How to Play Kick the Can
Kick the Can is an outdoor chase and hiding game that combines elements of tag, hide-and-seek, and prisoner rescue into a single, high-energy round. One player acts as the guard, defending a can on the ground while trying to capture every other player before anyone can dash back and kick it.
It plays best in large open spaces with plenty of cover: parks, back gardens, schoolyards, and quiet streets have hosted it for generations. The appeal is straightforward: the guard is always outnumbered, tension builds with every capture, and a single well-timed kick can unravel everything the guard has achieved.
A little history
Kick the Can is widely regarded as a traditional street and playground game that became popular across the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia during the early-to-mid twentieth century, most likely spreading through schoolyard play rather than any single documented origin. Its roots appear to lie in older prisoner-rescue variants of tag, and its origins are unclear beyond that broad lineage. The use of a tin can as the central prop reflects the game's informal, improvised character: any robust, kickable object served the same purpose.
Setting up
- Choose a flat, open area with enough surrounding cover (trees, bushes, walls) that hiding is genuinely possible.
- Place the can on the ground in a clearly visible central spot, often called 'the base' or 'the home base'.
- Mark a 'jail' area nearby, typically a few metres from the can, large enough to hold all players at once.
- Select one player to be the guard. This is usually decided by volunteering, counting out, or the loser of the previous round.
- All other players gather around the can. The guard closes their eyes and counts aloud to an agreed number, typically 30 to 60, while everyone scatters and hides.
How to play
- Once the guard finishes counting, they open their eyes and begin searching for hidden players. The can must not be left unattended for long, as hiders are always watching.
- When the guard spots a hider, they call out that player's name and a clear description of their location, for example: 'I see Jamie behind the oak tree.' The guard must be specific enough that there is no dispute.
- If the call is valid and accepted, the named player is caught and walks to the jail area, where they must stay until freed.
- The guard must physically return to the can and touch it after each successful call before searching further. Failing to do so means the call does not count.
- Any free hider may attempt to sprint to the can and kick it at any time. The guard may tag a hider who is running for the can before the kick lands; if tagged, that player goes to jail.
- If a hider successfully kicks the can, all players currently in jail are immediately freed and scatter to hide again. The guard must retrieve the can, return it to the base, and resume counting from an agreed shorter number, commonly 10 to 20, before searching again.
- The guard wins the round by getting every player into jail simultaneously, with the can still standing at the base.
- The player who was first sent to jail, or the player judged to have made the game most difficult for the guard, typically becomes the next guard. Groups often simply rotate or vote.
Winning and scoring
The guard wins the round by capturing all players and placing them in jail at the same time, with no free players remaining and the can undisturbed. There is no point scoring in the standard game: winning means completing that task before anyone kicks the can. Because a single successful kick resets captured players, the guard's task is genuinely difficult and rounds can last a long time. Many groups play for a set number of rounds with a tally of how quickly each guard achieved a full jail, though this is a house variation rather than a standard rule.
The fine points
The most common dispute concerns the guard's call. The call must name the player and give a specific location: calling 'I see someone near the fence' is not sufficient. If a guard makes a vague call and the player disputes it, the standard ruling is that the player remains free. The guard must also have touched the can after returning from a previous call before the new call counts; any call made while away from the can is void.
A second frequent argument involves simultaneous events: a hider kicks the can at the same moment the guard tags them. The standard ruling favours the kick if the can visibly moved before the tag was made. Players should agree on this ruling before the round starts. On the question of the jail boundary, players in jail may not assist hiders by shouting directions to them; doing so is widely treated as a foul, and the offending player's jail term is extended by the group's agreement, though specific penalties vary by local custom.
How to win more often
- Guard: position yourself so you have a clear sightline to the can at all times. Never chase a hider so far that someone else can sprint to the can uncontested.
- Guard: try to call out players who are close to the base first. A nearby hider is the greatest threat; distant ones can wait.
- Hider: do not rush the can alone if the guard is close. Wait until the guard is distracted by another player moving, then commit fully to the sprint.
- Hider: coordinate with other free players if possible. One player acts as a decoy, drawing the guard away, while another makes the real run for the can.
- Guard: after retrieving a kicked can, use the recount time to scan the area before announcing your count is finished. You are allowed to look; you are only barred from moving until you are done counting.
Variations
Team Kick the Can
Players split into two equal teams before the round begins. One team guards the can collectively while the other team hides. Guard team members may split up to search, but only one guard needs to make a valid call to send a hider to jail. The hiding team wins if they free all their captured teammates; the guarding team wins by jailing everyone. Teams swap roles after each round.
Multiple Cans
Two or three cans are placed at different points in the playing area. The guard must defend all of them simultaneously. Any hider who successfully kicks one can frees everyone in jail, regardless of which can is kicked. This variant suits larger player counts and larger spaces and keeps the guard under constant pressure from multiple directions.
No-Name Kick the Can
In this variant, the guard does not call out the hider's name. Instead, the guard must physically chase and tag the hider to put them in jail. This removes all disputes about valid calls and makes the game more physically demanding for the guard. It works best in medium-sized spaces where a chase is possible but the can is still vulnerable.
Timed Guard
Rather than playing until the guard captures everyone, a time limit of ten or fifteen minutes is set. If the guard fails to jail all players within the time, the guard loses and must take the role again next round. If the guard succeeds before time runs out, the first-jailed player takes the next turn. This variation keeps rounds to a predictable length and suits groups with limited time.
Kick the Can: frequently asked questions
How many players do you need to play Kick the Can?
You need at least four players for the game to work properly: one guard and three hiders. Fewer than that and there is not enough pressure on the guard to make freeing prisoners meaningful. The game is at its best with six to twelve players.
What happens if the guard makes a wrong call, naming a player who is not actually where they say?
The call is void and the named player stays free. The guard must return to the can and may then make another call. Being precise about location is part of the guard's job, and false calls cost the guard time and position.
Can players in jail help their teammates by calling out the guard's position?
In the standard game, prisoners are not permitted to give directions or warnings to free players. Most groups treat this as an automatic foul, though the specific penalty is agreed locally before play begins.
Does the guard have to touch the can before making every single call?
Yes. After each valid catch, the guard must return to and physically touch the can before their next call counts. This is the central constraint on the guard's movement and the rule most often forgotten by new players.
What is a suitable playing area for Kick the Can?
A park, large garden, or schoolyard with trees, bushes, or other cover works well. The space should be large enough that hiding is genuinely possible but bounded enough that players cannot simply walk away from the game. Agree on clear boundaries before you start.
Is Kick the Can suitable for younger children?
The game is generally suitable from age six upwards, though younger children may need the counting number reduced and the boundaries kept tight. Mixed-age groups work well provided older players are mindful when tagging smaller children at speed.
What do you do if nobody wants to be the guard?
Use any standard counting-out method such as odds and evens, drawing straws, or a rhyme count. Alternatively, the player who was first caught in the previous round takes the guard role next: this creates a fair rotation with a built-in incentive to stay hidden as long as possible.
Can the guard move the can to a more defensible position?
No. The can must remain on the spot where it was originally placed, or returned to exactly that spot after being kicked. The guard may not reposition it during play.