TUG OF WAR

 

               SCHOOL GAMES FEDERATION OF INDIA

       

Rules & Regulation of Tug of War

Indian Tug of War Rules

INDIAN TUG OF WAR RULES

Championship

1. The Tug-of-War Championship will be usually held in conjunction with the Athletic Championships.

Composition of Teams

2. Teams will consist of ten competitors and a coach.

Weight

3. There will be two competitions - one for teams whose aggregate weight does not exceed 110 stone per team and another for teams whose aggregate weight does not exceed 130 stone per team, with teams dressed as for pulling and excluding the Coach. Competitors will weigh-in in the dress as for pulling not more than 24 hours before the competition on first day of the tournament.

Dress

4. (a) Each member of a team will be dressed alike.

(b) Coaches will wear uniform.

(c) The boots or shoes worn must be service matching boots or shoes, but all spikes, studs, springs, hobnails etc. if any, must be removed. Toe and Heel plates if flush with the leather, may be worn.

Method of Draw

5. The competing teams will be drawn in pairs.

All "Byes" must be disposed of in the first round of preliminary stage of the competition.

Duration of Competitions

6. All competitions shall be decided by the best of three pulls, i.e. the first team to be awarded two pulls. The time interval between pulls will be left to the discretion to the Referee.

Dimensions of Arena

7. The arena will be limited to a total breadth of 40 ft., the boundary to be clearly marked. any team putting in a crooked direction, so as to go outside this limit, will be considered to have lost the pull.

Posts will be placed twelve feet on each side of a centre line 1 marketed on the ground team will be considered beaten when the centre mark on the rope rosses the line indicated by the posts on the side of the opposing team.

At the start the rope shall be taut, and the front man of each team shall not be more than 3 ft., away from the side line.

Dimensions of the Rope

8. The rope shall not be less than four inches and not more than 5 inches in circumference, without knots or other holdings for the hands, and the minimum length not less than 140 feet.

Officials, method of Conducting

9. (a) Provision Organizing Committee will be responsible for detailing officials.

(b) Requirements One Referee Two Judges Officer to conduct weigh-in

(c) Duties Referee he will be responsible that these rules are adhere to. He will act in accordance with Rule 12.

Judges

One Judges will be detailed to each team. Judges will examine the boots of the teams and will see that rules 12 and 13 are complied with. Officer to conduct weigh-in He will ensure that neither team exceeds the stipulated weight. He will stamp each competitor after weighing-in on the left fore-arm. He will superintend the spinning of the coin the choice of ends.

Coaches

10 Coaches will be responsible that their teams are conversant with these rules. No person other than the coach will be allowed in the arena with the team.

Use of Aids

The use of aids such as resin is prohibited and stimulants or refreshments (including sponges, water, etc.) may not be brought into the arena.

Start

12. (a) Each pull will be started by the referee by word of mouth as follows :-

(b) On "Take up the rope" the teams will pick up the rope and prepare for the next command " Take the strain", on which they will take the strain but without pulling. When the rope is perfectly steady the Referee will tie a tape above the Central mark on the ground simultaneously giving the order "Heave."

(c) Holes may not be dug in the ground with the feet or otherwise until "Heave" is given.

(d) Neither Officials or Coaches may use whistles as a means of signaling. The Referee will notify the end of the pull by visual signal, when the winning team will be announced.

Knots, Loops and Hooks

13. No knots or loops may be made in the rope, nor may it be locked across any part of the body of any member of the team. The crossing of the rope over itself constitutes a loop.

The rope may be gripped by the anchor man of the team under one arm and then passed over the opposite shoulder from which it must hang without being coiled.

Note:

Any act, other than the ordinary grip, which prevents the free movement of the rope is lock. Passing the rope is allowed.

Disqualifications

14. Competitors may only support themselves by the rope and their own feet. Sitting on the ground or on another member of the team is not permitted. Should a man fall, or save himself with his hand from falling he must at once recover himself.

The Coach will be held responsible for any infringement of this rule and a caution against one man will count as a caution against the whole team. For a second offence the team may be disqualified.

Teams

15. Teams shall consist of an equal number of competitors, who shall be subject to first claim rule and team qualification.

A coach who must also be an qualify law is allowed.

