• Details
• Suitability

Basic Rules of Tug of War for Beginners

• Tug of war teams consist of an equal number of “pullers”. The Tug of War Association standard is 8-a-side.

• Male and female teams do not compete against each other; however it is possible to have mixed teams, each with an equal number of male and female pullers (i.e. four males and four females). Teams can also be divided by age/year group, so that pupils of the same age compete against each other.

• The objective of tug of war is to pull the opposing team a distance of four metres from a fixed centre point.

• Pullers should all wear sturdy footwear. Experienced teams use specially made boots for outdoor tug of war and flat rubber sole trainers for indoor tug of war. For beginners, a good pair of sturdy training shoes with good grip should be worn.

• Teams should compete in shorts and strong shirts (rugby jerseys are ideal).

• Pullers grip the rope with their bare hands. No knots or loops should be tied in the rope, and the rope should not be wrapped around any limbs.

• Teams are not allowed to suddenly let go of the rope and deliberately cause the opposing team to fall over.

• Each team is allowed a “coach” at the side of the rope. The job of the coach is to encourage and direct the team, and coach people into position. The coach is not allowed to touch the rope when a pull is in progress. The role of a coach in tug of war is similar, for example, to the cox of a rowing team.

• Each match is a best of three end pull. The team that wins two ends is the winner.

• Teams are not allowed to sit on the floor.

• Each pull is officiated by a judge who stops and starts the pull.

Pulling distances

For standard tug of war competitions, the objective is to pull the opposing team 4 metres from a fixed centre point. Whilst this distance is appropriate for most age groups, such distances could be reduced to cater for younger age groups. Suggested

distances are as follows and could be varied should the instructor see fit:

• Under 8 (year 1-3) – 2 metres

• 8-9 (year 4) – distance– 2 metres

• 9-10 (year 5) – distance– 3 metres

• 10 – 11 (year 6) – distance– 3 metres

• 11-12 (year 7) – distance– 3 metres

• 12-13 (year 8) – distance – 3 metres

• 13-15 (year 9-10) – distance – 4 metres

• 16-18 (year 11-13) – distance – 4 metres

Preparing an area for a tug of war

Tug of war competitions can take place either indoor or outdoor, but when used outdoors the surface must not be slippery. If the surface is slippery, you must wear studded boots or similar grip shoes.

Outdoor

For outdoor tug of war, a flat grass area should be used. The area to be used should be approximately 50 metres in length and 5 metres in width. Such an area could easily be accommodated in a gap between different sports pitches. The area should be clear of any litter, debris, loose stones, etc and free from any other obstruction. Once you can be satisfied that the area is clear, then a centre mark should be placed in the centre of the pulling lane. This could be a painted line or a removable cone/bollard.

Indoor

For indoor tug of war, a large sports hall is ideal. Because space tends to be more restrictive indoors, teams will start closer together on the rope. This will be explained further later. Within the sports hall, again, the floor should be clear of any obstructions, and in addition, any water/spillages should be wiped away and dried before tug of war takes place to prevent slippages. Once you are satisfied that an area is clear, then a centre mark can be placed in the middle of the hall. This should be a removable cone/bollard or a line marked on the floor with chalk/coloured tape. If room is limited, then you could pull diagonally across the hall. Indoor tug of war can take place on the sports hall floor, however tug of war matting could be borrowed for the day from the Tug of War association, subject to availability. If there will be spectators (if the event is a sports day) or if there are a number of teams taking turns to pull in a PE lesson, then they should remain in an area out of the way of the pulling area.

Taking Part

Once pulling area is considered to be suitable for use, you are now ready to start. Students should be supervised by the appropriate number of adults at all times.Participants should be appropriately dressed in the following attire:

• A jersey made of strong material (i.e. a rugby jersey)

• Shorts

• Sports socks

• Sturdy training shoes with sufficient grip

Warm Up/Warm Down

All participants should take part in warm up exercises to include a short jog/run, as well as stretching exercises for the legs, back, arms, shoulders. Once participants have warmed up, they will be ready to pull. Once the competition has finished, participants should warm down, again with a jog and some stretches.

