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For much of Wednesday, the story was the most e-mailed news of the day on Yahoo!, the popular Internet Web site, and attracted the attention of news wire services, television news channels and national newspapers.

The initial story, which appeared Tuesday in The Sun Chronicle's "YourDay" section, reported that Willett Elementary School in Attleboro had banned students from playing tag, touch football or other unsupervised "chasing" games.

Parents and students say the ban - apparently introduced years ago, but unenforced until now - is ridiculous.

Administrators say the ban is not news, and that the nationwide reaction has blown the policy out of proportion.

"It's not anything new," Attleboro Superintendent Pia Durkin said. "I think it's a sad way of (showing) how a very non-story has become escalated (into) an issue." Television camera crews swarmed Willett Elementary on Wednesday morning. Parents quoted in the original story were hounded for interviews, and school officials received so many media requests that they issued a blanket statement.

People from all over the country, including New York, Wisconsin and California, left comments on The Sun Chronicle's Web site - the story generated the heaviest response of any story ever posted on the site - and sent e-mails to reporters.

Durkin, speaking only to The Sun Chronicle, said the negative reaction came mostly from out-of-state residents.

School rules that outlaw tag have been in place at Willett for as long as 10 years, Durkin said, and are reviewed periodically by the school staff. She did not elaborate on why the ban was enforced this year.

"Tag is a fine activity," Durkin said. "However, it is a much more aimless activity.

"We are not opposed to having children express their energy or have the opportunity to play," she said. "But we are clear to make sure we have good, sound, supervised play."

But many students and parents say enforcing the tag rule now makes no sense because it never has been an issue at Willett.

Leigh-Anne Heins, 9, a fourth-grader at Willett, said her teacher explained this school year that tag was no longer allowed.

"I don't really like the no-tag rule," Leigh-Anne said. "It's because some people are punching and hitting and touching other people."

Ray Howard, whose daughter is in third grade at Willett, said four of his children have gone through the school, all playing tag, and all without incident. "This is the first time I've ever heard of (the rule). It's a joke. It really is," Howard said. "It's tag. Why (ban) it? Because it's inappropriate? I don't see anything wrong with (the kids') safety."

School officials see it another way.

Durkin, and Attleboro school committee Chairwoman Robert Wuilleumier, said it's a safety issue.

"The issue is if we don't play it appropriately, a child is going to be hurt, and accidents happen," Durkin said. "It's a matter of judgment, and adult judgment is always paramount where we have large groups of children, to ensure the most safety."

The rules that ban tag and chasing games also prohibit pushing, kicking, punching, disrespectful touching, throwing balls against building walls and windows and inappropriate language.

The fear is that injuries could easily occur during tag, if students' should pull on each others' arms, sweatshirt hoods, jacket zippers or shoelaces.

Other playground games and supervised gym classes allow for plenty of creative exercise during the school day, Durkin said.

Some parents and readers don't think children should be limited in their play. Rather, they should be allowed to be children.

"You guys are what is wrong with our education the U.S. You are taking away the meaning of what it is like to be a kid in school," one reader wrote in an e-mail that also was sent to Willett Principal Gaylene Heppe.

Mary Hale, whose daughter is in first grade at Willett, said she encourages the game of tag to promote exercise.

"My daughter has chronic asthma, and her doctor tells her to do as much as (she can)," Hale said. "I think (tag) is a normal thing kids should able to do. I don't understand (the rule)."

Leigh-Anne Heins, the 9-year-old fourth-grader, said she thinks kids could learn to play tag without punching or hitting.

She said she knows that kids fall, but also knows what happens when they do.

"They get back up," she said.