Age under 17 and 19 Boys / Girls

16. In open competition, no member of a team shall be under the age of seventeen years.

Weight

U – 17 Boys 480 Kilo and U- 17 Girls 400 Kilo (Eight Players total weight not exceeding

U – 19 Boys 560 Kilo and U- 19 Girls 440 Kilo (Eight Players total weight not exceeding

17. In competitions confined to specified weights, Stewards shall be appointed, and shall be responsible to the Judge for correctly weighing the competitors before the start.

Draw and Byes

18. Competing teams shall be drawn in pairs, and all byes shall be disposed of in the First Round. Where three teams only complete, the team drawing the bye shall - if defeated by the winner of the First Round-pull for second place. There shall be only one draw made.

Heats

19. All heats shall be won by two pulls out of three.

Boots and Shoes

20. Competitors' boots or shoes must not be "faked" in any way- i.e. the sole, heel and side of heel shall be perfectly flush.

Note:

In competitions confined to Services, boots or shoes as actually issued may be worn.

Rope

21. The rope shall not be less than 4 inches, and not more than 5 inches in circumference, without knots or other holdings for the hands, and the minimum length not less than 35 yards for eight competitors each side.

Rope Marking

22. Three tapes or markings shall be affixed to the rope, one at its centre and one on either side, 6 ft. from the centre marking.

Ground Markings

23. Three lines, parallel to each other, shall be marked on the ground. The distance between the centre line and each of the others shall be 6 ft.

At the start the rope shall be taut, the centre rope marking over the centre ground line. All competitors shall be outside the side lines.

No holes shall be make in the ground in any way before the start.

Knots, Loops and Lock

24. No knots or loops may be made in the rope, nor may it be locked across any part of the body of any member of a team.

(N.B. - Crossing the rope over itself constitutes a loop. Any act other than the ordinary grip which prevents the free movement of the rope is a lock.)

Anchor-man's Grip

25. The end or anchorman grip the rope under the arm and pass it over one shoulder; the remaining slack there from shall be free.

The Start

26. The start shall be by word of mouth. Infringements During Contest

27.(a) During the pull no competitor may will fully touch the ground with any part of his body other than his feet. President slipping down, or sitting, or touching the ground with the hand is a contravention of this rule.

(b) Lying on the rope without pulling is not permitted and renders any team liable to disqualification after a caution.

(c) Turning on the rope is allowed. Winning a "Pull" or Heat

28. A "Pull" shall be won when one of the side markings on the rope is pulled over the side ground line farthest from it or if any portion of the foot of a competitor crosses the centre ground line.

Leaving Go the Rope

29. In the event of both teams leaving go the rope before a side tape has been pulled over the side ground line farthest from it, "NO PULL" shall be declared, and the pull shall not constitute one of requisite number of that heat.

The Judge & His Powers

30. There shall be one Judge, who shall have sole control, with power to appoint assistants. It is within the discretion of the Judge to disqualify a team for any offence against the rules, even though only one member of a team offends, and to award the pull to the opposite side, or he may disqualify the offending team from any further part in the competition.

HINTS ON TRAINING

31. TWFI – National Tournament Rules, a Tug-of-War team consists of ten men and one coach. There are two weights of team, namely :-

(a) The Heavy - weight Team, not exceeding 130 stone.

(b) The Light-weight Team, not exceeding 110 stone.

In selecting men for either team, it should be borne in mind that Tug-of-War is an exceedingly strenuous exercise and training for it can be very monotenous.

The men selected must, therefore be definitely keen, hardworking and cheerful characters.

Any man of surly disposition or given to frequent grossing is much better left out of the team as he will have a very bad effect on the others.

The men should be of stocky build, with broad shoulders, thick thigh and legs, and well--developed arms. They should be as nearly as possible all the same size. Above all, they must have plenty of grit and be prepared to put up with any amount of hard work. It is comparatively easy to find a light-weight team in a unit, but it is much more difficult to find a team of ten well-developed men totaling 130 stone.

The fat, flabby man is useless, no matter how heavy he may be. If difficulty is experienced in selection the heavy-weight team, it should be remembered that keenness, strength and stamina are more important than actual weight, and it is better to have ten really good men a little under eight rather than to put in a couple of substitute men to make up the weight.

Kit and Apparatus

32. (a) The following kit is recommended for training purposes :

Old Foot-ball Vests: at least two per man to allow for frequent washing. The sleeves must be sufficient long to afford protection from the rope under the arm.

Old Foot-ball ShortS :at least two per man. A High-necked Sweater: for use on road work and in cold weather. A service cardigan and muffler will suffice if sweater is not available.

