Thumb War Rules: How To Play, Win Thumb Wrestling

How do you settle disputes in your friend circle? Does it often turn into a war of words? Allow us to make a suggestion. The next time you cannot agree, settle it with Thumb War. Fun, simple, and effective, thumb war is an age-old game that has settled countless disputes and squabbles.

Although the game is mostly popular in children’s circles, there are also World Thumb Wrestling Championships. Kids usually play the stripped-down version of the game, but in the professional leagues, there are rules and intricacies. Ready to rediscover Thumb War/Thumb Wrestling and Thumb War rules? Then, let’s go!

How To Play Thumb War?

One of the simplest and most fun games you can learn, how to play Thumb War or Thumb Wrestling. There is no gear, court, or ball – nothing extra is required. You only need a competitive sportsman spirit and enough thumb strength to pin your opponent’s thumb. 

Both players need to interlock their fingers to form a lock tightly, whereas, the thumb is free to wave around. This is the only finger you need to play thumb war. After reciting a chant (together or just one person), both players engage in a battle of wits, baiting and trying to pin their opponent’s free thumb using their own.

Objective

The objective of Thumb War, like any other game for that matter, is to win. Winning is pretty straightforward – pin your opponent for a few seconds (to be decided ahead of the game), and the win is yours. However, owing to the nature of the game, cheating is relatively easy. That is why the code of conduct for this sport requires the players to be fair and honest.

Thumb War Rules

As mentioned earlier, the game is pretty simple, which makes it widely popular worldwide. It doesn’t rely heavily on speed, stamina, or any such suits. Instead, players rely on tactics, strategies, and feints to get the better of their opponents. That being said, some thumb wrestling rules need to be followed. Let’s learn about Thumb War rules in more detail.

1. General Rules

This section of the article will highlight the general rules of thumb war associated with the game Thumb Game or Thumb Wrestling. Some examples are:

• Players need to interlock their fingers with their opponents to form a grip that represents a lock. Your fingers (left hand or right hand) must match the respective fingers on the opponent’s hand. The thumb needs to be free.
• Before beginning, players need to ensure that their fingers are locked tightly. 
• After this, both players (or one player) must recite a ceremonious chant that signifies that both players are ready.
• After the chant is done, the play can begin immediately. 
• Players can use feints and other legal techniques to bait and pin their opponent’s thumb. However, they are not allowed to distract the opponents using any other part of their body (unless permitted).
• To secure a win, players must pin their opponent’s thumb between their own and the middle-side part of their index finger for 3 seconds. 
• If the opponent breaks free before 3 seconds, the match continues.
• There is no time limit for Thumb War matches. However, if a player breaks the grip/hold, the match is forfeited, and the other player wins. 

2. Alternate Rules & Practices

There are variations to some of the rules of thumb war mentioned above that you can incorporate into your game. For example:

• A successful pin can be for the duration it takes to complete the chant “One, two, three, four… I declare a thumb-o-war!”
• Games are played with a 60-second time limit. If there are winners at the end of this time limit, two additional games will be played. 
• If there is no clear winner at the end of all the matches, the winner is decided by a sudden-death game called ‘Rock, Paper, & Scissors.’
• In some variations, the game is played on a flat surface. In this case, players must always ensure that their elbows touch the surface. 

3. Three-Way Thumb War Rules

Interested in learning a brilliant modification to this simple game? Introducing Three-Way Thumb War. In this version, the traditional two-way thumb grip is followed by a slight change. Here, instead of pinning one thumb, you must pin both challengers to become the winner.  

Best Practices

The best practices in the Thumb War were not hard and fast rules but policies that were encouraged in Thumb Wrestling. Some of them are as follows:

• Nails of all players should be short and well-maintained. 
• If your palms are sweaty, you need to dry them and then engage in competition.
• Since games are played in close proximity, players are encouraged to chew gum or have mints to avoid foul breath.
• Although a rare scenario, if a player with a double joint (two thumbs) is engaging in competition, they need to inform the authorities beforehand.

