Rules

GENSB MANUAL

Edition: 2024

Constitution
GENSB was founded in 1998, according agreements between the five organizing countries as above. It is our goal to bring young people together on international level and to prepare them into Tug of War sport.

Agreements

GENSB-tournament, started in 1998 and will be organized each year on the last Saturday of August. However, it is possible to organize one week before when this is announced at latest, 2 years before the competition.
National boards of the founding countries have given permission for a fifth cycle starting 2018 and ending in 2022. If the National board does not cancel the permission before the end of the cycle, then the permission will automatically continue.
The organizing country can invite other countries to participate in this tournament.
Each founding country should take part with at least two teams, there is no limit for more.
Each competitor will receive a personal medal, every year again made by the organizing country for its tournament, costs for this medal will be paid with entry fee’s from the teams.There have to be 4 different types of medals (1st, 2nd, 3rd and the others).
Entry fee will be 50€ per team.
The tournament will be organized on a low-budget basis. The maximum for the following five years are agreed as followed:

Germany: 2023 € 95,--
England: 2024 € 96,--
Netherlands: 2025 € 97,--
Switzerland: 2026 € 98,--
Belgium: 2027 € 99,--

For these prices, the following services have to be provided:
- Dinner, bed (suitable location) on Friday and Saturday.
- Breakfast, dinner, Saturday.
- Breakfast on Sunday.
- Drinking water included in all meals and on the field.
The foreign currency exchange rate date will be December 1st of the year before the tournament.

Each participating team will pay a refundable deposit of 100€. This amount can be used in case of deliberate or accidental made damage.
Travelling costs are for participants.
The organizer provide the GENSB-Homepage with an integrated accreditation process, served by an administrator. For this service, the organizer pays € 200.- to administrator. From each accreditation done by a club, the GENSB delegate from this country will be informed by e-mail.

Competition Rules
TWIF rules will be used, except the following items:

A puller, she or he, is eligible to participate in the GENSB tournament from the beginning of the year in which, she or he, reaches the age of 12 years until the end of the year in which, she or he, reaches the age of18 years.
Mixed teams are allowed.
Weight class is 560kg.
The organization for the competition uses the group system like followed:
teams: groups/ropes:
- Up to 24 4 groups using minimal 4 ropes
- 25 – 44 4 groups using minimal 6 ropes
- More than 44 6 groups using minimal 6 ropes
Responsible for appropriate utilising this system is the chief marshal and the chief judge of the organizing country
A team will consist from 7 to 10 (included) participants.
Lining up girls in a team will give a bonus of 10kgs for each girl, limited up to 600kgs.
Overhanging pullers will be organized in mixed teams, still overhanging pullers will be composed as substitutes to the light weighted teams. Responsible for this is the Chief Judge. A substitute from their own club is not permitted.
Participation of National teams is not permitted.
The teams will be placed in the ranking in accordance to the following criteria:
- Result from the ratio points from the ‘Round Robin’ matches
- Number of cautions
- weight (similar to TWIF rules)

Weigh-in

A testing scale will be located in a separated weigh-in area.
Opening hours: Friday: 17:00hrs – 22:00hrs
hrs Saturday: 06:00 until all the weighing in has been completed.
All pullers have to bring their National Identity Card to weigh-in. Only if such a card is not of use in the land of origin, a TOW passport will be required.
Procedure:
- control of identity card/passport
- weigh-in
- stamps (or print ticket by individual weigh-in)
Only the team who is going to the scale will be allowed in the scale area together with their coach. All others competitors must wait outside.
The organizer has to make sure that the procedure is completed as directed.

Field – Ropes

The field must be minimum of 50 meter long with the grass as short as possible. A spectator’s barrier (solid fence/Bars) will cordon off the pulling arena from spectators.

The organizer will provide in minimum of 5 ropes in a separate warmup area.
Between each rope will be the minimum of 5 meters free area.
It is recommended that all lanes should be numbered from 1 to …or A to…….
Ropes and rope markings on field will be according TWIF rules.

Judges –Timekeepers

Each founding country will send at least two Judges to the tournament.
Each guest country will send at least one Judge to the tournament.
The organizing country will appoint the Chief Judge.

Infrastructure

The organizer will provide the necessary PR equipment for announcements by timekeepers.
Timekeepers must be located in an inclement weather protecting area. The Judges are also to have the same facilities.
A weather protecting area (in case of rain, hot sun) will be placed at the entrance of the field, big enough to locate waiting teams and their Judges.
The organizer must provide a number of toilet facilities located near the field.

Time schedule

The time schedule is as follows :
- Friday (optional)
- Saturday
  - 07:30 - 09:00 => Weigh-In 2
  - 07:30 - 09:30 => Breakfast
  - 11:15 => Opening Ceremony
  - 11:30 => Warm-Up
  - 12:00 => Start Competition
  - ~16:00 => Price, Closing Ceremony
  - 18:00 - 19:30 => Dinner
  - 20:00 - ??:?? => Party
  - 21:00 => Debriefing
In order to utilise the event sustainably and make the tournament more attractive for spectators and athletes, an additional event can take place in the time slots before and after the GENSB tournament. The event can be a recreational tournament, national squad training or a championship tournament in a different weight class. No tournament may take place in which the athletes of the U19 GENSB tournament start. The main tournament remains the GENSB U19 tournament.

Chairperson

There is a 6 year cycle which started with Netherlands follow up with Switzerland in 2021, Belgium in 2027, Germany in 2033 and England in 2039. One year before the next Chairperson will work together with the sitting chairperson to ensure a smooth handover/takeover is successful with minimal disruption.