Ontario Tug of War Association

Suggested Guidelines for Running

Senior Elementary Division Tournament

Overview:

·         A draw is made for positions in a single Round Robin.

·         Teams go to designated areas and listen to officials instructions.

·         Anchors are brought out and shown Tie In.

·         1^st  2 teams are called to the field and the next 2 on deck are announced.

·         The pull begins and the 1^st & 2^nd place teams advancing to the final.

Details:

Event: boys & girls grade 7-8 (no age/weight limit). A list of pullers is submitted, subs are optional.

Place: a flat sodded surface 30m long x 10 m wide, free of obstruction.

Time Needed: 1 hour for 8 teams.  Boys & Girls are run independently. Teams arrive 10-15 minutes prior to competition. (Ave. Time per pull is 15 sec.)

Officials Required: An on-field official to conduct the pull and a score/timekeeper are required.

Format: single round robin against all opponents ( 8 teams = 7 pulls ). If more than 8 teams are involved, 2 groups should be formed.. 1^St  & 2^nd place teams advance to the final , a best 2 out of 3 championship at 1 PM centre field. 3^rd place team is in attendance on field in order to be ready for ribbon presentation that follows immediately. All other teams/fans remain in stands.

Rope: 1&1/4”manila hemp, approx. 30 m long, looped back about 1 m and braided for easy tie in. Rope is available at School stores. 1 ½ “ hemp rope 30 M long also acceptable. The centre is taped white.  3 M. out on both sides (the pulling distance) is taped red. Blue markers are taped 1 M. out from red markers.

Procedure:

Team captains only are called to the official’s table 10 min prior to competition and draw for order. Teams assemble in designated  roped off area in order 1-8.

The referee reviews the significant rules and the starting commands.

The anchors from each team are shown how to tie in. The 1^st 2 teams are called to the field. They enter from the ends only. For their 1^st pull they will be asked to kneel, in order to check footwear for compliance. The anchor ties in. The balance of team spreads out double arm’s length apart on the rope. (The lead man must grip behind the blue marker.) The team does not pick up rope, but rest it on top of foot. They are watching official awaiting his instruction.

The Start:

The anchor is allowed to tie-in prior to the start. No one else is allowed to pick up rope.

Each team will be asked “Are you ready” The response will be “Ready!” like you mean it.

“Pick up the rope” The pullers simply pick/flick up the rope without putting on any tension, hands together holding it at belt level.

“Take the strain” The puller is facing the opposition, feet about 6-8” apart and slightly angled out. The puller leans back, at the same time putting on just enough pressure to straighten out rope.

Official will motion pullers to hand feed rope in either direction until centre marker on rope and the one on the ground are aligned. Once he is satisfied he will say “Steady” than he will drop his arms as he says “Pull”.

The pullers fall back allowing the arms to fully extend. The pull begins.

Pull Finishes:

Ways of Declaring Winner: The official will blow whistle and motion to winning team when-

The red marker fully crosses the centre line on ground.

Any team member’s foot crosses the centre line on ground.

The 60 sec time limit expires. The scorekeeper will signal the on-field official by raising his arm, that expiry is approaching, then drop his arm to signal that time has expired. The team with the centre line on their side wins.

In the opinion of the official the result is not in doubt but the potential of an injury is in progress.

After every pull the losing team must pull the rope back to centre position.

Restart: The official will blow the whistle and restart the pull when-

The result is in doubt and there is a potential injury in progress. The injured puller may be replaced by a sub if that puller can’t continue. If no sub is available, both teams will be asked to pull with 7 pullers. This teams can pull with 7 pullers for balance of round robin and any tie-breakers, but must come up with a 8^th puller for the championship best 2 out of 3. Failure will result in conceding 1^st place, and accepting a 2^nd place finish.

Tie-breakers:

The goal is to come up with 2 top teams to compete in the championship, and one clear 3^rd place finisher. Use a sudden death pull off to avoid numerous additional pulls.

Championship Final:

The championship between the 2 top teams is a best 2 out of 3. The teams flip a coin for ends. At the end of the 1^st pull there will be at least a 60 sec break. The official will motion the teams to switch ends. If a 3r^d pull is required, an additional coin toss for ends will take place. At the end of this round the teams will line up on the rope and the official will motion them forward to shake hands.

Ist, 2^nd & 3^rd place team will organize for ribbon presentation.

