds
• Location Small clear area
• Energy Medium (walking, stalking)
• Materials NONE
• Lead by Pathfinder
• Guides 1

Story

In this game, each player is a venomous snake that must strike other snakes to defeat them. Last snake alive wins!

Action Call

Can you Pay Attention and move quickly to avoid being struck by other snakes? Can you strike with strategy, speed, and precision to get other snakes out?

Game

Safety

• Scout playing area for hazards: tripping objects, stinging insects, trash, and much more.

• This game involves tagging other players feet with your feet. All players must be wearing semi-soft-soled, closed-toe shoes. If some people are wearing heavy, hard-soled boots, don't play this game.
• Emphasize that TOES, not whole feet or heels, should be used when tagging other people's feet.

Mission

This game takes a while to explain the first time, but kids love it once they learn the rules.

The goal of each player is to get everyone else out and be the last player in the game. There are three ways a player can get "out":

• The top of their shoe is tagged by the foot of a person making a legal snake strike.
• They get "faked," meaning they jumped off the ground because they THOUGHT that a person was about to strike them, but the person was just faking a strike.
• They jump out of sequence (e.g. player #4 jumps before player #3 has taken their turn).

How the game works:

Gather three to ten people in a close circle. More than ten people is too many.

A Pathfinder identifies themselve as Number #1 and goes around the circle assigning a number to each person (#2, #3, #4, etc.). These numbers establish the order of play.

The Pathfinder calls “3, 2, 1, snake pit!” and everyone immediately jumps back and away from the circle (both feet must leave the ground, then return to the ground).

As soon as everyone has landed (on both feet), player #1 can initiate a snake strike, which means they jump towards another player and try to tag the top of that peron's shoe with their sole. Only the person whose turn it is can snake strike to get another player out.

HOWEVER: whenever a player is making a snake strike (i.e., whenever they're jumping), ALL OTHER PLAYERS can make a "RESPONSE" jump, in any direction they want. Response jumps can be used to dodge snake strikes, move away from threats, or move closer to targets. Response jumps can ONLY start AFTER the person making a snake strike has started their jump but BEFORE the last foot of the person making the snake strike lands. If a player makes a response jump BEFORE the person whose turn it is has made their snake strike jump, they have been "faked" and they are OUT.

When a person's foot is tagged during a snake strike, they are OUT.

As soon as player #1 has made their snake strike (and other players have made their response jump), player #2 can make a snake strike, then player #3, etc.

When a person gets out, the number order is still maintained. So if player #4 tags player #5, and player #6 is already out, it's player #7's turn.

Play continues until only one person is left. The winner becomes the leader to start the next game.

Strike rules

• All jumps must be "unified" and single-directional, meaning players can't jump, land on one foot, balance for a moment, then put down their second foot in a different direction. Players feet may leave the ground and land at SLIGHTLY different times as long as the jump is "one action" with no pausing or hovering.
• Snake Pit is a "foot-only" contact sport. If other parts of player's bodies (hands, arms, legs, etc.) touch, there is no consequence. However, it is illegal for players to BLOCK the body of someone doing a snake strike by using any part of their body. The only way to avoid being tagged by a snake strike is to MOVE YOUR FEET out of the way!
• No jumping with hands on the ground (no cartwheels, handstands, etc.)
• Feet MAY land on two different surfaces, such as one foot on a big rock and one on the ground.
• Players MAY pivot their feet ONCE before jumping, on either their toes or heels.
• Each player should make their snake strike within about five seconds of it becoming their turn.

Modify

• Obstacle pit. Choose a playing area with varied terrain or lots of obstacles.

• All snakes are deadly. In this version, response jumps ALSO count as snake strikes, meaning anyone can get anyone out during a strike. For example, say it's player #3's turn and they make a snake strike at player #8. But just before player #3 lands, player #8 jumps straight up, avoiding player #3's tag, and when they come down, they tag player #3. Meanwhile, during their response jumps, player #5 tagged player #1.