How are Dene Stick Pull and Finger Pull judged?

Both are best of three pulls and both use a double elimination format with the first pairs drawn.

Stick Pull

• Two players stand beside each other facing opposite directions, with bare hands and a greased stick placed in their hands by the official. Players pull straight backwards with a hard, steady motion, the pulling elbow locked, the non-pulling hand on the hip or behind the back, shoulders not dropped and heels on the floor after the initial movement.
• The first pull is with the right hands, the second with the left hands, and a third pull if needed is decided by a coin flip (called by the winner of the first pull).
• A pull is won when the stick is pulled from the opponent's hand, or when a player pulls the stick past their hip, holds it there for 8 seconds and the opponent is still gripping it.
• Officials give no warnings for infractions once the competition has started. An infraction means that player loses that pull. Players cannot wash their hands or wipe off the grease until the second pull is over.
• Where there is a height difference, officials have the smaller competitor stand on a platform so the hands are at the same level.

Finger Pull

• Players sit facing each other with their middle fingers locked in a hook position. One player is defensive and the other is offensive.
• The first pull is as set up, the second pull reverses positions, and a third pull if needed has positions decided by a coin flip.
• The offensive player pulls with a strong, slow and steady motion, with no jerking, squeezing, re-gripping or twisting. The pull is won if the defensive player's elbow moves forward, the finger straightens, the grip is lost or they signal giving up. If the offensive player cannot do this within 8 seconds, the defensive player wins.
• Infractions: the first costs the pull, the second the match, and the third means disqualification from the event, carrying over from one match to the next.