puppy guarding

puppy guarding (uncountable)

1. In various sports, playground games, etc.: to spend the entire game defending a certain objective and thus prevent the normal progression of play.

   Synonyms: monkey guarding, babysitting

   In capture the flag, a player might get accused of puppy guarding if they are constantly standing on top of their own flag.

   • 1996 July 16, Arthur Sankey, quoting JRo...@idsoftware.com, “11 Quake Monster Ideas!!”, in rec.games.computer.quake.editing‎ (Usenet):

     I really like this idea. It would also help in DM by making it harder for people to sit in one spot the whole time. No puppy guarding...

   • 2003, Allen Kurzweil, Leon and the Spitting Image, New York, N.Y.: Greenwillow Books, →ISBN, page 34:

     Once play begins there will be no re-calls, no re-re- calls, no replays, no redos, no puppy guarding, and no time-outs—unless authorized by me.

   • 2015, Stacy Claflin, Seaside Heartbeats, →ISBN, page 149:

     "No puppy guarding," Ryder complained. "Go back to the slide." / Brayden burst out laughing. "I haven't heard 'puppy guarding' in years. I can't believe kids still use it."

• “puppy guarding”, in Urban Dictionary, launched 1999.