Elimination is archery tag at its simplest and still its best. Two teams start at opposite ends of the field, and every hit sends a player out. The last team with a player standing wins the round.
It is the right first game for any group because there is only one rule to learn, and it teaches everything the other modes build on: using cover, moving as a team and choosing your shots.
At a glance
| Players | 4 to 20, in two even teams |
| Ages | 9 and up, supervised |
| Field | Backyard to full field |
| Round length | 3 to 6 minutes |
| Gear | Bows, foam-tip arrows, a mask per player, 4 to 8 bunkers, cones |
Setting up the field
Mark a rectangle with cones, a centre line across the middle, and a base at each end. Place the bunkers as mirror images on each side of the centre line, so neither team gets the better cover. Split the arrows evenly and leave them at each base, or along the centre line for a fast start.
Setup: two teams, a mirrored field
How to play
1. Start in your base
Both teams wait in their base, masks on. The referee checks every mask and blows the whistle to start.
2. Advance and use cover
Move from bunker to bunker. Shoot from behind cover rather than in the open, and call out where opponents are hiding.
3. A hit is a hit
Any arrow that hits you on the body or limbs puts you out. Raise a hand, walk off by the sideline and wait in your team’s out zone.
4. Collect arrows on your side
Pick up arrows only from the ground on your own side of the centre line, never from another player.
5. Last team standing wins
The round ends when one team has no players left, or when time runs out. Then the team with more players standing wins.
A hit puts you out
Optional catch rule: catch to bring a teammate back
Rules that keep it fair and safe
- Body and limb hits count. Aim low and never go for the head.
- No shooting inside the agreed minimum distance; tag-calls at close range count instead.
- A player who is out keeps their hand up and walks off by the sideline, never across the field.
- Arrows that hit a bunker or the ground first don’t count.
- The referee’s whistle stops everything. Bows down, stand still.
Variations
Optional catch rule. For experienced groups wearing full masks: if you cleanly catch an arrow, the shooter is out and your first eliminated teammate comes back in. Skip it for younger players, since catching puts hands near incoming arrows.
Lives. Give every player two lives. A first hit sends them back to touch their base line before rejoining.
Sudden death. If time runs out level, play a 60-second round with the field shrunk to the middle third.
Get the gear for this game
Elimination needs the core kit and nothing more: bows, foam-tip arrows, a full-face mask per player and a few bunkers. Our backyard and birthday kits are built for exactly this game.
