Square Dance Study Hints

Tagging Calls

Overview

The Mainstream call "Tag the Line" is the first "tagging call" with which dancers are presented, as such. C-1 introduces two more: "Vertical Tag" and "Flip the Line". What they all have in common is that there is some initial action that puts the dancers into a beginning double pass thru formation, and then (if the call is not modified further) they do a Double Pass Thru. But like Tag the Line, these others can also be modified by adding a fraction, which means to do fewer than four "Extends". C-1 also introduces another ending, the word "Back", which means to do the tagging action to the 1/2 tag position and then do a Scoot Back.

As you go up the levels there are more such "tagging calls" introduced, as well as more "endings". For example, at C-2 the ending "Your Neighbor" is added, meaning to do the tagging action to the 1/2 tag position and then do a Follow Your Neighbor.

But what you should be learning at C-1 is the general idea — once you understand that, you can apply it to any combination. (For a list of some possible combinations, see the chart below under "Tagging Call Combinations".

Tag the Line

To review the action of Tag the Line: Everybody turns 1/4 toward the center of their line, to form a "beginning double pass thru formation" (facing tandems). They then do a Double Pass Thru.

If this is modified by adding a fraction, only part of the Double Pass Thru is done. Each quarter corresponds to one Extend, with four Extends being the equivalent of a full Double Pass Thru.

These actions are done by a group of four dancers, but it is very common for two groups of four dancers to be doing the double pass thru action side-by-side. Reminder: If two groups are doing this side-by-side and they end in a 1/4 tag or 3/4 tag position, the end dancers from each group stand side-by-side as a couple.

Vertical Tag (the Line)

Vertical Tag starts from a box of four dancers, and is normally described in terms of three possibilities for each side of the box: a couple facing in, a couple facing out, or a mini-wave. Some people would prefer to think of it in terms of four possibilities, counting a left-handed mini-wave and a right-handed mini-wave as separate possibilities. But you can also think about these possibilities in terms of just two groups — either you are in a couple or in a mini-wave.

Each side of the box can start in any of these possible configurations. For example, both sides can be couples facing in, or one side can be a left-handed mini-wave and the other a right-handed mini-wave. But the most important thing, no matter what kind of box you are in, is to identify the box!

This is the aspect that most often confuses people — they try to do the action in their line or they don't recognize fast enough in a column-oriented 2x4 that it has to happen on each side (and that they should stay on their side). And if someone has trouble with those relatively simple cases they will likely get completely lost if a concept like Siamese or Concentric is applied.

And it doesn't help that the "full name" of this call is "Vertical Tag the Line". That sure makes it sound like it has something to do with your line. But it doesn't!

The most important thing is to identify your box, and realize that everybody is going to be doing the tagging action either in the direction toward which they were already facing or behind them, not to the left or right. This is the "vertical" part of it.

If you are facing into the box you are already facing the direction you have to go, while if you are facing out of the box you have to turn around (180 degrees). Once you see that, there are really only two possibilities remaining to account for all of the ways that the individual dancers could be facing: if you are in a mini-wave, the person already facing in that direction goes first. If you are in a couple, the belle goes first.

type of pair traditional definition unified rule

couple facing in 1/2 Half Sashay leaders U-Turn Back, trailers don't
original belle goes first

couple facing out Single Wheel

right-handed mini-wave leader folds behind trailer leaders U-Turn Back, trailers don't
original trailer goes first

left-handed mini-wave leader folds behind trailer

Note that regardless of how the dancers start, the double pass thru action is done with right shoulders. So the result of "Vertical 1/2 Tag" is always a right-handed box,

Flip the Line

Flip the Line is a tagging call (even though it doesn't have "tag" in its name) because it has the same core action (double pass thru) and can be modified in the same ways. The difference is how it starts: From a wave, the end faces the center of the wave and becomes the leader for the double pass thru action, while the center runs and rolls around the end to become the trailer.

Note that in both Tag the Line and Flip the Line the tagging direction is "horizontal" — everybody ends up doing the double pass thru action to either the left or right from their original facing direction. The difference between these two calls is who becomes the leader. In Tag the Line, the original center becomes the leader, while in Flip the Line the original end becomes the leader.

Flip the Line also has one other distinctive feature: The passing shoulder for the double pass thru action depends on the handedness of the original wave. If the original wave was right-handed, the dancers all pass right shoulders. If the original wave was left-handed, then they all pass left shoulders. This then determines the handedness of any intermediate formation that results when fewer than four Extends are done. In particular, "Flip the Line 1/2" from a right-handed wave results in a right-handed box, while "Flip the Line 1/2" from a left-handed wave results in a left-handed box.

