How to Play Monkey in the Middle

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Monkey in the middle is one of those classic playground games right up with there with four-square and kickball. If you've never heard of it before, don't worry! It only takes a second to learn and you don't need much to play. Since it's basically "catch" with an extra person trying to intercept the ball, it's a great game for practicing hand-eye coordination and balance. Read on for quick tips on how to get started.

Question 1 of 5:

How many people can play monkey in the middle?

You need a group of 3 people. This way, you'll have one person in the middle with the two other people on the sides. If you play with more than 3 people, then the game becomes "keep away." You can also play with more than 3 people if you're doing monkey in the middle in soccer.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Trying to play monkey in the middle with a big group? Break people up into teams of 3 people so everyone's got enough space and more people get a chance to play. If you've got a number that's not divisible by 3, have a team swap out players every few minutes so everyone has a turn.
- To play keep away, gather a group of players who have control of the ball. Pass the ball back and forth between all of the players except for 1 person. There aren't rules about where to stand so you can move around quite a bit. If you find that there are too many players and people are spending more time standing around waiting for the ball, split the group into smaller teams that can each play the game.

Question 2 of 5:

Do you need equipment to play the game?

You need a ball or anything you can easily toss back and forth. If you use a ball, choose something that's not hard or heavy since you don't want someone getting hurt if they accidentally get hit. Don't have a ball handy? No problem! You could also use:^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Bean bags
- Small stuffed animals
- Small slippers
- Lightweight sandbags

Question 3 of 5:

What are the rules for playing monkey in the middle?

1
Have 3 players stand in a row. The person in the middle is called the monkey. It doesn't matter how far apart each person is as long as there's space to throw a ball back and forth.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you like, draw a square for each player to stand on. This is useful if you want each person an equal distance apart.
2
A player on one end throws a ball to the player on the opposite end. The goal of the game is for the monkey in the middle to catch the ball so the other person doesn't get it.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- For a variation, you could have players kick the ball instead.
3
The person in the middle switches places if they catch the ball. Then the person that threw it becomes the monkey and goes to the middle. If the monkey in the middle didn't catch the ball, the 2 people on the ends just keep throwing it back and forth until the monkey catches it.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- You can make up your own rule about catching the ball. For instance, you might say the person in the middle just has to touch the ball, not catch it. This might make it easier for younger kids to play.
4
Anyone can go get the ball if no one catches it. There will probably be a time when someone throws the ball and it gets dropped or thrown too far for someone to catch. When this happens, every player can run after it. If the monkey gets it, they can go to the end and the person who threw the ball goes to the middle. If the person on either end gets the ball, the monkey stays in the middle.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- There aren't points in monkey in the middle so the game keeps going until everyone's ready to stop playing.

Question 4 of 5:

How do you play monkey in the middle as a soccer drill?

1
Start with a group of 7 people. 5 of the players will be offensive while the other 2 are the monkeys in the middle, playing defensive. If you've got more people, divide the rest into groups of 7 or have people take turns playing.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- You'll need 1 soccer ball for each group of members playing monkey in the middle.
2
Position the offensive players in a circle around the defensive. The game starts with the ball in possession by the offensive players. Just like with classic monkey in the middle, the goal is to pass the ball around the offensive team so the defensive team doesn't get it. To pass, kick the ball instead of tossing it with your hands.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- The point of this drill is to build teamwork and practice moving the ball around the field.
3
The defensive player who intercepts the ball goes to the offensive. The person who lost it to the monkey in the middle replaces them! Keep passing the ball back and forth so the team can practice working in close circles.
- You can come up with your own rules or goals. You might tell the team that if the offensive players can get to 12 complete passes, they win, for instance.

Question 5 of 5:

What is monkey in the middle also called?

In some parts of the world it's called pig in the middle. You might also see it called piggy in the middle—especially in England and Australia.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Monkey in the middle is also confused with keep away, but keep away is played with more than 5 people. The object of that game is for all of the players to keep the ball away from 1 person, but they don't have to stay in 1 area.