Section 6: Scoring
Traditional casual play does not require a score. A successful tag changes who is Marco; the tagged player stays in the game. There are no lives, elimination rounds, or standard winning totals.
A turn begins when Marco finishes the setup count and ends at a valid tag or an agreed rotation. A session lasts until the group decides to finish, needs a rest, or must leave the pool. Stop earlier if supervision or conditions become unsuitable.
- Default result: Enjoy the chase and rotate roles; no overall winner is declared.
- Optional challenge: Give everyone the same number of turns and the same agreed time allowance per turn. Award one point for a valid tag, with at most one point per turn.
- Ties in the optional challenge: Share the result. No extra round is necessary.
- Interrupted turns: Restart a turn interrupted by a safety stop or outside interference, without a scoring penalty.
Agree on any scoring variation before starting. Never award points for staying underwater, ignoring calls, remaining in an unsafe position, or continuing while tired.