UNIT III
Team/Group Games
TUG OF WAR
LESSON
TARGETS
01 02 03
describe the characteristics define the nature and identify varied
of group games; meaning of tug of war; tools/equipment and
mechanisms of Tug of war.
A. HISTORY OF
TUG OF WAR
The ancient tug of war was performed in various
styles.
• In Afghanistan, teams used a wooden stake
instead of a rope to pull.
• In Korea, children clasped their arms around each
other’s waists to form a living tug of the war chain.
Tug of War was not only a team sport. In several countries, a man-to-
man version of tug of war existed. The Canadian Eskimos still have a
tug of war contest known as ‘arsaaraq’. It’s a tug of war contest
with the pullers sitting on the ground, using a short rope. The one who
pulls his opponent over from his seated position is the winner.
THE TUG OF WAR
SPORT
AS A CONTEST
Later tug of war became a pure contest of physical strength.
• In Greece, the cradle of the ancient Olympic Games, tug of war sport around 500 BC was
practiced by athletes either as a competitive sport or as an exercise in the physical
training for other sports.
• In Western Europe, evidence of tug of war is found in the year 1000 AD, in the stories of the
heroic champions of Scandinavia and Germany, who participated in the so called ‘kräftige
spiele’ (power games). The tug of war sport featured at the courts of the Chinese
Emperors, as well as in Mongolia and Turkey.
• In the 15 was a popular contest in tournaments in the French Chateaux and in Competitions in
the UK.th Century tug of war.
THE TUG OF WAR
SPORT
AS A CONTEST
• In 1920 the IOC (International Olympic Committee) took a decision to reduce the
number of participants in the Olympic Games and for that reason deleted a
number of team sports from the program, sadly, including tug of war.
• In 1999 the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) of which the Tug of War
Association is a founder member, received provisional IOC recognition again, which was
confirmed in 2002 into formal recognition in accordance with rule 29 of the Olympic
Charter. Tug of war remains as a recognized sport by the IOC and the Tug of War
International Federation (TWIF) is the recognized world governing body for the tug
of war sport.
TUG OF WAR
AS AN ORGANISED SPORT
Tug of war was still practiced in many countries and resulted in national organizations
being formed, the first being Sweden in 1933, then The Tug of War Association
of England in 1958, and soon after many other countries followed suit.
With the foundation of national tug of war associations, the need for international
competition developed simultaneously. The decision to form an international federation
was taken in 1960 by George Hutton of The Tug of War Association of England.
In co-operation with representatives from the Swedish association, the idea was
brought into reality.
TUG OF In modern society, tug of war
remains a popular game,
WAR especially among students and
workers. Seeking UNESCO
recognition for the Tug of war
ritual and game as an intangible
cultural heritage of humanity
will give Vietnam a chance to
further promote this ancient folk
game.
B. MATERIALS • Ravenox Twisted Manila Rope is the perfect
rope for tug of war. Manila Hemp rope allows
IN TUG OF for great grip while soft on the hands eliminating
rope burn that is commonly caused by other
WAR types of rope like nylon, polyester or other
synthetic ropes.
• To win at Tug of War, place an experienced team
member with good lower body strength at the
front of your group. Then, put your heaviest
teammate or your teammate with the most
endurance at the back of the group to serve as
the anchor.
C. MECHANICS In this position, the game begins at the
signal of the referee. The two teams try to
OF TUG OF pull each other to the opposite side of the
WAR
boundary line. The team that succeeds
three times in pulling the opponent across
the boundary line to their side is the winner.
• Each team in a Tug of War competition
consists of eight people.
• There are various weight classifications
in Tug of War, and the mass of the eight
people combined must not weigh more
than that determined by the category in
which they are placed.
C. MECHANICS • The rope used should be of a
OF TUG OF circumference of approximately 11 cm
equals (4.33 inches) and should be
WAR marked in the middle with a center line
as well as two marks that should be
placed 4m (13.12 feet) from the center
line.
• At the start of the pull, the center line of
the rope should be immediately above
the line marked on the ground.
• Both teams pull the rope, the winner
being the team who manages to pull the
mark on the rope closest to their
opponents over the center line.
C. MECHANICS • The rope must be pulled underarm and
OF TUG OF nobody’s elbow must go below the knee,
otherwise a foul will be called.
WAR • Matches are a best out of three pulls, the
winner winning two out of the three pulls
In Tug of War, there is no scoring such as
you may see in other team games such as
American Football or Soccer. However,
because teams are pitted against each
other usually in a best of three matches,
there is a form of scoring, in that the winner
of the match must win two out of the three
pulls to win the match.
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