Sack Race Rules

You remember. You stuck your right leg in a burlap sack and your uncle stuck his left leg in the same sack—together you feverishly hopped toward the glory of the finish line at the family reunion. Well the sack race is back!

There are numerous variations to sack racing rules. Here are just a few suggestions for you—but half of the fun of these games is putting your own spin on the rules! So get out there and be creative!

Individual Sack Race:

To play you need one burlap sack for each individual participant. The more people racing, the more fun it is.

• Participants will run to the sack, put both feet in and begin hopping toward the finish line.
• Contestants must keep both feet in sack and at least one hand on the sack at all times.
• The sack must remain as close to the waist as possible and should not fall below the knees.
• The first racer to the finish line wins.

Relay Race:

To play you need one burlap sack for each participant or team. The more people racing, the more fun it is.

• Each player puts both legs into sack and hops around a cone, or some marked point, and back, tagging the next person in line.
• Then, the next person in line gets into the sack and repeats the once-around the cone course.
• The first team to the finish line wins.

Note: The relay race can be done with individual participants or two-person teams. The two-person teams can fit both team members in the same sack, or by placing one leg each inside for the “Three-Legged Race.”

Team Sack Race:

To play you need one burlap sack for each team. The more teams racing, the more fun it is.

• Start with 10 people per team (or an even number); 5 people on each side of the field (or applicable number if starting with less than 10 per team).
• Start the race on one end and have each person tag the next in the other line. Continue until the team finishes.
• The first team to the finish line wins.

Note: The team sack race can be done with the “Three-Legged Race” rules, too.

Three-Legged Race:

To play you will need one burlap bag for each two-person team. The more teams racing, the more fun it is.

• Participants stand side-by-side and put leg closest to each other in the burlap bag.
• Together, they race to the finish line.
• The first team to the finish line wins.

Note: The “Three-Legged Race” can be done in relay race form, too.

VARIATIONS:

To add a twist to any of the above races, try some of these variations:

• Add obstacles to the course (make sure they are safe, though). Kids love lawn sprinklers as obstacles!
• Have different age groups.
• Use mixed group combinations (i.e. youngsters with adults/men with women/women with women/men with men, etc.).