In capture the flag, two teams hide an object ("the flag") on their territory. Usually, the territory is made by splitting a playing area in half with cones, trees, or other markers. Your team tries to take the opponents' flag and bring it back to your territory before they find yours. To defend your flag, you can tag any opponent on your territory and send them to "jail" until they are tagged by their teammate to be set free. The first team to capture the other's flag wins the round. If the game was quick you usually switch sides, re-hide the flags, and play again.


Teams are even, made up frequently of 5 people or more per team.
You need a large area to play in, otherwise it is too difficult to explore the opponent's territory without immediately getting tagged.;
, You need plenty or room to run around and places to hide the flag. Lots of obstructions and obstacles, allowing you to hide as you search for the opponents flag, can make the can more fun as well. Try to pick an area with a large obstruction near the center so no guards can see all the way across the field. Some great spots include:


A house with a large front and back yard, or two equally large sides.
A paintball course.
A large stretch of woods, especially with a stream or set of power lines in the middle.You can play a modified version of capture the flag on completely flat ground as well. To do so, you simply place the flags at the farthest possible ends of the field in plain sight. Split the field in half, then start playing. The game then becomes more about running, dodging and tagging than hiding.
 You can play with any number of people, but it is best with at least 10 or 12. This way you have two even teams of 5 or 6. If possible, try and find a way to separate the teams with different color shirts, hats, or bandanas.


You can still play with an uneven number of players. Have the extra player hide the flags by themselves, for example, so neither team knows where to look. They can then "judge" the game, officiating whether or not someone was tagged. You can also make it so that the team with the "better territory" (for example, a backyard with many more hiding spots) has one less player, evening the playing field.
 These just need to be two objects of similar size and shape. If you are playing at night it is best to have something light colored. Some good options include:


Bandanas.
Old t-shirts.
Balls and Frisbees (you may make a rule that they can be passed once found, or they have to be carried)
Cones
Old toys.
 First and foremost, designate the center line dividing your territory. It is often easiest to use a natural line, like the edge of the house or everything even with two big, noticeable trees. Then decide how far back and to the sides you be playing. This prevents one team from hiding the flag incredibly far from the center line.


While natural lines (trees, shrubs, roads, etc.) may be easy to see, old shirts, athletic cones, and small markers like toys can make it easier for everyone to see the center line if there are no good natural dividing lines.
You don't have to mark off the back and sides. As long as everyone knows not to hide the flag past the boundaries there should not be a problem.
 Once the boundaries are set, each team will designate 1-2 players as "hiders" who will run off to secretly tuck the flag away. The other team members will stay together, out of sight (in the house or garage, at the center line, etc.), and make sure no one is looking where the flags are hidden. There are a few rules to flag hiding, but you can modify or skip them if you want the game to be harder:


The flag must be visible from one angle (not underneath a covering or stuffed in a mailbox).
The flag cannot be tied down or wedged -- you need to be able to grab it as you run past.
The flag can't be buried or raised up so that it can't be quickly snagged., Jail is where a player goes if they get tagged by an opponent. If your teammate is tagged, you can run over and tag them to "free" them again. Jails are usually picked right in the center of each team's territory, and they should both be the same distance from the center line for each team., Capture the flag is a pretty simple game -- you try and get the flag from the other team back to your side. If you get tagged you go to jail until someone on your team saves you. But there are some small rules that are best worked out before you start playing. There is no "right" way to play, so simply pick the rules that you like the most:One-handed tagging, or two-handed tagging?
When a player is freed from jail do they need to run back to their side before getting re-tagged, or do they get a free walk back?
Can a player save everyone in jail at once, or just one person?
If you grab the flag and are tagged, do you drop the flag there or let the other team return it?
Can you move your own team's flag somewhere new?
How far must a player stand away from their own flag (ie. no guarding the flag so that it is impossible to pick up)?
Know the basics of capture the flag to get playing quickly.
Find a large, open area to play.
Find an even number of people to play with.
Choose two similar objects to be flags.
Mark all of the boundaries of the playing field together.
Hide your team's flag secretly.
Pick "jails" for each team.
Talk about any "specialty" rules before starting the game.
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