Red Rover
Two teams hold hands in facing lines — 'Red Rover, Red Rover, send [name] on over!' — the summoned player charges the line.
🌤outdoor
What is Red Rover?
Red Rover is a playground team game popular across the Anglosphere. Two teams line up hand-in-hand facing each other about 10 metres apart. One team calls out 'Red Rover, Red Rover, send [player name] on over!' — the named player from the opposing team charges the line, trying to break through the linked hands. Success brings a player back; failure joins the opposing team. Last team with players wins.
Quick facts
Category
Playground Games
Type
Team sport
Players
8–30
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
19th-century England — spread across the Anglosphere
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified