TUG-OF-WAR.ORG.UKTUG-OF-WAR.ORG.UKThe Tug-of-War rope is must be strong with no cuts or frays. It should be stretch resistant (don't use bungee!). The rope should not have loops which can cause compression injuries and may trap an injured person.
It needs to be thick enough for a firm grip to be made and to reduce the risk of the rope slipping, causing a burn or cut: 25mm (1inch) is the minimum diameter with 37mm (1½ inches) being about the widest.
The rope should be long enough to accommodate all pullers the hand mark and the win mark, and to have adequate slack behind the Anchor. Each puller need at least 1 meter (3 feet) so with 10 on the rope and a win mark 4 meters from the centre the rope needs to be at least 2*(10+4) =28 metres plus say 4 metres slack at each end: i.e. 36 metres. (The English TOW Association mandate a 35 metre rope for 8 person teams.)
The Centre mark needs to be about in the centre (amazing!). To mark the centre, lay the rope on the ground with the two ends together then straighten both ends until they are (about) the same length. Where the two ends meet you will find the centre which should be marked with coloured tape. For a 4 metre pull you then measure that distance from the centre on both ends and mark with a different colour. You then measure a further 1 metre and mark the hand mark behind which the rope can be gripped, again you should use a different colour.
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