The Official Not-It Rules
The Definition:
· "Not it" exempts a person from performing a
deed provided he or she is not the last person to call "not it"
· The last person to call not it must perform the deed at hand, provided he or she lies in the realm of
responsibility
The Realm of Responsibility
· Any person who is present and falls into the realm of responsibility must call not it or perform the deed
· The realm of responsibility applies to anyone who might reasonably be expected to perform the deed in question (parents do not usually fall under the realm of responsibility, e.g.)
The Extent of the Game:
· Once one person has called "not it" for a specific deed, the game comes into effect
· Once the game is in effect, all must play or perform the deed
· Once and only once, each person may claim not to understand the
concept of "not it." That person will then read the rules or have them explained to him or her, and upon the next invocation of "not it" he or she must participate or perform the deed.
The Call:
· A person must say
aloud the phrase "not it" and touch his or her nose before all others present have also done so after it has been
announced that the deed in question must be done.
The Situation:
· "Not it" may be called in group-settings with more than two people (for two people settings, a best of three game of
rock, paper, scissors is employed)
· The call for a task does not exempt one from having to call "not it" (see exceptions)
The Announcement:
· In sibling situations, the announcement is made by a parent/guardian (see exceptions)
· Anyone may announce the deed, however, unless he or she is an exception, he or she must also call "not it"
Exceptions
· Parents, when calling, are usually exempt from the realm of responsibility