Official Rules

Team Composition

TAWF operates with 8 teams — 4 from the USA and 4 from Canada. Each team consists of 12 athletes, with 3 athletes per weight class. Weight classes are defined as follows:

• —LIGHT: Under 175 lbs
• —MIDDLE: Under 205 lbs
• —HEAVY: Under 245 lbs
• —SUPER: Over 246 lbs

Each team fields 8 athletes per game, with 2 pullers per weight class (one for left and one for right hand). The team roster must be finalized 48 hours before the game — no substitutions or changes can be made after that time. If an athlete fails to make weight, their team must compete without them.

Captain & Manager Responsibilities

MANAGER: The Manager is the key decision-maker for the team and holds full control over team choices, including:

• —TEAM ROSTER: They pick the final roster at the draft and make strategic decisions on who fields each game.
• —MATCH DECISIONS: The Manager decides who competes in which matches, when substitutions are made, and whether to challenge calls. They are the only ones permitted to challenge or argue calls.
• —SUBSTITUTIONS: The Manager can make substitutions during the match, provided it is declared before the match begins. The opposing team has 30 seconds to make their own substitution if they choose.
• —CAPTAIN SELECTION: The Manager selects the Team Captain at the start of each game. The Captain earns 1 extra point for each match they win.

CAPTAIN: While the Captain does not have specific operational responsibilities, they serve as the face of the team during competition. Winning a match as Captain adds 1 point to the team's score.

Competition Format

GAME SCHEDULE: Over the 14-week season, each team plays once against every other team in its country (Canada or USA), with one game held every Saturday. The two country leaders then meet in the Grand Final.

ROUNDS: Each game consists of 4 rounds, with each round featuring one match for both the left and right hand in each of the 4 weight classes. The match order proceeds as follows:

• —Light Left (LL)
• —Light Right (LR)
• —Middle Left (ML)
• —Middle Right (MR)
• —Heavy Left (HL)
• —Heavy Right (HR)
• —Super Left (SL)
• —Super Right (SR)

The match order remains the same in each round to ensure consistency.

WINNING THE GAME: The team with the most points after all 32 matches is declared the winner. However, if a team reaches 100 points or gains a 50-point lead at any point, they win the game early.

Pre-Game Setup

• —WEIGH-INS: All athletes must weigh in at the designated time. Early weigh-ins will not be accepted under any circumstance.
• —WEIGHT LIMIT: Strictly enforced. If a competitor does not meet the weight limit for their class, they will not be allowed to compete.
• —ATTEMPTS: Athletes may attempt to weigh in as many times as needed to make weight.
• —ALLOWANCE: TAWF does not allow any clothing allowance.
• —APPROPRIATE CLOTHING: Athletes must wear appropriate clothing to compete, including shoes, pants or shorts, and a team jersey. The referee may request changes if attire is deemed unsuitable.

Starting the Match

The match must follow a clear and consistent protocol to ensure a fair start:

• —MAC Set Grip: Athletes must place their elbows on their elbow pad, with their hands in the prescribed "Karate Chop" position — elbows firmly on the pad, palms flat against the opponent's palm.
• —Command sequence: "Close your thumbs." → "Close your hands." → "GO!"
• —The "GO" command is given after hands close and the referee ensures knuckles are showing and there is NO early start.
• —Any movement before "GO" results in a false start and a warning is issued.

Match Structure

• —Each match is a single pull with a warning system in place.
• —1 warning per match is allowed.
• —2 warnings = 1 foul.
• —3 fouls results in a loss for that match.

Key Scoring Elements

• —PIN: Only the winner scores points in a match.
• —FOULS: A foul is +1 point if the loser commits it, −1 point if the winner commits it.
• —STRATEGY POINTS: Points awarded for Shutout wins, Captain wins, Gamble wins, Flash Pins, or athletes pulling up a weight class.

The Pin

• —A competitor wins by touching the pin pad with any portion of the wrist to fingertips of the opponent's hand.
• —A parallel pin occurs when any portion of the opponent's wrist to fingertips breaks the pin line on the winning side of the table.

