Tug Of War
Look out for the Tug of War sponsored by Belhaven in the main arena. "Tug of War" originally meant "the decisive contest; the real struggle or tussle; a severe content for supremacy". Only in the 19th century was it used as a term of an athletic contest between two teams who haul at the opposite ends of a rope. Two teams of eight align themselves at the end of a rope approximately 11 centimetres (4.3in) in circumference. The rope is marked with a "centre line" and two markings 4 metres (13 ft) either side of the centre line. The teams start with the rope's centre line directly above a line marked on the ground and once the contest (the "pull") has commenced, attempt to pull the other team such that the marking on the rope closest to their opponent crosses the centre line, or the opponents commit a foul (such as a team member sitting or falling down). Lowering ones elbow below the knee during a "pull" - known as "Locking" - is a foul, as is touching the ground for extended periods of time. The rope must go under the arms; actions such as pulling the rope over the shoulders may be considered a foul.
