Tumbang Preso: A Complete Guide to Filipino Tag

PDF download Download Article
Plus, learn the historical and cultural significance of this iconic game
PDF download Download Article

Tumbang preso (toom-bang preh-so) means "knock down the prisoner" or "fallen prisoner." It's a traditional Filipino children's game that some sources say has been around for hundreds of years! It's similar to tag and is extremely easy to set up, but can be surprisingly challenging to play. Come with us to learn the ins and outs of this fascinating game, including how to set up the game and how to play . Plus, learn what there is to know about tumbang preso's historical background .

What is tumbang preso?

Tumbang preso , meaning "knock down the prisoner," is a traditional Filipino children's tag game. Each round, players stand behind a chalk line and throw their shoes at a can to try to knock it over. The can is protected by the tayá , or "It." The tayá tries to tag players when they cross the line to get their shoes.

Section 1 of 5:

Tumbang Preso Setup

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Draw a chalk circle and put a can in the center. Make the circle about 1 foot (30 cm) across, then set an empty aluminum can upright in the middle of it. This is the can zone where the can is kept "prisoner" by whoever is "It." [1]
    • Use any empty soda or food can you can find. You can also use an empty spray can, like the kind used for paint or shaving cream. Ensure the bottom is flat so it's not as easy to knock over.
    • What you’ll need to play: An empty can or bottle, chalk, shoes to throw, and 2-9 players.
    • Did you know? Tumbang preso is also called tumba lata ("knock down the can") or bato lata ("hit the can"). [2]
  2. 2
    Walk 6-7 feet (2 m) from the can zone and draw a 3-foot (1 m) horizontal line. This is called the toe line . The hitters must stand on one side of this line while the "It" person guards the can zone on the other side. The hitters may only cross the toe line after tossing their sandal or slipper ( pamato in Tagalog) toward the can zone. Just make sure there's enough room for the other players (called hitters ) to stand on the other side of the toe line. [3]
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Choose someone to be the tayá or "It." Have up to 9 players stand by the can zone and face the toe line. [4] Then have each player toss one of their sandals toward the toe line. The person whose sandal lands the farthest away is the tayá , which means "chosen one" or " It " in Tagalog. [5]
    • Did you know? Tagalog is one of the primary languages spoken in the Philippines. It originates in the Tagalog region of the island of Luzon. [6]
    4. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

Tumbang Preso Gameplay

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Have each hitter take a turn tossing their sandal toward the can zone. The goal is to knock the can out of the zone, so that the tayá will have to spend extra time putting it back upright. The tayá is not allowed to block the sandals from hitting the can. [7]
  2. 2
    Have each hitter cross the toe line to retrieve their sandal. After a hitter throws their sandal, they must cross the toe line to get their sandal back. The tayá must wait until a hitter touches their sandal before they can try to tag them. While they're concentrating on the first hitter, a second hitter may throw their sandal toward the can zone. If they knock it over, the tayá must pause their tagging to set the can back upright. [8]
    • While the tayá is distracted putting the can back in the can zone, any hitters who have thrown their sandals already may take the opportunity to retrieve them and sneak back past the toe line. This puts them out of danger of being tagged!
    • If a hitter misses the can, they have the option to stay behind the toe line and try again with their other shoe on their turn.
  3. 3
    Have the tayá try to tag a hitter to become "It" in the next round. If the tayá can't tag anyone, they must stay "It" for every round until they finally succeed in tagging a hitter by lightly touching them somewhere on their body. Once another person becomes tayá , the first one takes their place as a hitter.
  4. 4
    Play as many rounds of tumbang preso as you want. In tumbang preso , there's no single winner, so you can play as many rounds as you desire or until you get tired. For the hitters, the objective (and fun) of the game is strategizing your throws to avoid the tayá . For the tayá , it's about keeping the can in the can zone and prioritizing which hitter to tag. It's not about having one person come out victorious after a set number of rounds.
    5. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

