Tug of war, tug o' war, or tug war, also known as rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength.
Two teams of eight, whose total mass must not exceed a maximum weight determined for the class, align themselves at the end of
a rope (approximately 10 centimetres in circumference). The rope is marked with a "centre line" and
two markings four metres either side of the centre line. The teams start with the rope's centre line directly above a line marked
on the ground, and once the contest (the "pull") has commenced, attempt to pull the other team such that the marking on the rope
closest to their opponent crosses the centre line, or the opponents commit a foul (such as a team member sitting or falling
down).
There are tug of war clubs in many countries, and both men and women participate.
The sport was part of the Olympic Games from 1900 until 1920, but has not been included since. The sport is contested in the World
Games. The Tug of War International Federation TWIF [1] organises World Championships for nation teams biannually, for both indoor and outdoor contests, and a
similar competition for club teams.
The term may be used as a simile to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing
groups, e.g. in a war or between two departments of a company. Often, there is a third party who is as the rope in a tug o'
war.
History
The origins of tug of war are not clearly known. But there is evidence that tug of war was practiced in ancient
China and Egypt[citation needed].
Notes
- The rope used for a tug of war in Uiryeong Keunjulttaenggigi (January 15th in
Chinese calendar) is 251 meters long, 4.5 meters in circumference and weighs 54.5 metric tons.
[2]
- The rope used for a tug of war in Naha Oōtsunahiki (October 10th) is 200 meters
long and weighs more than 40 metric tons.
- A classic prank for a side willing to forfeit a game is for the team to suddenly all let go of the rope upon commencement of
the match, causing the other side to suddenly topple en masse at the overbalance as seen in the film Revenge of the Nerds.
- A game of tug-of-war, on tilted platforms, was used on the US and UK Gladiators series. In the US series, the game ended
after 30 seconds, after which if a player had the "flag" in his or her favour, the contender won the game.
See also
Tug of war teams
Bosley wood treament TOW - is one of the best teams in the UK and have been for over 60 years.[citation needed]
- Mountain View TOW - A professional team, based in County
Louth, Ireland
- Dorton Dons - village team based in Dorton in
Buckinghamshire, England
- Carndonagh TOW - Have some strong pullers, based in County
Donegal, Ireland
- Congleton Tug of War
Club English Tug of War , based in Congleton, Cheshire, England.
- Brisbane Bulldogs Based in Brisbane,
Australia
- Australian Tug of War Association ATOWA,
Australia
- Mölndals Dragkampklubb Mölndals Tug of war
Club, Sweden
External links
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