Old Boots:

As long as the sole are reasonably good and the boots comfortable the general condition of them does not matter. For competition work, however,really sound boots should be worn. They should be "broken in" beforehand.

(b) Boots must not be "faked" in any way, i.e. the sole, heel and side of heel must be perfectly flush. For Service Competitions, however, the normal issue boot may be worn.

(c) Men should be encouraged to change into vests and shorts before doing any rope work. After training, every man should have a good rub down.

(d) The standard size of a Tug-of-War rope is 140 feet long and not less than 4 inches and not more than 5 inches in circumference.

The length is in material as far as training is concerned, but it is advisable to have a rope of the correct thickness.

The rope should be kept as clean as possible and all grit removed from it.

(e) No knots or loops may be made in the rope, nor may it be locked across any part of the body of any member of the team,Crossing the rope over itself constitutes a loop.

Any act, other than the ordinary grip, which prevents the free movement of the rope, is a lock.

The end or Anchor man may grip the rope under the arm and pass it over one shoulder, the remaining slack there from must be free.

(f) A derrick or gym is useful during training.

The "weight" should be an old coal box filled with scrap iron, so that the weight can be easily varied. Wire should be used to connect the "weight" to the Tug-of-War rope. The wire should run round the pully at the top of the derrick, and then round a pully at the base so that the loop to which the rope is attached is at a height of not more than 18 inches above the ground.

Training

33. Training for Tug-of-War cannot be hurried and great harm can be done physically and morally if the team is overworked at the start. Stamina must be built up gradually, and the training in general should start easily and get increasingly difficult as time goes on. It takes about three to four months to get at team up to the standard required for Championships.

It is suggested that the training period should be divided in two periods :

First Period

(a) The first month should be devoted to strengthening exercise, road work and mastering the technique of the rope as far as the individual is concerned.

The body should be strengthened generally, and particular attention paid to developing the abdominal, dorsal and heaving muscles.

(b) Rope-climbing without the use of the legs is a good exercise for the grip and for the heaving muscles. Road work will develop the legs as well as getting men generally fit. It should consists of walk sat 4 m.p.h. carried out in sweater, trousers and boots. Made a point

of walking over heavy ground, e.g.deep sand, plough, etc. and over a certain amount of rough ground, in order to strengthen the ankles.

(c) Slow jogging with very occasional short sprints may be included during road work. It is also a good policy to give each man a sheet of newspaper to crumble in each hand and as he walks along. It is surprising how this will develop the grip.

(d) During this first period men should be taught the technique of the correct positions on the tope, and tested three or four at a time on the derrick. (See under "Technique").

(e) Throughout the whole of training it is important to weigh men once a week (in the same kit) and keep a chart of their weights.

(f) Weight is likely to drop in the first ten days and may rise slightly afterwards or remain constant. Any sudden drop in weight is a sure indication of "staleness", the bane of every trainer

.

(g) "Staleness" is best avoided by making the training as varied and enjoyable as possible Games which make the men laugh should be freely interspersed with the more serious work, and training should never be carried out as a fatigue.

The Army System of Wrestling forms an excellent variation in training and aids all-round-development.

Technique

34. (a) Take up the Rope Pick up the rope and stand upright with the hands close to the body and arms hanging loosely. The rope should be fairly taut from front to rear, but the team should not stiffen themselves in any way.

A rigid stance uses up energy which will be required later.

(b) Take the Strain, This is the normal pulling position on the rope. Gripping the rope firmly with both hands close together, allow the body to fall back to an angle of about 45 degrees. The correct position here is of the utmost importance, so it will be dealt with in detail.

(I) The feet The sides of both feet must be cut well into the ground. It is impossible to push with the feet flat on the ground-a fault common to novices. The feet should not be directly one behind the other, but should be one on each side of the rope and about 12 inches apart. This gives lateral control and prevents swaying about. The feet should also be separated about 12 ins. from front to rear.

(ii) The Legs,The leading leg must be perfectly straight. This leg acts as a prop, and the more the opposing team heaves, the more they should pull this leg into the ground, thus increasing its resistance. The rear leg is slightly bent, and it is from this leg that the driving power is mainly produced when the heave is made.

(iii) The body The lower part of the body must be kept well up to the tope, and never be allowed to sag. The whole body should be in a straight line from the sole of the leading foot to the top of the head. If the body is allowed to sag in the

middle, not only is tremendous strain being placed on the back muscles, but any drive from the legs will not be carried through the body and will merely accentuate the sag.