Tumbang Preso Rules

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    The hitters must stay behind the toe line until they toss their sandals. They're not allowed to cross the chalk line until they've taken a turn throwing their sandal toward the can zone. After that, they can cross to retrieve their sandal, but they must try to avoid being tagged on their way back.
  2. 2
    The tayá must set the can upright in the can zone if a sandal hits it. Knocking the can over or out of the can zone may give the hitter a few extra seconds to cross the toe line and get their sandal back—without being tagged! The tayá isn't allowed to try to tag a hitter until the can is back in its proper place in the center of the can zone.
  3. 3
    The tayá must not try to block a sandal from hitting the can. Tumbang preso isn't like soccer, where the goalie's job is to guard the net at the end of the field and prevent the ball from entering it. Instead, the tayá must stand to one side, so they can't interfere with the sandal or protect the can from falling over.
  4. 4
    The tayá must wait until the hitters touch their sandals to tag them. Regardless of whether a hitter knocks the can over, the tayá isn't allowed to tag them until they touch their tossed sandals. This can be a bigger challenge for the tayá than it sounds, especially if all the hitters decide to cross back over with their sandals at the same time!
    5. Advertisement
Section 4 of 5:

Tumbang Preso Gameplay Variations

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Have the tayá try to immediately tag hitters who only knock the can over. In this variation, if the hitter knocks the can over but fails to propel it out of the can zone, then as soon as they step over the toe line, the tayá can try to tag them. They don't have to wait for them to pick up their sandal. They do, however, still have to put the can back upright in the can zone first. [9]
  2. 2
    Turn the game from tag to chase if the hitters throw all their pamatos . If the hitters throw all their pamatos and haven't been able to retrieve any of them, some of them can try to distract the tayá into chasing them while the rest try to kick the can over. Once the can is kicked over, the game pauses so the hitters can all retrieve their pamatos and return to the toe line. [10]
    • If the tayá tags someone, that person still becomes the tayá in the next round.
  3. 3
    Draw 2 toe lines opposite from each other and split the hitters into 2 groups. This will make it even more challenging for the tayá to keep the can upright and tag hitters at the same time. This variation works best if your play area is long and narrow and you're playing with several people.
    4. Advertisement
Section 5 of 5:

Tumbang Preso Historical Background

PDF download Download Article
  1. Tumbang preso has been played by Filipino children for generations. No one knows exactly when or where in the Philippines it originated, but some suspect it developed during the Spanish colonial period (1569-1898). [11] It's typically played in streets or alleys with little foot traffic, a public park, or even your own backyard (if you have one that's big enough). It's the perfect outdoor game for when you have limited resources, but still want to have a great time with your friends!

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Things You'll Need

      • Empty can (i.e., soda can, soup can, or spray can)
      • Chalk
      • Sandals, slippers, or other footwear that's easy to take off and throw
      • 2-9 players

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Play the Four Corners Game: Setup, Rules & More
      100+ Awesome, Epic, & Silly Dares For Kids
      How to
      Play Heads Up Seven Up: Easy Instructions
      How to
      Always Win Chopsticks
      How to
      Play Mancala (Kalah): Rules & Gameplay
      How to
      Play Hi Ho! Cherry-O (For Kids and Adults)
      How to
      Play Heads Down Thumbs Up
      Comprehensive Hot Potato Rules, Instructions & Variations
      A Comprehensive Overview of the Coup Card Game
      Bubblegum, Bubblegum, In a Dish: A Guide to the Easy Kid’s Game
      The Origins of “Jinx, You Owe Me a Soda”
      2 Simple Games to Play with a Pop It Fidget Toy
      How to
      Do the Boom Snap Clap Hand Game
      How to
      Play Miss Mary Mack (Plus History & Meaning)
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=fX0VHT2SP9kIt-UU&t=17
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=xateUzm97V2Qh7Fw&t=10
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=stYjNjrvdt3cY25w&t=11
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=stYjNjrvdt3cY25w&t=11
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=H3Q5wYI8kDiflSx-&t=39
      6. ↑ https://asianstudies.cornell.edu/research/tagalog-filipino
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=YPRuLFXsDdgh497F&t=46
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/gXciadl6jec?si=AU4nl6fqDIrJ8y_3&t=105
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=SFkRujdeF8J17iSZ&t=67
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/W3Yskqx1fNA?si=-wX-9JVhTfr4Hjn3&t=55
      2. ↑ https://allancarandang.com/originals/tumbang-preso

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 20 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement