Tug-o-War (Gladiators)

Tug-O-War
Year Introduced 1993
Country of Origin  United States
Used In  United States
Last Used 1996
Number of Contenders 1
Number of Gladiators 1
Time Limit 30 seconds

Tug-o-War was an event played in the original American incarnation of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender and Gladiator engage in a tug of war on even platforms.

Contents

Rules

One Gladiator faces one contender (During Season 7's celebrity special, Gladiator Siren faced both female contenders simultaneously after defeating them both individually), and on the whistle engage in a 30 second tug of war. In the middle of the rope is a red flag, with a white marker below it on the centre line of the crash mat. Both participants are stood on separate tables which are an even height above the ground, with the tables tilting slightly dependent on where the weight is displaced.

10 points would be awarded if the contender pulled the Gladiator off their platform or pulled the rope out of their hands. 5 points would be awarded if the contender had the red marker on their side of the white line and were still on their table by the end of the event. No points were awarded if the contender was still on their table but the majority of the rope was on the Gladiators side.

Letting go of the rope by either participant is not allowed and will result in disqualification.

International differences

The event was only played in America. A variant of the event called Tilt was played in both the UK and Australia.

Event History

America

Years active: 1993-1996

Tug-o-War was introduced in the fifth series of American Gladiators and remained until the series ended.

For the 2008 revival, the event was superseded by the UK/ Australian variant Tilt in the second series in which the tables tilt to greater angles and the Gladiator is placed on a higher platform due to their weight advantage.

References