Technical Tug of War: Posture, Anchoring and Pull Judges

Sokatira, the tug of war of Basque rural sports and an Olympic event until 1920, is taught here as a technical sport: leaning posture, nearly straight legs, coordinated pulling and the role of the anchor. Students act as pull judges and track effort with the Borg scale between short pulls.

How to play

1. Explain sokatira as part of herri kirolak and its Olympic past, and teach the posture: feet ahead of the body, trunk leaning back and straight, rope tight along the side and under the armpit of the anchor at the end of the line (4 min).
2. Posture practice in pairs with a short rope: one pulls gradually while the other holds the position for 10 seconds without rounding the back (5 min).
3. Form four teams of six or seven, balanced by the teacher; each team rehearses its pulling rhythm to the captain's call (5 min).
4. Pulls of up to 30 seconds: a team wins by dragging the rope's center mark to its line 2 m away; two pull judges watch posture and the center mark, while teams not pulling keep time and record results (12 min).
5. After each pull, every participant records their perceived exertion on the Borg scale; at the end, discuss which team kept the best technique (4 min).

Rules

• Never wrap the rope around the hand, wrist or body; the anchor runs it under the armpit and across the back without tying knots.
• No sitting or lying on the ground during a pull.
• On the stop signal, ease off the rope gradually; never let go all at once.
• Each team rests at least 2 minutes between its pulls.

Variations

Adaptations

• Back or shoulder injury: acts as pull judge or as the captain calling the rhythm, without pulling.
• Hearing impairment: the start and end of each pull are marked by lowering and raising a flag.
• Wheelchair user: takes part as team captain calling the pulling rhythm or as head judge.

Learning goals

• Apply a safe pulling technique with a neutral back.
• Monitor exercise intensity using the Borg scale.
• Coordinate team effort and respect the judges' calls.

Equipment for a class of 25

• ropes: 15
• tape: 2
• cones: 8
• stopwatches: 2
• worksheets: 28

Teacher tip

Use a thick fiber rope at least 1.25 inches across and check it before class; thin ropes cause rope burns. For the partner practice, fourteen short ropes or thick jump ropes are enough. Grass or dirt is better than concrete to prevent slipping.

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