The first puller should start behind the blue mark on the rope. The 7 remaining pullers on the team should each line up behind the lead puller, leaving a gap of a little more than arms length from the person in front. The end puller is known as the “anchor man”. For experienced teams, the anchor usually has the rope pass round their waist (on the right hand side), run diagonally across their back up to their left shoulder. The rope then runs over the left shoulder and under the left arm pit with the remaining rope running fee to the side, but not behind the anchor. For younger age groups, this is not recommended, and the “anchor” of each team should just pull the rope with their hands. For older age groups, the anchor could pass the rope around the back and over the shoulder as described, however additional protection is recommended (e.g. by wearing additional t-shirts/padding underneath the rugby jersey)

Starting and Finishing a Pull

Once the two opposing teams are lined up in position on the rope and all checks are made to make sure no-one has wrapped the rope around their hands/arms, and the anchor man is ready, you may start.

The judge in the centre who will control the pull should issue the following commands:

• “Team are you ready” – this command is issued to the coach of each team who will confirm or signal to the judge that their team is ready.

•Once both teams have confirmed that they are ready, the judge will shout “pick up the rope” – Both teams pick up the rope. The judge here should be pointing both hands to the centre.

•“Take the strain” – Both teams should lean back slightly (but not pull the rope) to make the rope taught. Here the judge should ensure the centre mark of the rope is level with the centre mark on the ground. The judge here should have both hands in the air If the rope is in the centre, the judge will then say….

•“Steady” – teams should be ready, and the judge to make a quick final check that the rope is still in the centre. The judge will still have both hands in the air at this point.

• “Pull!” – The judge shouts pull whilst quickly dropping their hands to the side. Here, both teams should lean back quickly and start to pull.

During the pull, the judge should observe both teams to make sure they don’t sit on the floor or commit other infringements.

When it appears that one team is taking the other, the judge should also begin to observe the rope markings. For outdoor tug of war, the judge should look out for the white marking next to each team – when this passes the centre line, the judge should blow their whistle and signal their arm in the direction of the winning team.

A contest between two teams is usually performed as a best of three ends contest. When the first end is completed, teams are usually allowed a short rest (1-2 minutes). Once the teams have been given a short rest, the judge should then instruct the teams to change ends. The procedures outlined above should then be followed again for the next end.

For indoor tug of war, the judge should follow the centre mark to the 4 metre mark made either side of the centre mark on the ground. When the centre mark passes one of the 4 metre marks on the ground, the judge should blow their whistle and signal their arm in the direction of the winning team.

Winning a Match

Tug of War matches between two teams are carried out on the basis of the best of three ends. After the first end, teams will change ends for the second pull. If the winning team from the first pull, wins the second end, then they win the match. If the opposing team wins the second end, then a match will go to a third end. In the event of a tie, the coach of each team will go to the judge who will toss a coin for the choice of the third end. The winner of the toss will then get to choose which end to pull on. A third end is then pulled to decide the winner. At the completion of a match, teams are expected to walk in a line down the rope and shake hands as a gesture of sportsmanship.

Pulling Technique

• Grip - Pullers should grip the rope with their bare hands.

• Pullers should aim to hold the rope around waist level through their centre of gravity.

• Pullers should aim to pull with a 40-45 degree body angle to the ground, pulling with the shoulders back and getting as much leverage as possible through using their body angle.

• Pullers should aim to keep the upper body still whilst forcing short strong steps back using strength in the legs to try and move the opposing team - keeping the body straight and forcing the rope back using strength in the legs (the strongest muscle in the body) will reduce any strain on the lower back.

Summary

Tug of war is a great team sport, and is suitable for participants of all sporting ability.

Tug of war is a healthy team sport where the team ethic is more important than any one individual.

Tug of war is a non contact sport which encourages traditional values of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. It allows young people to channel competitive instincts in a non confrontational manner. Many students miss out on sporting involvement or achievement because they don’t have the basic skills required for more popular sports such as football, rugby, tennis etc. Tug of war suits the aptitudes of all students, no matter what their sporting ability may be. Being part of a team and taking part in a healthy team sport would result in an increase in the self esteem of anyone of any ability taking part in a tug of war competition.

The guidance here is intended to give you a simple introduction to tug of war and how to conduct the sport in a safe manner. The Tug of War Association believes in the values that the sport has to offer to all youngsters of all abilities. We believe that the sport provides an ideal opportunity for youngsters of any aptitude to compete on a level playing field in a non confrontational and competitive manner. The Tug of War Association are happy to assist any school further in running tug of war related activities as part of a PE lesson or school sports day. There is also scope to offer in-house training to school teachers/youth group leaders wishing to run a tug of war competition covering all aspects of health and safety, judging and pulling technique.