Note: The action of Flip the Line 1/2, from a wave of either handedness, is the same as the action of 2/3 Recycle from a wave of the same handedness. Even though these two calls have completely different definitions, the resulting positions of all the dancers are the same, and the path they follow to get there is the same. There is however a difference with respect to rolling direction. After a Flip the Line 1/2, nobody can roll because the last action was an Extend. After a 2/3 Recycle, everybody can Roll because the last action was a Box Counter Rotate. (Adding Roll to 2/3 Recycle makes it a complete Recycle.)

The "Back" ending

The ending "Back" combined with a tagging call means to do that tagging call to the 1/2 tag position and then do a Scoot Back. Which tagging call to do is in most cases identified by a shortened form of its full name, for example "Tag" rather than "Tag the Line". In some lists and definition books these combinations may be treated as separate "calls", but since they all are part of a larger pattern it makes more sense to learn and understand that pattern.

full name of tagging call combining form "Back" combination

Tag the Line Tag Tag Back

Vertical Tag (the Line) Vertical Tag Vertical Tag Back

Flip the Line Flip Flip Back

There is one very annoying "gotcha" about the "Back" ending. When this idea was first introduced, the way callers said it was "Tag Back to a Wave" (because if you start in any kind of parallel lines you end up in parallel waves). It is still listed that way in the official CALLERLAB definitions document, and a lot of callers still call it that way — while other callers will just say "Tag Back".

Unfortunately, the phrase "to a Wave" is way overloaded (consider, e.g., "Dosado to a Wave" or "Single Circle to a Wave"), and in particular at C-1 it starts being used as a general modifier to mean "don't do the final step thru or extend".

So if "Tag Back" means do a 1/2 Tag and then a Scoot Back, what does "Tag Back to a Wave" mean? No, unfortunately, it does not mean do a 1/2 Tag, and then Scoot Back but don't do the final extend. Because of that historical usage, "Tag Back" and "Tag Back to a Wave" mean exactly the same thing! To indicate the other possibility, that you should not do the final extend, the caller is required to say either "Tag Back to a Wave to a Wave" or "Tag Back, Centers to a Wave".

Double Pass Thru as a tagging call

Note that looked at in this way there is actually another "tagging call" that dancers learn as part of Basic, before Tag the Line us introduced at Mainstream — the call that requires no action before the dancers start doing the Double Pass Thru. That call, the one with a null "initial action" is Double Pass Thru itself! So combinations like "Double Pass Back" (do two extends and then a Scoot Back) are considered valid.

The "Left" modifier

Adding "Left" in front of either Tag the Line or Double Pass Thru just changes the handedness of the passing action — pass left shoulders instead of right shoulders.

"Left" is not used with Flip the Line since which shoulder to pass is already determined by the handedness of the original wave.

For Vertical Tag, adding "Left" in front switches both the handedness of the inital action for dancers who start in couples (the original beau goes first) and which shoulder to pass.

Tagging Call Combinations

By combining the "short form" of a tagging call name with various "endings", the caller can direct the dancers to do a very large number of possible combinations in a relatively compact way. These combinations could all be considered separate "calls", but it makes little sense to learn them that way. For any level beyond C-1 there are just too many of them.

The following table illustrates how this works, showing all of the combinations used at C-1 along with some samples of ones used in other programs. The base tagging calls are listed across the top, and various partial or combination actions along the left side, with what the caller would actually say shown in the intersecting cell. In some cases there is more than one way to say it, but only one relatively common way is shown.

The combinations shown with a gray background are not considered proper at C-1, and you do not need to be able to recognize them. They are just included here to show how the overall scheme works. In particular, the last few lines show how (at high Challenge levels) some very compact phrases are used to direct some pretty complex overall actions.

The specific combination "Chase Your Neighbor" is something of an anomaly. The ending "Your Neighbor" is not introduced until C-2, and the tagging call "Chase the Tag" is not introduced until C-3B, but "Chase Your Neighbor" is defined as a separate call on the C-1 list. And although "Chase Your Cross Neighbor" is not on the C-1 list, because it falls naturally out of this overall scheme you might hear it anyway, even at C-1.

