Editing Tug of war (section)

==Injury risks==
In addition to injuries from falling and from [[Back injury|back strains]] (some of which may be serious), catastrophic injuries may occur as a result of looping or wrapping the rope around a hand or wrist, or impact from [[Mooring#Mooring to a shore fixture|snapback]] if the rope should break. This may cause permanent damage to the body, requiring finger, hand, or even arm [[amputation]]s.

Amateur organizers of tugs of war may underestimate the forces generated and thus, may be unaware of the possible consequences if a rope snaps under extreme tension.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Crockett |first1=Zachary |title=A History of Tug-of-War Fatalities |url=https://priceonomics.com/a-history-of-tug-of-war-fatalities/ |website=Priceonomics |date=8 March 2017 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=24 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224081245/http://priceonomics.com/a-history-of-tug-of-war-fatalities/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Injury is primarily due to the large amount of [[potential energy]] stored in the rope during the competition. As both sides pull, [[Tension (physics)|tension]] is placed on the rope causing it to stretch as described by [[Hooke's law]]. If a rope exceeds its [[Ultimate tensile strength|breaking point]] the potential energy is suddenly converted to kinetic energy and the broken ends of the rope will snapback at great speed, which can cause serious injuries. This phenomenon has been studied in ship operations as [[Mooring#Mooring to a shore fixture|mooring ropes]] pose the same risk should they snap.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paul |first1=Walter |title=Review of Synthetic Fiber Ropes |date=August 1970 |pages=41–46 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a084622.pdf |access-date=21 February 2021 |publisher=US Coast Guard Academy |format=Report No. AD-A0-84-62-2 |journal= |archive-date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012091614/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a084622.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> For this reason, specially engineered tug of war ropes exist that can safely withstand the forces generated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.contractorsrope.com/tug-of-war-rope.html?gclid=CPS-9-L4wMgCFUoXHwod7BMKoQ%7Cdate%3DOctober |title=2015 |access-date=2019-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916092649/https://www.contractorsrope.com/tug-of-war-rope.html?gclid=CPS-9-L4wMgCFUoXHwod7BMKoQ%7Cdate=October |archive-date=2018-09-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Notable incidents===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Date
!Location
!Rope snapped
!Deaths
!Severely Injured
!Overall injured
!Total participants
!Death cause / injury details
!Rope details
!Other information
|-
|13 June 1978<ref>{{cite news|title=Tug-of-War Ends in Multiple Injuries|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19780614&id=V98pAAAAIBAJ&pg=2968,2439226&hl=en|access-date=15 March 2017|work=Gadsden Times|date=14 June 1978|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912081255/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19780614&id=V98pAAAAIBAJ&pg=2968,2439226&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>||[[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]], USA||style="text-align:center"|{{tick}}||style="text-align:center"|0||style="text-align:center"|6||style="text-align:center"|200||style="text-align:center"|~2,300||6&nbsp;fingers and thumbs amputated||2000 foot (600&nbsp;m) rope rated for 13,000&nbsp;lb<sub>f</sub> (58&nbsp;kN) ||Middle school [[Guinness Book of Records]] attempt
|-
|4 June 1995<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jun/07/2-boy-scouts-die-when-tug-of-war-rope-snaps/ |title=2 Boy Scouts Die When Tug-Of-War Rope Snaps |access-date=2015-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626125311/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jun/07/2-boy-scouts-die-when-tug-of-war-rope-snaps/ |archive-date=2015-06-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>||[[Westernohe]], Germany||style="text-align:center"|{{tick}}||style="text-align:center"|2||style="text-align:center"|5 ||style="text-align:center"|29||style="text-align:center"|650||Crushed and hit ground hard||"Thumb-thick" nylon||Scouts attempt [[Guinness Book of Records]] entry
|-
|25 October 1997<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=437&dat=19971025&id=Oa0pAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BTIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6343,3904145 Two Men Lose Arms in tug-of-war] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728131157/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=437&dat=19971025&id=Oa0pAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BTIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6343%2C3904145 |date=2020-07-28 }}, ''[[The Nation]]'', October 27, 1997 (available at Google.news).</ref><ref>[http://www.chinainformed.com/Archive/x9710/971028.html Tug-of-war: accident leaves arms hanging and mayor apologetic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528044056/http://www.chinainformed.com/Archive/x9710/971028.html |date=2013-05-28 }} (China Times Tue, Oct 28, 1997 edition (available at Chinainformed.com).</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19971027&id=_z9UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OY4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1601,3169442 Taiwanese doctors reattach arms ripped off in tug-of-war] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820165931/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19971027&id=_z9UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OY4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1601,3169442 |date=2014-08-20 }}, Boca Raton News, October 27, 1997, Page 7A, (available as new</ref><ref>[http://www.snopes.com/photos/gruesome/disarmed.asp Disarmed – Disarmanent] at Snopes.com.</ref>||[[Taipei]], Taiwan||style="text-align:center"|{{tick}}||style="text-align:center"|0||style="text-align:center"|2 ||style="text-align:center"|42||style="text-align:center"|1500||Arms severed below shoulder||5&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;in) nylon, max. strength {{convert|26000|kg|lbs}}||Official event, with foreign dignitaries
|-
|4 February 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/teens-recovering-after-losing-fingers-during-tug-of-war-match/article8252426/|title=Teens recovering after losing fingers during tug-of-war match|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=February 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207135814/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/teens-recovering-after-losing-fingers-during-tug-of-war-match/article8252426/|archive-date=February 7, 2013 }}</ref>||[[El Monte, California|El Monte]], California, USA||style="text-align:center"|{{tick}}||style="text-align:center"|0||style="text-align:center"|2||style="text-align:center"|2||style="text-align:center"|~40<ref name="yelmonline">{{Cite web|url=http://www.yelmonline.com/sports/article_f7ec0326-c131-5925-a332-5242a0483b63.html|title=The finger-severing tug-of-war incident|access-date=2018-05-03|archive-date=2019-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930223119/http://www.yelmonline.com/sports/article_f7ec0326-c131-5925-a332-5242a0483b63.html|url-status=live}}</ref>||9 fingers amputated<ref name="yelmonline" />||Unknown||Lunchtime [[High school (North America)|high school]] activity
|-
|14&nbsp;December 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-teen-student-dies-playing-tug-of-war-on-campus/articleshow/67100496.cms|title=Mumbai: Teen student dies playing tug of war on campus|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=December 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216214859/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-teen-student-dies-playing-tug-of-war-on-campus/articleshow/67100496.cms|archive-date=December 16, 2018 }}</ref>||[[Somaiya Vidyavihar|Somaiya Vidyavihar University]], [[Mumbai]], [[India]]|| style="text-align:center"|{{xmark}}||style="text-align:center"|1||style="text-align:center"|0||style="text-align:center"|0||style="text-align:center"|Unknown||Cardiac arrest, unknown cause||Unknown||Sports day at Somaiya College of Nursing
|-
|18 December 2022<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/woman-killed-tug-war-game-28785823|title=Woman killed in tug-of-war game after rope pings back and drags her into concrete block|work=[[Daily Mirror|Mirror]]|date=December 21, 2022}}</ref>||Makassar, Indonesia|| style="text-align:center"|{{tick}}||style="text-align:center"|1||style="text-align:center"|3||style="text-align:center"|13||style="text-align:center"|5,294||Head pulled into concrete barrier by rope||Unknown||World Record Attempt
|}