Review of body position:

Given a choice, all pullers should align on the left side of rope (ie: pull right-handed. All references are based on right-handed pulling). Pullers should be lined up shortest to tallest or vice-versa. The desired result is to have the rope in a straight line to avoid pullers pulling down or holding up their team mates.

They are facing rope with rope resting on right foot. Feet are shoulder width apart.

The rope is flicked up into the hands that are together, palms up, holding the rope close to the waist and belt level. Left hand forward.

The puller is closely watching the official, anticipating his start. The body falls back, hips up, shoulders back.

Anchor’s Position & Tie-in:

The anchor has both hands on the rope the same as all other pullers. He may pull straight back or to the side.

Re: tie-in: the rope goes under the right arm and over the left shoulder. This can be reversed if anchor wishes. If the rope isn’t already looped, it then goes under the armpit and the end of the rope runs free.

Technique:

Tug of War is a team sport: a timely combination of pulling and stepping in unison. Turf conditions will dictate the body position. A lower body position allows more body leverage and thus the ability to put more pressure on the rope. It’s the sustained pressure that starts it coming your way. From there the pressure is maintained while taking small steps to sustain the momentum.

Tips for Pullers:

Only grip the rope hard enough to stop it from slipping. Any more is a waste of valuable energy. If your hands tire, wiggle fingers without letting go of the rope.

Never completely let go of the rope. If you lose your balance, quickly force yourself back up with one hand while maintaining other on the rope. If you go down completely on the ground, use legs and rope to force yourself back up.

Always keep your feet in front of you or you may end up face first.

Never give up. Remember your opponents are getting tired too. Make your opponents earn it and you gain their respect.

Drink lots of fluids on a hot day. Once you dehydrate- it’s too late.

Coaching Tips:

Tug of War is a 100% team sport that requires 8 people working together.

The coach has to get the pullers to do more than they think they are capable of doing. A case of mind over pain.

It is important to know at all times how close you are to winning/losing. Watch the other team for signs of weakness.

Use a stopwatch. With a 60 sec time limit, you only need to be in a winning position when time expires.

Team should do an extensive warm-up exercise routine.

Only one coach per team is allowed on the field. All other team personal and subs must stay in their team’s designated area.

Penalties:

Enforcing the rules has not been a problem at this level, however you may want to be familiar with some of the common infractions, and call them at some point.

Gouging- At no time are the pullers allowed to gouge the turf repeatedly to gain a better foot hold.

Sitting- Sitting down on the ground without making a convincing effort to get up, usually results in a warning, followed by a caution (the actual penalty). All cautions are team penalties. The official will signal the infraction and indicate cautions by the numbers of fingers on hand extended toward each team. The team can take a 2^nd caution in any one pull, but on the call of a 3^rd caution the team automatically fouls out and the opponents are awarded the win.

Whipping the rope- Whipping the rope in any manner designed to throw off the opponent, will result in a caution. Persistence will result in loss of pull.

Locking- Locking the rope or bracing it against any part of the body to gain some relief will result in a warning followed by a caution. Wrapping your hand/arm around the rope is illegal and dangerous!

Clothing & Footwear:

Wear a tee shirt with a long sleeve jersey to put on during the pull, even if it’s a hot day. This cuts down on rope burns under the arms. Wear shorts if weather permits. Wear warm-ups on colder days. Cold muscles don’t pull well and can lead to injury.

Any standard running shoe, leather boot or shoe is permitted as long as there are no protruding lugs or cleats or modified in any way from the original manufacture. Figure skating boots are permitted. Football/soccer, softball/baseball, or golf/turf shoes are not permitted.

Note: Gloves are not permitted.

Benefits of Tug of War:

Complete Team Sport: There are no individual performances.

Falling Through the Cracks: There are some students who can’t seem to find a sport and end up directing their energies into negative activities. This sport is a great way to release built up emotions.

Safety: Injuries are rare with proper supervision. The rope must pass freely from hands and body. No looping around arms is allowed. The official will immediately call the pull if he senses someone may be in danger of injury.

Low Cost: The school need only buy a rope (that will outlive the newest school.) Pullers use whatever footwear they have available.

Olympics: This sport is headed back into The Olympics and may afford a better opportunity to participate, in our early stages of development. World Championships are held every 2 years around the globe, in addition to many other area, and international tournaments.

More Information on the World-wide Web:

Canadian Amateur Tug of War Association            http://www.tugofwar.ca/

(CATOWA)

Ontario Tug of War Association                               http://www.tugofwar.ca/otowa/

(OTOWA)

Pulling Together For A Better Tomorrow