The jogo(game) takes place in a circle called the roda made up of the players and audience. Central to the roda and the practice of Capoeira is the music, which is made up of the bateria(orchestra).

Each player tries to pull their opponent's scarf or cloth out while hopping on one foot with one arm across their chest. If a player puts their leg down, or pulls the scarf or cloth with the hand across their chest, the other player wins the round.