How a match works, in a minute

How a tug of war match works

Two teams of eight pull on opposite ends of one rope. Teams compete in weight classes, set by the total weight of the eight.
The judge calls "Pick up the rope", then "Take the strain", then starts the pull. The last puller, the anchor, has the rope wrapped round their body.
Outdoors, a pull is won when a marker on the rope crosses the centre line. A team that breaks the rules twice is cautioned, and a third time is disqualified from the pull.
In knockout rounds a match is the best of three pulls.