# Family Feud: Does anyone ever pass?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 10, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704 "2003-09-10T06:08:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704/1 "2003-09-10T06:08:43Z")

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I’m a fan of the show Family Feud (I watch it when it’s on and yell at the people on the screen). The game starts off with two people in front of buzzers, and whoever answers the survey question better gets the option to pass (let the other team play, and steal their money if they can’t answer) or play(give their team the chance to try to figure out all the answers). I’ve watched loads of episodes, and the option to pass is _never_ taken, because the families are excited and want to play the game(nuts to strategy).

Does it ever happen? Is it really necessary to ask every time? The show is in its 4th incarnation now, shouldn’t the producers have gotten a clue and skipped the pass/play question?

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**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704/2 "2003-09-10T06:18:05Z")

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I’ve seen several people pass. Not often but if it’s a very difficult category they might do it. I’d say the ones I watched were from the 80s though.

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**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704/3 "2003-09-10T10:43:24Z")

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I saw people pass in the original 70’s version (thank you very much, Game Show Network).

They didn’t even do it often then, but they did from time to time.

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704/4 "2003-09-10T12:46:12Z")

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The Mexican version of the show (_100 Mexicanos Dijeron_) does not offer a pass/play option.

FWIW.

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**Author:** ![T0Mmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@T0Mmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T0Mmy)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-feud-does-anyone-ever-pass/200704/5 "2003-09-10T12:46:50Z")

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This is a thread from the states isn’t it?  
We have the same kind of thing over here in sunny England, it’s called Family Fortunes and I must say I have never seen anyone pass either.

Our survey says…PING