The upper part of the body should be well over the rope but in no way lying upon it. A man can exert his full force only through his centre of gravity and the idea is always to have the centre of gravity, as close as possible to the rope. The rope should be well up into the armpit. Care must be

taken that the leading shoulder is not allowed to fall away from the rope, and thus prevent a man pulling along the line of the rope.

(iv) The Hands & Arms The hands should grip the rope close together. By having the back of the leading hand on top of the rope, the leading shoulder can be more easily kept over the rope.

The leading arm must be perfectly straight, and the rear arm as straight as possible consistent with the position of the hand. If the arms are bent the arm and shoulder muscles are cramped and much energy is being unnecessarily expended.

(v)The Head, The head should kept back in prolongation of the line of the body, and not thrown forward. This gives extra weight on the rope and facilities breathing. In the two accompanying plates the following points should be noticed in respect of individuals. Plate A Sides of both feet well in the ground. Front leg straight, rear leg slightly bent body straight and well up to the rope. Arms straight, Back of front hand over rope (not no. 2).Heads in the normal position on the shoulders.

Plate B No.1

Body and knees bent, Leading foot flat on ground. Right arm bent.

No. 2

Both feel flat on ground. Back hollow and square to the front. Head too far

back.

No. 3

Body bent and laying on the rope, Leading foot flat, right arm bent.Head much too far forward.

No.4

Body too upright. Head turned to rear. Leading foot flat on ground, pulling upward and not along the rope.

The Heave

35 (a) Keeping the strain on the rope, lower the angle of the body to about 35 degrees with the ground and heave by a powerful stretch of the legs and body towards the anchor man. Immediately take advantage of any ground gained by

moving the feet back, being careful to keep them close to the ground. There must be no easing up either before or after the heave, as any relaxation will allow the opponents to take the offensive.

(b) The team must be taught to heave in unison. Some men heave with a quick snatch, other with a slow, ponderous movement.

A happy mean must be found so that the team heaves with a uniform movement.

(c) The heave can be worked up very well on the derrick. It is very important that a team should not relax and give ground after a heave. If after heaving the weight on the derrick is seen to drop, it is an indication that the team is not holding what has been gained.

The Check

36. This is a counter to the heave. As the opposing team heaves, slightly lower the rope and add a little extra pressure with the legs and body. The team must be carefully coaches in this so that they can carry it out quickly and thus bring a distinct jerk to bear as the opposing team heaves.

Tactics

37. (a) On hard ground where there is little opportunity for digging in it is best to heave quickly, and having got your opportunity on the move to keep them moving by a succession of quick heaves.

A team is inclined to slip on hard ground, and it is advisable that a man should know how best to regain his feet.

A good method is to retain the grip with the leading hand and still keen the shoulder over the rope. The rear hand should be taken off the rope and put on the ground to support the body until such time as the feet have regained

their grip.

(b) When pulling on tan, or any similar soft surface, a team must be prepared for pulls of long duration.

A team which is well dug in is very difficult to move, and constant heaving against such a team will merely tire out the attackers. The best policy is to dig in also and wait until the other team attacks.

(c) The check is most useful under these conditions.

38 (a) One so often sees a novice team hampered rather than helped by its coach that a few notes on the position of the coach will scarcely be out of place here.

(b) The ideal team to aim at is one which can pull without any word of command from the coach. A coach can produce concerted effort by giving the word or signaling when a heave is to be made, but no one except the men on the rope can tell the EXACT MOMENT at which the heave should be made. A well trained team should be able to tell, from the "feel" of the rope, the exact moment at which to heave, check, etc. It is often advisable to depute to the leading man on the rope, or to the centre man, the responsibility for giving the signal to heave, etc. to the rest of the team.

(c) If a coach is being used to give the order to heave, etc. it is most important that he should place himself where he can be of most use to his own team.

(d) He should be close enough to his own team to be able to encourage them, and at the same time he must be able to watch the opposition also so as to anticipate their moves, and enable his own team to counteract them.

(e) It is advisable that a coach should give verbal orders to his men rather than signals. When a man gets tired he is generally more concerned about his own feelings than watching the coach.

(f) He may, therefore, miss a signal, and by doing so spoil an otherwise good movement. A spoken work of command on the other hand will have a greater effect on a tired man's brain, and furthermore encouraging work from the coach goes a long way towards winning a pull..