Fouls

Fouls occur when a competitor violates the rules of the match. All fouls are stop fouls — the action is immediately halted and a foul is assessed. Types of fouls include:

• —COVERING: Covering your opponent's thumb knuckle when closing hands.
• —FALSE START: Moving the hand, wrist, or arm before the referee signals "GO".
• —TOUCHING: Touching one's chin, shoulder, or head to the competing hand.
• —ELBOW FOUL: The elbow leaving the pad and surpassing the 3/4-inch depression, or exceeding the 1" red border of the elbow pad.
• —FOOT CONTACT: Intentional foot contact with the opponent.
• —PEG: Losing contact with the peg using the non-competing hand.
• —LOADING: Excessive back pressure — intentionally moving the opponent off-center before "GO".
• —KINGS MOVE: Dropping the competing shoulder below the elbow pad in a losing position.
• —SHOULDER: Shoulder crossing the center circle or making contact with the hand.

3 fouls result in an automatic loss for the match.

Elbow Fouls & Warnings

The MAC Table features a 9.5" × 10" black interior pad, surrounded by a 1" red raised border:

• —Red Border = Warning Zone: If the tip of the elbow rides the red border, the referee gives a warning. The athlete has 1 second to correct or a foul is called.
• —A second warning in the same match = foul.
• —Beyond Red Border = Foul Zone: If the elbow crosses completely past the red border, it is an immediate foul without warning.

Penalties

• —TIME PENALTY: If an athlete does not report to the table before the game clock reads 0:00, their team receives a 1-point penalty.
• —FLAGRANT FOULS: Unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing with the ref, aggressive actions after the match) results in a 5-point team penalty and possible ejection. These are at the Head Referee's discretion and will always be reviewed by the league.

Strategy & Bonus Points

• —TEAM CAPTAIN BONUS: Every time the Team Captain records a win, they earn 1 extra point.
• —FLASH PINS: A pin within 0.5 seconds of "GO" earns the competitor +1 bonus point.
• —SHUTOUT WIN: Winning all 4 matches in a specific weight class and arm division earns the team a 5-point bonus.
• —GAMBLE WIN: Each team has 2 gambles per game. Calling a Gamble doubles the points for that match. If the team wins the Gamble match, they earn double points.
• —PULLING UP: A lighter athlete competing in a heavier weight class earns 1 extra point for every weight class above their own that they win.

FORCED REVIEW: The Manager can request a Forced Review on any call. The Head Referee reviews the match footage and makes a final ruling. If the original call stands, the team that forced the review loses one Timeout.

TIMEOUTS: Each team is allowed 2 timeouts per game. Each timeout lasts 2 minutes and can be called at any point while the clock is running.

Regular Season

The TAWF regular season consists of 14 weeks of competition, where each team plays 7 regular-season games in a Round Robin format — each team faces every other team once.

• —Each team plays one game every two weeks.
• —Teams will have a mix of Home and Away games, with a 3/4 or 4/3 split depending on the schedule.
• —Games are held every Saturday. The first game starts at 12:00 PM, the second at 6:00 PM.

Final Standings & Playoffs

At the end of the 14-week regular season, teams are ranked based on win/loss records and total points accumulated. Total points break any ties in the win/loss records.

The top 4 ranked teams advance to the Playoffs:

• —The top 2 USA teams face each other, and the top 2 Canadian teams face each other in the Semi-Finals.
• —The winners of the two Semi-Finals face off in a USA vs Canada Grand Final.

Athlete Responsibility

Ensuring safety and fairness is central to the integrity of TAWF. While referees are responsible for ensuring competitors stay within the rules and that safety protocols are followed:

• —Athletes are responsible for their own safety.
• —Arm wrestling is a combat sport — competitors agree to compete at their own risk.
• —By participating, athletes accept the inherent risks involved in the sport and are expected to prioritize their own health and well-being.

Referee Roles & Responsibilities

• —ENFORCING RULES: Referees ensure that the match follows the official TAWF rules. The Head Referee is the final authority on any disputes.
• —MONITORING SAFETY: Referees actively monitor competitors and will stop a match if a competitor is in danger of injury due to non-compliance or unsafe behavior.
• —MAKING FAIR CALLS: Referees must remain impartial, calling fouls, determining match outcomes (pins or stoppages), and enforcing the penalty system.