Gator (game) - Basic Game

Basic Game

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.