Tug of War Rules: Fair Teams, Ends and Best of Three
Tug of war is one of the oldest team games there is: two teams take hold of the ends of a long rope and pull until one side drags the other over a line. It needs almost no equipment, works at school sports days, family parties and summer camps, and is over in a minute or two. Here are the rules, how to split the teams fairly, how to decide who gets which end, and how to play it safely.
What you need
- A strong, thick rope, long enough for everyone to hold with an arm’s length between players. Thin cord or washing line is not safe.
- A marker tied or taped to the middle of the rope, such as a ribbon or a strip of tape.
- A centre line on the ground, plus two more lines, one on each side, about one to two metres from the centre.
- A flat, soft surface such as grass, without stones or holes.
- A referee, usually a teacher or a parent.
Rules
- Split the players into two teams of the same size.
- Each team takes one end of the rope. The middle marker starts directly above the centre line.
- Players hold the rope with both hands, palms facing up, and stand side by side along their half of the rope.
- The referee calls “Take the strain”, and both teams pull just enough to make the rope tight. Then the referee calls “Pull!”.
- A team wins the pull when the marker crosses the line on their side, which means they have dragged the other team that far.
- Teams swap ends after each pull. The first team to win two pulls wins the match.
Players must not wrap the rope round their hands, wrists or body, and must not sit or lie down on purpose. A team that breaks these rules loses the pull.
Fair teams
Tug of war is decided mostly by weight and strength, so uneven teams make it no fun for anyone. Let children pick teams and the biggest players end up together. A quick fair method is to line the players up roughly by size, then pair them off, two by two. For each pair, a flip of the Coin Flip decides who goes to which team. Every team then gets one player from each pair, so the sides end up close in weight, but nobody chooses who they play with. For a whole class you can also put the names into the Random Name Picker and deal them out, as in our guide to random teams.
Which team gets which end?
The two ends are rarely exactly the same: one may be uphill, on muddier grass, or facing the sun. The fair way is for the team captains to call a Coin Flip for the first choice of end, then swap ends after every pull. That way, in a best of three, each team pulls from each end at least once.
Why best of three?
A single pull can be won by a lucky slip. Playing more pulls makes the stronger team more likely to win the match, which is what most players see as fair. The table shows how often the weaker team wins the match, for different chances of winning one pull:
| One pull | Best of 3 | Best of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50% | 50% |
| 40% | 35% | 32% |
| 30% | 22% | 16% |
| 20% | 10% | 6% |
So if one team wins only 30% of pulls, a best of three still gives them a 22% chance of winning the match, and a best of five 16%. For a party, a single pull is fine; for a sports day final, best of three is the usual choice.
Safety
- Never wrap the rope round any part of the body, and never tie it to anything.
- Use gloves for older players, to avoid rope burns.
- Keep the rope low, around waist height, and pull with the legs, leaning back.
- When the referee calls “Stop”, both teams stop pulling together and put the rope down slowly. Letting go all at once makes the other team fall backwards.
- Keep spectators well away from the ends of the rope.
Variations
- Four-way tug of war: two ropes tied together in a cross, with four teams pulling in four directions. Each team tries to grab a marker on the ground behind them.
- Parents against children: more children than adults, which is a good way to end a school sports day.
- Sitting tug of war: for little ones, two players sit facing each other and pull a short rope or towel.
- Tug of peace: both teams pull gently and try to keep the marker exactly over the line for ten seconds.
Tug of war is a good finish to a day of kids party games and a fun break between rounds of capture the flag.
FAQ
How many people are on a tug of war team?
Any number works, as long as both teams have the same number of players and a similar total weight. In formal competitions, a team usually has eight pullers.
How do you win tug of war?
A team wins a pull when the middle marker on the rope crosses the line on their side. In a match, the first team to win two pulls wins.
How do you make tug of war teams fair?
Pair the players by size, then flip a coin for each pair to decide who goes to which team. Each team then gets one player from every pair.
Is tug of war safe for kids?
It is safe with a thick rope, soft ground and an adult as referee. Never wrap the rope round hands or bodies, and stop pulling together instead of letting go.