Gator (game)

Gator is the name for a swimming pool game, popular in parts of the Southern U.S. and possibly elsewhere. It is related to another popular swimming game, Sharks and Minnows, and probably traces its lineage to playground games such as Red Rover.

The object of the game is to swim across a playing area without being captured.

Usually for the game of Gator, the playing area is a diving well. The diving wells of many neighborhood pools measure roughly 25 feet (7.6 m) wide x 25 feet (7.6 m) long x 12 feet (3.7 m) deep. This is considered optimum for Gator. For younger children, smaller diving wells or pools may work.

At the beginning of the game, one person is chosen to be the first Gator, and treads water on one side of the playing area. The remaining players stand on the pool deck on the side opposite the Gator. These players are prohibited to enter the water until the Gator says the word "gator". Once the word has been said, the players are free to enter the water whenever they wish. Once they enter the water, they must swim to the other side. If the Gator touches (more commonly "tags") any part of the player's body before he touches the other side, he is caught. After all players have crossed to the other side safely or have been caught by the Gator, the round is over. The free players get out of the water and the Gator and whomever he caught swim to the opposite side of the playing area. The caught players become Gators for the next round. In this way, the game gets progressively harder for the players, who have to face increasing numbers of Gators. Then the next round begins.

Once all of the players have been caught, the first player caught becomes the first Gator for the next game.

Note: the entire side wall opposite the players is considered the safe area. The division between the side wall and the bottom in some pools is unclear so some guideline will have to be established.

Gator, like many childhood games, has hundreds of optional rules. Some of these are categorized below:

Allowing players to enter the water at any time means that sometimes no one enters for a long time. Rushing rules are meant to speed up the game.

These rules make it easier for players to cross the playing area safely.

Another version of Gator that is commonly played in Metro Atlanta calls for the gator to stand on the edge of the diving board with his or her back to the pool. When the "Gator" hears someone swimming across the pool they jump in and tag the person before they reach the other side. If however the Gator turns around and does not dive in after turning around, or peeks at the pool in any way they must take one step farther down the board away from the water.

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