Basic Tug of War Rules The Rope The game involves usage of single equipment i.e. a rope. There is a red mark made in the middle of the rope. This red mark on the rope needs to be at a perpendicular angle to the exact center point on the ground, before the commencement of the game. A white mark is made exactly 13 feet from the red mark on either sides of the rope. The game is won when either side with this white mark crosses the center point. Teams According to the rules of tug of war, each team can accommodate a maximum of 8 members. However the combined weight of these members should not exceed the weight determined for the particular category. Field and Marking The game has to be played on a flat grassy patch of land. A line referred to as a center line is marked on the playing zone and the rope is placed in a manner that its center mark should align the center marked on the ground. On either sides of the rope at the distance of 4 m from the center line, 2 more marks need to be made. This is the point where in the first member of each team will stand. How to Play As mentioned earlier, the center of the rope should align with the center marked on the ground. As soon as the referee blows the whistle, each team can start pulling the rope into their territory. The objective of the game is for each team to pull the rope along with the members of opposition team to their side. As soon as the second mark on the rope from the center red mark crosses over to center line, the team to pull the rope to their area wins the game. Competition The tug of war competition requires a judge. There are 3 different commands that the judge gives to the players. The judge first announces “Pick up the rope”, he then says “Take the string”, and finally he tells the players to “Pull”. Once the pull command is said out the teams start pulling the rope. If a member of the team falls down that member is given a caution. Each team is allowed two cautions before getting disqualified. Fouls There is a particular technique that needs to be applied while playing this game, if not then there will be a foul which can call in for disqualifications. For e.g. lowering your elbow below the knee level while pulling the rope is considered to be a foul and is called ‘locking’. Touching the ground for a longer period of time is also considered as a foul.