Double Pass Thru Tag the Line Vertical Tag Flip the Line Chase the Tag

combining form (prefix) Double Pass Tag Vertical Tag Flip Chase

full tag action Double Pass Thru Tag the Line Vertical Tag the Line Flip the Line Chase the Tag

to 1/4 tag Extend 1/4 Tag (the Line) Vertical 1/4 Tag Flip the Line 1/4 Chase the 1/4 Tag

to 1/2 tag Extend Twice 1/2 Tag (the Line) Vertical 1/2 Tag Flip the Line 1/2 Chase the 1/2 Tag

to 3/4 tag Extend Three Times 3/4 Tag (the Line) Vertical 3/4 Tag Flip the Line 3/4 Chase the 3/4 Tag

to 1/2 tag,
then Scoot Back Double Pass Back Tag Back Vertical Tag Back Flip Back Chase Back

to 1/2 tag,
then Follow Your Neighbor Double Pass Your Neighbor Tag Your Neighbor Vertical Tag Your Neighbor Flip Your Neighbor Chase Your Neighbor

to 1/2 tag,
then Cross Your Neighbor Double Pass Your Cross Neighbor Tag Your Cross Neighbor Vertical Tag Your Cross Neighbor Flip Your Cross Neighbor Chase Your Cross Neighbor

to 1/2 tag,
then Criss Cross Your Neighbor [C-2] Double Pass Your Criss Cross Neighbor Tag Your Criss Cross Neighbor Vertical Tag Your Criss Cross Neighbor Flip Your Criss Cross Neighbor Chase Your Criss Cross Neighbor

to 1/2 tag,
then Follow Your Leader [C-3A] Double Pass Your Leader Tag Your Leader Vertical Tag Your Leader Flip Your Leader Chase Your Leader

to 1/2 tag,
then Scoot Chain Thru Double Pass Chain Thru Tag Chain Thru Vertical Tag Chain Thru Flip Chain Thru Chase Chain Thru

to 1/2 tag,
then Scoot Back centers to a wave,
then Chain Reaction Double Pass Reaction Tag Reaction Vertical Tag Reaction Flip Reaction Chase Reaction

to 1/2 tag,
then 1/2 Circulate,
then ends Trade while centers Spin the Top Double Pass the Top Tag the Top Vertical Tag the Top Flip the Top Chase the Top

type of pair	traditional definition	unified rule
couple facing in	1/2 Half Sashay	leaders U-Turn Back, trailers don't original belle goes first
couple facing out	Single Wheel
right-handed mini-wave	leader folds behind trailer	leaders U-Turn Back, trailers don't original trailer goes first
left-handed mini-wave	leader folds behind trailer

full name of tagging call	combining form	"Back" combination
Tag the Line	Tag	Tag Back
Vertical Tag (the Line)	Vertical Tag	Vertical Tag Back
Flip the Line	Flip	Flip Back

	*Double Pass Thru*	*Tag the Line*	*Vertical Tag*	*Flip the Line*	*Chase the Tag*
combining form (prefix)	Double Pass	Tag	Vertical Tag	Flip	Chase
full tag action	Double Pass Thru	Tag the Line	Vertical Tag the Line	Flip the Line	Chase the Tag
to 1/4 tag	Extend	1/4 Tag (the Line)	Vertical 1/4 Tag	Flip the Line 1/4	Chase the 1/4 Tag
to 1/2 tag	Extend Twice	1/2 Tag (the Line)	Vertical 1/2 Tag	Flip the Line 1/2	Chase the 1/2 Tag
to 3/4 tag	Extend Three Times	3/4 Tag (the Line)	Vertical 3/4 Tag	Flip the Line 3/4	Chase the 3/4 Tag
to 1/2 tag, then Scoot Back	Double Pass Back	Tag Back	Vertical Tag Back	Flip Back	Chase Back
to 1/2 tag, then Follow Your Neighbor	Double Pass Your Neighbor	Tag Your Neighbor	Vertical Tag Your Neighbor	Flip Your Neighbor	Chase Your Neighbor
to 1/2 tag, then Cross Your Neighbor	Double Pass Your Cross Neighbor	Tag Your Cross Neighbor	Vertical Tag Your Cross Neighbor	Flip Your Cross Neighbor	Chase Your Cross Neighbor
to 1/2 tag, then Criss Cross Your Neighbor [C-2]	Double Pass Your Criss Cross Neighbor	Tag Your Criss Cross Neighbor	Vertical Tag Your Criss Cross Neighbor	Flip Your Criss Cross Neighbor	Chase Your Criss Cross Neighbor
to 1/2 tag, then Follow Your Leader [C-3A]	Double Pass Your Leader	Tag Your Leader	Vertical Tag Your Leader	Flip Your Leader	Chase Your Leader
to 1/2 tag, then Scoot Chain Thru	Double Pass Chain Thru	Tag Chain Thru	Vertical Tag Chain Thru	Flip Chain Thru	Chase Chain Thru
to 1/2 tag, then Scoot Back centers to a wave, then Chain Reaction	Double Pass Reaction	Tag Reaction	Vertical Tag Reaction	Flip Reaction	Chase Reaction
to 1/2 tag, then 1/2 Circulate, then ends Trade while centers Spin the Top	Double Pass the Top	Tag the Top	Vertical Tag the Top	Flip the Top	Chase the Top