Tug of war words · Beginner
The words you will hear in your first match, grouped the way you meet them.
B · Beginner · 16 words · Step 1 of 2General terms
Tug of war
A team sport in which two teams of eight pull on opposite ends of one rope and each tries to drag a marker on the rope across a line. It was an Olympic event from 1900 to 1920 and is now run internationally by TWIF.
Outdoor and indoor tug of war
The two versions of the sport, with separate championships. Outdoors, teams pull on a level grass field and the rope must travel over a centre line on the ground. Indoors, they pull on a long narrow mat and the middle of the rope must travel past a side line. The ropes are marked differently for each.
Teams, weights and weigh-in
Team
Eight pullers at the start of a competition, plus a coach and one trainer or attendant. The contest counts as started when both teams are in position to pull under the direct supervision of the judge. National team members must be citizens of the country they represent.
Weight class
A limit on the combined weight of the eight pullers, not on any one puller. At the world championships the senior men's classes are 560, 600, 640 and 680 kg and the senior women's 500 and 540 kg, with a mixed class of 580 kg. Junior and under-23 classes are lower. The classes can only be changed on a four-year cycle.
See also: World championships
Weigh-in
Each athlete is identified with a passport or national identity card and weighed once on an individual scale. The weight is recorded and put on a weight certificate, which the coach uses to build a team within the class limit. Men weigh in wearing non-transparent shorts only, women in shorts and a shirt or sports top.
Equipment and the pulling area
Rope
A rope between 100 and 125 mm in circumference, free of knots or hand holds, with whipped ends. In the international rules its length is exactly 36 m at the start of a championship.
Pulling technique
Rope grip
No one may hold the rope between the outer tapes. At the start of a pull the first puller grips as close as possible to the outer tape. There may be no knots or loops, and the rope may not be locked across any part of the body.
Pulling position
Every puller except the anchor holds the rope with both bare hands, palms up, with the rope passing between the body and the upper arm. The feet must be ahead of the knees, and the team must be in a pulling position at all times.
Anchor
The puller at the end of the team. The anchor has the rope run along the body, diagonally across the back and over the opposite shoulder from back to front, with the slack passing under the armpit and running free, and holds the standing rope with both arms forward. The anchor may keep the rope below the belt for safety without it counting as a lock.
See also: Rope
Infringements and cautions
Infringement
A breach of the pulling rules. The team is guilty even if only one puller offends. A team is given two cautions in a pull and is disqualified for the next infringement.
See also: Pull
Matches, pulls and scoring
Pull
One effort on the rope, ended when the judge blows the whistle and points to the winning team. A pull is won when the rope is moved the required distance, or when the other team is disqualified.
Winning a pull
Outdoors, a pull is won when one of the side markers on the rope is pulled beyond the centre line on the ground. Indoors it is won when the middle marker on the rope is pulled beyond the side marking on the floor.
Match
In the points competition a match is two pulls, with the teams changing ends after the first. Ends are chosen by the toss of a coin, and again if a third pull is needed. A team may take at most six minutes between matches.
See also: Pull, Points competition
Judges and signals
Judge
The official in charge of a match, who has sole control and whose decision is final. The judge lays out the rope, gives the commands, grants rests, gives cautions, declares a no pull and disqualifies teams. Side judges stand opposite and signal infringements to the judge, and tell the offenders about the cautions.
Start procedure
Once both coaches signal that the team is ready, the judge gives the commands in order: Pick up the rope, Take the strain, Steady (the judge moves the rope to the centre, with the centre mark over the centre line), and then Pull after a reasonable pause.
See also: Rope, Take the strain, Pull, Judge