How to Play Tug-of-War with a Rope
These days, tug-of-war is most often played between two groups of school-aged children. However, tug-of-war is actually a competitive sport in some European countries. Dating back to the days of the British Empire, tug-of-war is thought to have been popularized by British soldiers after they saw sea-faring crews competing against each other. Because crews were required to work together and haul large sails by rope, tug-of-war was used to determine the best sailors.
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Instructions
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Locate a flat area that is open and away from trees, fences and other obstacles. A grassy area is ideal.
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Draw a straight line several feet long with marking paint. If on dirt, you can use a stick or other similar object to draw a line. Measure approximately 20 feet away from the line and draw another line of equal length. The lines should be perpendicular to each other. It's also a good idea to mark a center point between the lines.
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Lay out a rope so that it extends beyond both lines. The rope should cross the lines in the center, and there should be equal amounts of rope reaching past both lines.
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Attach a flag or handkerchief to the rope at the center point. Refer to the center point marked between both lines.
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Divide participants into teams so that there is about the same amount of weight on each team. Position team members behind each line that was drawn so that they are facing each other.
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Instruct the teams to pick up the rope but not to step across the line. A referee should stand in the middle and hold the flag or handkerchief so that it remains at the center point.
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Signal both teams to begin. At this point the referee should release the rope and allow the teams to begin pulling against each other. The team that pulls the flag or handkerchief across their line first wins the game of tug-of-war.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit rope image by Andrew Breeden from Fotolia.com
