Two teams, in a test of strength, pull on opposite ends of a rope. The goal is to bring the rope 4 meters in one direction against the force of the opposing team’s pull. Two teams of eight, whose total mass must not exceed a class maximum weight, align themselves at opposite ends of the rope.

Tug of War is one of the most ancient games known to man with evidence of its practice across the ancient world including Ancient Greece, Egypt and China. The sport is played by men, women and even in mixed categories.

The team bringing the rope a distance of 4 meters in one direction against the force of the opposing team wins the pull. Teams need to win two pulls to be declared the winner.

- Single round-robin format. Teams will be ranked as per their total points.

- Team 5 and 6 will have a final pull against each other for positioning.

- Top four teams will qualify for semi-finals.

- Opponents of the teams ranked 3 and 4 from the qualifying round will be decided by the toss of a coin. The winner of the toss will compete against the 2nd placed team (1st semi-final). The loser of the toss will compete against the team placed at the top (2nd semi-final).

- Losing semi-finalists will compete for Bronze; winning semi-finalists will compete for Gold and Silver.

Because Tug of War is done in weight classes, the athletes are weighed individually on a scale to make a total team weight. Weighing is done prior to competition on a set date. The total mass must not exceed a class maximum weight. More information on weighing can be found here.

Two teams of eight align themselves at opposite ends of the rope. When both teams are in a position to pull, the competition is started by the referee. Teams attempt to pull the other team towards themselves, such that the marking on the rope closest to their opponent crosses the centreline. When the marking on the rope crosses the centreline, the pull is finished. The judge will blow a whistle and point the direction of the team winning the pull.

More information on the start procedure and end can be found here.

The qualification round will have 2 pulls per contest. A team winning both pulls is awarded 3 points, and a team losing both pulls is awarded 0 points. However, if both teams win a pull, then they are each awarded 1 point and the contest is tied.

In the knockouts, the contests will be best of 3, as the first team to win 2 pulls will be declared the winner.

More information on tie-break rules after the competitions can be found here.

Any time during the competition, a team is allowed one substitution after the first match has been pulled. More information can be found here.

Despite looking like quite a simple sport, there is some technicality to it, with team members utilizing a rhythm to help pull the rope effectively. This is done with the help of a ‘driver’, who is not a member of the team but is in effect like a coach, and they give orders of when to pull and when to rest from the sidelines.

Except for the Anchor, every pulling member shall hold the rope with both bare hands by the ordinary grip, i.e. the palms of both hands facing up, and the rope shall pass between the body and the upper part of the arm. For the anchor, the rope shall pass alongside the body, diagonally across the back and over the opposite shoulder from rear to front.

One judge will supervise the competition. The appointed judge for a match shall have sole control.

The judge will

- check the rope and its placement before the competition;
- give verbal and visual commands to start, interrupt or finish the competition;
- make sure that athletes follow the Pulling Technique Rules;
- award a caution to a particular team during a pull;
- disqualify a  team or teams after caution.

The judge’s decision shall be final at all times.

More information can be found here.

A team winning a match by two (2) pulls to nil will score three (3) points, the losing team will score no (0) points. Teams wining one pull each; each team will score one (1) point.

More information can be found here.

If during a competition the rules are broken (infringement), a team will be given a caution. For all infringements of the Rules, a team may be deemed guilty if only one person offends.

Teams will receive two (2) cautions for infringements of the Rules in any pull before being disqualified from that particular pull. In the event a team has been given 3 cautions, the opposing team will win that pull.

More information on Controller, Referee and Chief judge found here.

640kg Men

1. Team GBR
2. Team SUI
3. Team GER

700kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team NED
3. Team GBR

640kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team GBR
3. Team GER

700kg Men

1. Team NED
2. Team SUI
3. Team SWE

640kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team GER
3. Team NED

680kg Men

1. Team NED
2. Team SUI
3. Team GBR

640kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team SWE
3. Team GER

680kg Men

1. Team NED
2. Team SWE
3. Team IRL

680kg Men

1. Team NED
2. Team SUI
3. Team SWE

640kg Men

1. Team ESP
2. Team SUI
3. Team IRL

720kg Men

1. Team NED
2. Team SWE
3. Team IRL

640kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team IRL
3. Team ESP

720kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team IRL
3. Team GER

640kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team IRL
3. Team GBR

720kg Men

1. Team GBR
2. Team SUI
3. Team IRL

640kg Men

1. Team IRL
2. Team SUI
3. Team GBR

720kg Men

1. Team IRL
2. Team GBR
3. Team SUI

640kg Men

1. Team GBR
2. Team SUI
3. Team NED

720kg Men

1. Team SUI
2. Team NED
3. Team GBR

• Edwin GOORHORST(NED): 1. in TWG2009, 3. in TWG2009, 1. in TWG2005
• Gerben JANSEN(NED): 5. in TWG2017, 1. in TWG2013, 1. in TWG2009, 1. in TWG2005, 1. in TWG2001
• Nanda Martrud OUDE EGBERINK(NED): 2. in TWG2009
• Aloysius Maria RIBBERINK(NED): 1. in TWG2009, 3. in TWG2009
• Jolanda VERGEER(NED): 4. in TWG2017, 2. in TWG2013, 3. in TWG2005
• Walter BERNHARD(SUI): 1. in TWG2005, 2. in TWG2001, 1. in TWG1981, 2. in TWG1981
• Ueli CHRISTEN(SUI): 1. in TWG2005, 2. in TWG2001
• Martin ARNOLD(SUI): 2. in TWG2013
• Chia-jung TIEN(TPE): 1. in TWG2017
• Patrick FRANK(GER): 3. in TWG2017
• Markus FRIESS(GER): 5. in TWG2017
• Andreas REISACHER(GER): 5. in TWG2017
• Wolfgang WEGMANN(GER): 5. in TWG2017
• Brigitte Regula ZIEGLER(SUI): 5. in TWG2017
• Erika Sara ZUMBUEHL(SUI): 5. in TWG2017
• Simon ANDERSSON(SWE): 4. in TWG2017, 6. in TWG2017
• David LILJA(SWE): 4. in TWG2017
• Daniel ERIKSSON(SWE): 4. in TWG2017, 6. in TWG2017
• Joel SJODEN(SWE): 6. in TWG2017
• Ruud GEERDES(NED): 5. in TWG2017
• Kim BOOGAARD(NED): 4. in TWG2017
• William LEE(GBR): 3. in TWG2017
• Jan Albert HENDRICKX(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Wim BROECKX(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Ian MURPHY(GBR): 1. in TWG2017, 3. in TWG2017
• Ian ROBINSON(GBR): 3. in TWG2017
• Lef SMETS(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Jan-willem KLUMPERS(NED): 5. in TWG2017
• Lee ROBINSON(GBR): 3. in TWG2017
• Wim DE SCHUTTER(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Johny SCHUERMANS(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Luc MERTENS(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Raf MERTENS(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Joris VERMEIREN(BEL): 4. in TWG2017
• Fabian ROLLI(SUI): 1. in TWG2017, 2. in TWG2017
• Aidan WHEELER(GBR): 3. in TWG2017