As tug of war was no longer on the Olympic Programme, national athletic and gymnastic associations were not very interested in tug of war as a discipline. The tug of war teams, at that time, felt that they had to establish their own autonomous association. The first association was founded in Sweden in 1933. Other countries followed including Great Britain in 1958 and the Netherlands in 1959. Tug of war is primarily a team sport.
Teams consist of eight athletes.
They are categorized according to the total weight of the team. There are six male divisions and two female divisions.as well as a male youth division for the ages of 15-18. The female competition was first organized at the World Championships in 1986. The United States Amateur Tug of War Association was formed in 1978. Its members are located primarily in the upper Midwest.