Summarize:

The great thing about tug of war is that you can learn how to win as a team, even if you don't have the strongest people on your side! For organized leagues, you might also want to recruit 1-2 extra people as alternates in case someone gets hurt or has to miss a match. If you're planning to play in a league, make sure the combined weight of the people on your team is less than the stated rules, which can vary depending on the age group. This person will act as the “leader” of the group. Choose someone who is a medium height for the team and has played tug of war before. This person should be able to keep a good grip on the rope while in a squatting position and have a lot of lower body strength to keep the front of the line from becoming too strained. It might be helpful to have the teammates stand from tallest to shortest and then pick one of the people close to the middle to be the lead tugger. Position a less experienced member in between 2 more experienced members of the team so they can communicate throughout the game. That way, the knowledgeable teammates can set the pace of the tug and less experienced teammates can work on building up endurance and strength. Talking and communicating throughout the game can be helpful for some members, but remember not to give away your strategy to the other team! Choose someone with good lower body strength and put them at the end of the rope so they can “anchor” the team. Make sure they're strong enough to continually pull the team back while maintaining a tight grip on the rope.  In general, the anchor normally wraps the rope around their back and keeps the team moving backward. Normally, the anchor will set the pace for the tugging by taking a step back every 3-4 seconds. If the rest of the team can't keep up, it's up to the anchor to keep their grip and slow down so the rest of the team can reposition themselves.
Gather 8 people of varying sizes and strength levels. Place a more experienced team member at the front to lead the tug. Stagger the middle teammates based on their skills to encourage teamwork. Position someone with good endurance at the back of the team.