How to Play Bullrush

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Bullrush is a high-energy outdoor chase game for six or more players, typically played on a rectangular grass field or playground. One player starts as the Bull in the centre, while everyone else lines up at one end. On the call, all runners must cross to the opposite end without being tagged. Those who are caught join the Bull in the middle, and the field gradually fills with catchers until only one runner remains.

Its appeal is straightforward: it needs no equipment, scales easily from a handful of children to a large school group, and the tension builds naturally as the odds stack against surviving runners. It is a staple of school lunchtimes and family gatherings wherever there is open space to run.

A little history

Bullrush belongs to a wide family of traditional British and Commonwealth playground games built around the same cross-the-field structure, including British Bulldog and Red Rover. Its origins are unclear, and the precise point at which the name Bullrush became distinct from British Bulldog in common use is not well documented. The name and rules are most widely associated with Australia and New Zealand, where it became a standard school playground game through much of the twentieth century, though versions of the underlying chase format have been recorded in British schoolyards for well over a century.

Setting up

1. Mark two parallel end lines across the width of the playing area, approximately 20 to 40 metres apart. These are the safe zones.
2. Agree the boundaries of the playing field on all four sides before the game begins.
3. One player is chosen as the first Bull, either by mutual agreement, a quick vote, or a counting rhyme.
4. The Bull stands in the centre of the field.
5. All other players line up behind one of the end lines.

How to play

1. The Bull stands in the middle of the field and calls 'Bullrush!' to start each round.
2. On that call, all players behind the end line must immediately leave the safety of that zone and run to the opposite end line.
3. Players may not remain in the safe zone once the call has been made. Deliberate stalling is penalised by the group calling the player out.
4. The Bull attempts to tag any runner before that runner crosses the far end line.
5. A tag is a firm, two-handed touch on the body. Hair and clothing count; contact must be clear and deliberate.
6. Any runner who is tagged before reaching the far end line becomes a Bull and joins the centre for the next round.
7. Runners who reach the far end line are safe and wait there until the next call.
8. The new Bulls join the original Bull in the centre. Together they call 'Bullrush!' to send runners back across to the original end.
9. Play continues, with each failed crossing adding more Bulls to the centre, until only one runner remains.
10. That last runner is the winner and becomes the first Bull in the next game.

Winning and scoring

The last player to avoid being tagged wins the round and is declared the champion. In informal play this player earns the right to call the start of the next game as the first Bull, which is considered the honour position. There is no points scoring in the standard game; each game is a single-elimination contest decided by who survives longest.

The fine points

The most common dispute is over whether a tag was firm enough or whether the runner had already crossed the end line. The standard ruling used in most playground settings is that the tag must land before both feet have crossed the line; if the tag and the line crossing happen simultaneously, the benefit of the doubt goes to the runner. Bulls should use both hands to make tags unambiguous. A one-fingered touch is generally not accepted as a valid tag.

A second frequent argument concerns runners who dodge sideways out of the agreed boundary to avoid a tag. Any runner who steps outside the boundary lines is automatically caught and joins the Bulls. Boundaries must therefore be clearly agreed and, where possible, marked before play begins. Bulls are not permitted to block or hold a runner; they may only tag. Any deliberate obstruction, shoulder-charging, or grabbing of clothing rather than the body is ruled a foul, and the runner is deemed safe for that crossing.

How to win more often

• Wait until the Bulls are committed to chasing someone else, then pick your route and sprint directly to the end line without changing direction more than once.
• If you are a Bull, work with the other Bulls to herd runners toward the boundaries rather than chasing one person across the full width of the field.
• As a runner, crossing in the middle of the pack gives you some cover in the early rounds when there are few Bulls; later in the game, when Bulls are numerous, picking a clear lane on the edge is often safer.
• Do not hesitate at the end line when 'Bullrush' is called. Players who stall give Bulls time to position themselves and are easier to catch.
• As a Bull, target slower or more hesitant runners first to build your numbers quickly; a larger group of Bulls working together is far more effective than one Bull chasing the fastest player.

Variations

Ball Bullrush

Instead of tagging by hand, the Bull or Bulls must hit a runner below the knee with a soft foam ball. A runner struck by the ball joins the Bulls. This version increases the challenge for catchers and suits slightly older or more athletic groups. Use only a soft, lightweight ball and enforce the below-the-knee rule strictly to keep the game safe.

Freeze Bullrush

When tagged, a player is frozen on the spot rather than joining the Bulls. Frozen players can be unfrozen by another free runner who touches them. This continues until all runners are frozen or one runner reaches the far end while all others are frozen. It keeps tagged players active and reduces the snowball effect of the standard rules.

Tunnel Bullrush

Frozen or caught players stand with their legs apart. A free runner who crawls through a frozen player's legs unfreezes them. This adds a cooperative element and is popular with younger children who find the standard game ends too quickly for them once caught.

Category Bullrush

Instead of calling 'Bullrush' to send all runners at once, the Bull calls a category, such as a colour of clothing or a month of birth. Only players who match that category must cross. Everyone else stays put. This slows the game, adds a guessing element, and works well with mixed-age groups where outright speed is not a fair contest.

Bullrush: frequently asked questions