Ringolevio facts for kids

Ringolevio (also spelled ringalevio or ring-a-levio) is an exciting children's game that's a lot like tag. It started in the streets of New York City way back in the late 1800s. Back then, people called it "ring relievo."

This game needs players to work together closely and use smart strategies, almost like a military plan! In Canada, people often call it Relievio. This name was also used in Boston and Ireland in the 1950s. Sometimes, it's also known as coco-levio.

The author Emmett Grogan wrote a book called Ringolevio in 1972. He described the game as something played on New York streets for a very long time. He said the rules are simple: two teams, no time limits, no breaks, no weapons, and two jails. The goal is to capture the other team.

The game likely came from the British Isles. It's similar to a game called Bedlams or Relievo. A game like it, called Prisoner's Base, was even played by explorers Lewis and Clark with the Nez Perce people.

How to Play Ringolevio

Ringolevio is played with two teams. The main goal is to capture all the players from the other team.

Setting Up the Game

Each team needs a "jail." This can be a park bench, a porch, or even a space between two parked cars. The jail is where captured players wait.

Catching Players

If you are on the "pursuing" team, you can catch someone from the other team. You do this by grabbing them and saying a special chant. In some places, the chant is "Chain chain double chain, no break away." In other areas, like Briarwood and Bay Terrace in Queens, it was "Ringolevio, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3!"

If the person you're trying to catch breaks free before you finish the chant, they are still "in" the game. If you hold them and finish the chant, they are "out" and must go to your team's jail.

Freeing Teammates from Jail

If your teammates are in jail, you can free them! An "in" player from your team can run into the jail without being caught. They must tag the captured players and shout, "All in! All in! Free-all!" or "Home Free-all!" in the Bronx.

Once this happens, all the players who were in jail are free. They can run back into the game and try to avoid being caught again.

Rules About Guarding the Jail

Sometimes, the team trying to catch players cannot stand too close to the jail. This is called "babysitting" or "puppy-guarding." If a player in jail thinks an opponent is too close, they can shout "babysitting!"

Winning the Game

A round of Ringolevio ends when one team has caught all the members of the other team. The team that was captured then becomes the "pursuing" team for the next round. They count while the other team hides.

Sometimes, if one team is almost completely captured, the other team might give up. They announce that the game is over, and everyone who was caught is now free. Then, a new game can begin!

Game Strategy and Duration

Players often use clever strategies to free their teammates from jail. They might use the area around them to hide or trick the other team. Even though it involves running and catching, the game is usually not violent. Players often end up laughing when someone is caught.

A round of Ringolevio usually lasts about half an hour. However, the game's length depends on how many players there are and how big the playing area is. Some games have been played across whole city blocks with many players, lasting for weeks!

One fun variation allows players in jail to hold hands. This creates a chain, making it easier for a teammate to free them. If the "savior" touches the first person in the chain, "electricity" flows, freeing everyone connected.

Other Ways to Play Ringolevio

Ringolevio has different names and slightly different rules depending on where you play.

Different Names

In some parts of New York, like Staten Island, the game was called Ringolario. In Northeast Philadelphia, it was known as Freedom. In other places, especially Catholic schoolyards in North Philadelphia, it was called Spring! because players would "spring" out of jail.

Catching and Freeing Variations

In Philadelphia, to catch someone, players might say "1-2-3 come with me, you're my prisoner" or "1-2-3 you're my man, no breaksies, safety lock." To free players, a teammate would touch them and shout "Freedom!" or "Spring!"

In Boston, the chant for catching someone was "1-2-3 caught by me, no Relievio rest." If a player made it into jail without being caught, they could shout "Relievio" or "1-2-3 freed by me" to free others. They could also declare "Relievio rest" to rest safely in the jail.

In Chicago during the 1950s, if players were still hiding when the game ended, the searching team would shout, "Oli Oli Ocean, Free for Bobby (and the names of the hidden players)."

In India, a similar game is called "Cops and Robbers".

Ringolevio in Pop Culture

This classic game has appeared in many movies, books, and songs!

In Movies and TV Shows

• The PBS documentary New York Street Games (2010) showed Ringolevio as a popular game in New York City.
• In an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Incredible World of Horace Ford," a game of ringolevio is an important part of the story.
• The Simpsons features a scene where a character shouts "Ollie Ollie Oxen free" to end a game.

In Books

• Stephen King mentions Ringalevio in his books Hearts in Atlantis, The Waste Lands, and It.
• George Carlin's autobiography Last Words talks about ring-a-levio.
• The game is mentioned in books by Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo!), Pat Conroy, Don DeLillo, Daniel Keyes, Jacqueline Woodson, Jennifer Egan, Michael Chabon, Roddy Doyle, and Bill O'Reilly.

In Music

• French singer Little Bob named his 1987 album and a song "Ringolevio."
• The famous rapper Notorious B.I.G. mentions the game, calling it "coco-levo," in his song "Things Done Changed" (1994). He notes that the game isn't played as much anymore.
• Rapper 2pac mentions "ring-a-levio" in his song "Old School."
• The band Damone mentions "Relievio" in their song "On My Mind."
• The hip hop group Onyx has a song called "Ringolevio" on their 2019 album Snowmads.