Official Rules

Every TAWF match is pulled on the MAC Table. Ian Carnegie created it and named it after his promotion, MAC (Major Armwrestling Championships). TAWF was co-developed with MAC. The table is best understood as a table and a rule set together, with one goal: matches that start fair and consistent, and end on pins, not fouls.

The signature feature is the elbow pad: a 9.5 inch by 10 inch black interior pad with a 1 inch raised red border on three sides, and a recessed center. The back of the pad has no border: the pad simply ends at the edge of the table. The pad is larger than a standard pad, so the elbow has more room to travel during a pull, and the red border turns a judgment call into a line everyone can see.

• —The black is the legal zone. An elbow anywhere on the black is clean.
• —Riding the red is legal. Touching or riding the red border is not a foul. It is a visual warning, shared by both athletes, that the elbow has reached the edge.
• —Crossing the red is the foul. The moment the elbow goes past the red border, on any of its three sides, it is an elbow foul. No judgment call is needed.

The referee judges elbow position by angle and motion at the line. Because the line is physical and color-coded, and both athletes and the referee can see it, the call is consistent.

The referee sets the grip for both athletes. Webbing and palms come together, the referee holds the fingers so they point toward the opponent's chin, and both elbows stay firmly on the pad through the set.

1. 1“Close your thumbs. No loading.” Both athletes close their thumbs and secure the webbing. Once the thumbs are down, the referee closes both athletes' fingers at the same time, holding the backs of both hands. No back pressure or side pressure during the set.
2. 2“Don't move.” With the hands closed, the referee holds and squeezes the backs of both hands to settle the grip. The referee decides how long. Nobody moves until released.
3. 3“Go!” The referee lets go and the match is live.

• —False start: any movement of the hand, wrist or arm before the referee says “Go.” It is a stop foul.
• —Loading: back pressure or side pressure before “Go,” moving the opponent off-center. It is also a foul.

Each match is a single pull, and only the winner scores.

• —Pin: the winner touches the pin pad with any part of the opponent's hand, from the wrist to the fingertips.
• —Parallel pin: any part of the opponent's wrist to fingertips breaks the pin line on the winning side of the table.
• —Flash pin: a pin within 0.5 seconds of “Go,” verified by the Head Referee. Worth a +1 bonus.

Every foul is a stop foul. There are no warnings. The instant a foul happens, the action stops and the foul is called. Three fouls in one match is an automatic loss of that match.

Between matches, the clock runs 30 seconds, in every format.

If an athlete is not at the table when the clock reaches 0:00, it is a foul, and the clock resets to 30 seconds.

• —An athlete may take a late foul on purpose to rest. Each one adds a foul and another 30-second reset.
• —Because three fouls is an automatic loss, an athlete can take at most two late fouls and still win the match, and carries those fouls.
• —Being late is a foul, never a forfeit. A match is forfeited when the athlete is not present when it is called. In the 3v3 and No Elimination, an athlete who cannot continue after an injury also forfeits that match. In the 8v8, the opponent takes that match and scores it as it stood: the win points plus any fouls and bonuses already earned. From the next match, the Manager covers that spot with a substitution from the team's 8 athletes in that game.

Only the winner of a match scores, and these points count the same way in every format. Every match pulled at any TAWF event is recorded: the winner's points go into the athlete's stats and standings on the league platform.

These weigh-in rules apply in every format.

• —Weigh in at the designated time. There are no early weigh-ins.
• —You get unlimited attempts to make weight.
• —Weight limits are strictly enforced. An athlete who does not make weight will not be allowed to compete.
• —There is no clothing allowance.
• —Wear appropriate clothing: shoes, pants or shorts, and a team jersey. The referee may ask for changes.

Your weight sets your class. Each format has its own classes, and all of them follow one pattern: a class runs up to the .9 of its top pound, and the next class starts on the whole pound. Decimals never move you up a class. The class table for each format is on its page.

A minor may enter with a guardian consent signed in advance. Once entered, a minor competes on identical terms to every other athlete: the same rules, the same safety meeting, the same officiating, the same weight class and the same foul standard. There is no age-based restriction inside a format and no extra referee protection for a minor. The guardian's signature is the condition of entry, not a different standard of competition.

Arm wrestling is a combat sport. Referees enforce the rules and watch for danger, but athletes are responsible for their own safety and compete at their own risk. By taking part, athletes accept the risks that come with the sport.

Referees cannot prevent injury in this sport. Position is taught, not policed, and every athlete is responsible for their own position at the table.

These rules apply in every format, except where a rule below names its formats.

Referee roles

• —Enforcing the rules. The Head Referee is the final authority on any dispute during a match.
• —Monitoring safety. Referees may stop a match if an athlete is in danger or is not following the rules.
• —Making fair calls. Referees stay impartial and call fouls and outcomes from the rule book.
• —Handling disputes. Only the Head Referee makes the final decision. In the 8v8, a Manager may challenge a call, but only within the rules for challenges (the forced review). In No Elimination and the 3v3, the Head Referee's call is final and cannot be reviewed.

Injury protocols

• —Immediate response. On an injury, the referee stops the match at once, and the medical team assesses if needed.
• —Injury timeout (3v3 and 8v8). One per match, 2 minutes, for immediate attention. It is not for rest. There is no injury timeout in No Elimination. If the injury cannot be treated in time, the athlete forfeits that match.
• —Documentation. Injuries are recorded for league records, noting the nature of the injury and whether the athlete can continue.
• —Return to play. An injured athlete must be cleared by the medical team before returning. An athlete who cannot continue forfeits that match in the 3v3 and No Elimination; in the 8v8 the opponent takes the match as it stood and the Manager fills the spot from the next match (see Late to the table).

Code of conduct

• —Athletes: respect opponents and officials, and compete honestly and fairly. An athlete may ask a referee for clarification during setup, but may not argue with or challenge a call.
• —Managers (8v8): set the standard for professionalism. They are the only team members who may challenge calls, and they do it respectfully.
• —Fans: cheer. Harassment or disruptive behavior is not tolerated and may lead to removal.

Breaking the code of conduct can bring fouls and penalties, removal from the event, or loss of prize eligibility, depending on how serious it is. Arguing with the referee can also be called as a flagrant foul.