How to Play Piggy in the Middle

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

Piggy in the Middle is a three-player throwing and catching game in which one player stands between two others and tries to intercept a ball being passed over their head. It requires no equipment beyond a ball and a patch of open ground, which makes it one of the most accessible outdoor games around.

Its appeal is simple: it is easy to learn in under a minute, genuinely tiring, and creates real tension for all three players. It works equally well as a quick break activity in a garden or as a longer session in a park or playground.

A little history

The exact origins of Piggy in the Middle are unclear. The game is widely documented in British playground culture throughout the twentieth century and appears in several UK collections of traditional children's games from the mid-1900s onwards. The term "piggy in the middle" passed into common use as a general English idiom for anyone caught between two opposing parties, which suggests the game had been established long enough to generate figurative language, but no firm date or place of invention has been reliably recorded.

Setting up

1. Find a clear, flat open space with enough room for two players to stand a comfortable throwing distance apart, typically 5 to 10 metres.
2. Decide who will be the first Piggy. A common method is to have all three players call odds or evens, or simply volunteer.
3. The two non-Piggy players (the Outers) stand at either end of the playing area facing each other.
4. The Piggy stands in the middle of the space between the two Outers, facing whichever direction they choose.

How to play

1. The two Outers throw the ball back and forth to each other over or around the Piggy.
2. The Piggy's sole aim is to intercept the ball by catching it cleanly in their hands or, in the simpler version, by touching the ball at any point during its flight or while it is in a player's hands.
3. The Outers may not walk or run away with the ball; they must release a throw within a reasonable time (agree a count of three before the game if needed).
4. The Outers may use a lob, a flat throw, or any legal throw they choose to get the ball past the Piggy.
5. If the Piggy catches or touches the ball, the player who threw it becomes the new Piggy and swaps into the middle.
6. If the ball is dropped by an Outer during a catch, the ball is dead: the Piggy may not tag it on the bounce, and the Outer simply picks it up and continues.
7. Play continues with the new Piggy in the middle. There is no formal end point; the game runs until players decide to stop.

Winning and scoring

Piggy in the Middle is traditionally played without a points system or a winning condition. The goal for the Piggy is simply to escape the middle as quickly as possible, and the Outers aim to keep them trapped. For a competitive version, players can count how many throws each person concedes while they are in the middle, and the player with the lowest total after an agreed number of rounds wins.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns whether a deflection counts. Standard ruling: if the Piggy deliberately touches the ball while it is in flight and it then falls to the ground, that counts as an interception and the thrower swaps in. If the ball merely clips the Piggy accidentally and they did not make a deliberate play for it, it does not count. Agree this before you start.

A second dispute arises when an Outer deliberately holds the ball for a long time to frustrate the Piggy. The fairest fix is a three-second rule: once an Outer has the ball, they must throw within three seconds or the Piggy may touch the ball without it counting as an interception, simply to restart play. If a throw goes wildly out of play and the Piggy retrieves it, they do not earn a swap; they simply return it to the nearest Outer.

How to win more often

• As the Piggy, position yourself slightly off-centre towards whichever Outer has the worse throwing arm; they are more likely to produce a catchable throw.
• Watch the thrower's eyes and shoulders rather than the ball; most players telegraph the direction of their throw a fraction of a second before they release.
• As an Outer, vary the height and pace of your throws. A looping high lob can be just as effective as a fast flat pass because it gives the Piggy more time to react but also more time to get under it.
• The Piggy should not commit to chasing every throw; feinting a run to one side to draw a predictable throw back the other way is often more effective than flat-out sprinting.
• Outers should agree simple signals or eye contact to coordinate fakes, drawing the Piggy one way before throwing the other.

Variations

Touch Version

In this simpler version, popular with younger children, the Piggy does not need to catch the ball cleanly. Any deliberate touch of the ball, including touching it while it is in an Outer's hands, is enough to trigger a swap. This makes the game more accessible for under-sixes and keeps the pace high.

Counting Piggy

Each time a player goes into the middle, they count how many throws it takes them to make an interception. Scores are recorded across multiple rounds and the player with the lowest cumulative count at the end wins. This adds a competitive edge and rewards skill rather than luck.

Expanded Middle

With four or five players, two or more players occupy the middle at once and must work together to intercept the ball. The Outer who throws a caught ball still swaps in, and the player who has been in the middle longest swaps out. This scales the game up neatly for larger groups.

Boundary Piggy

Mark two lines on the ground, about eight metres apart. The Outers must stay behind their respective lines when throwing and may not step over to catch. This prevents Outers from simply moving apart until the Piggy cannot possibly reach the throws, and keeps the contest fair across different ages and arm lengths.

Piggy in the Middle: frequently asked questions