Chanting Options

The chant is a crucial part of Thumb Wrestling as it mentally prepares the players for Thumb War and denotes the beginning of the competition. There are different options of chants that you can choose to recipe, and they are as follows:

• “One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war.”
• “One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war. Five, six, seven, eight, try to keep your thumb straight.”
• “One, two, three, four, let’s have a thumb war. Five, six, seven, eight, nine, first to three — the loser can’t whine. Ten, eleven, twelve, and more, you’ll settle the score if you win. Cause thumb war starts this minute right now, and if you lose, don’t have a cow.”

Cheating

The game relies mainly on sportsman spirit, which means that it is generally assumed and expected that all players will only resort to fair means of winning. That being said, some common methods and techniques of cheating are as follows:

• The snake or sneak attack is an illegal move that players can resort to if and only if agreed upon previously by the players and the referee. In this move, a player can use their index finger and extend it out horizontally to sneakily bring their opponent’s thumb down and pin it using their own.
• Twisting the opponent’s hand or using the other hand to gain leverage during a match is also not allowed.
• Counting fast after pinning your opponent’s thumb is also considered a hindrance to a fair game.

These are only some of the typical ‘unfair’ practices some players resort to in matches. However, the game requires players to be a sport and play the game fairly. That is why the Thumb Wrestler Oath is given so much importance.

The Thumb Wrestler Oath

The Thumb Wrestler Oath is a creed that all Thumb Wrestlers must hold themselves upto. The oath is:

“In the spirit of competition, I promise that I shall take part in this Thumb Wrestle by respecting and abiding by the rules that govern it, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of the game and the honor of thumbs everywhere.”

Tips & Strategies

Cheating or resorting to unfair manoeuvres is not the only way to win. If you are good at Thumb Wrestling, or even if you are not, here are a couple of legal techniques that you can use to your advantage:

• The Quick Strike—You will need cat-like reflexes to execute this successfully. In this method, a player pins their opponent’s thumb immediately after the match starts or the chant is recited. 
• The Fakeout – It involves baiting your opponent to try to pin you and then quickly retracting your thumb to pin theirs. This requires some dexterity and practice, and seasoned thumb wrestlers often resort to this technique against other seasoned players. This technique can include laying your thumb flat and waiting for the opponent to try to pin you.
• The Rope-a-dope – This technique is a more laid-back, relaxed approach to the game. The idea is to let your thumb hang back and relax as the opponent’s thumb dances around, looking for an opportunity to pin your thumb. However, this will eventually tire out the opponent’s thumb, restricting their movement and speed. This is the opportunity to swoop in and pin your opponent’s thumb with minimal effort.

Winning

As mentioned earlier, to win, you need to pin your opponent’s thumb between your thumb (on top) and the middle side of your index finger (on the bottom) for 3 seconds (or till the “One, two, three, four… I declare a thumb-o-war!” chant is completed). 

Did You Know?

• Thumb Wrestling World Championships are usually held in Beccles (Somerset) in the UK.
• While the history of this game (how it originated and who discovered it) is still blurry, author Paul Davidson claimed that his Grandfather invented it in 1940. However, there is reason to believe that the game has been around for much longer than that. 
• Thumb Wrestling champions often have longer and broader thumbs, and thumb flexibility and dexterity play a significant role in the sport.
• There are plastic and wooden rings that are crafted especially for thumb wrestling. 

FAQs

Conclusion

As it is apparent, there are no such ‘regulations’ in this game, meaning players must play fairly. The Thumb Wrestler Oath is taken very seriously, especially in serious competitions. That being said, this age-old game has always been a favorite for people worldwide. Play With Rules and have loads of fun as you go to war – Thumb War!

Read More: It never hurts to know more than one game does it? Do you know how to play the Skyjo Card Game? Let’s find out!