Puddle Pull is a sport the Miami Chapter of Delta Upsilon began hosting in 1949. The event was founded by Miami DU alumnus Frank Dodd ’49. Puddle Pull has been and still is, one of the most popular events of Greek Week. It is the last event of the week and always has a great turnout. In the past, Puddle Pull took place in the area behind the north quad residence halls across the street from Yager Stadium. Nowadays we hold Puddle Pull right at Millett. Many people may watch and ask, “Why is it called Puddle Pull, I don’t see any puddle?” Originally, there was a pool of mud/water in the middle of the rope, and a losing team could get pulled into it. But due to safety reasons, there has not been a “puddle” for some time.
The event is currently only held for members of the Greek community during Greek Week and for our annual Spring Puddle Pull philanthropy, but all are welcome to attend and watch the exciting event. Puddle Pull is an important event for our Chapter that we take great pride in. Our last win was at the 2017 Greek Week Puddle Pull event.
The Art of Puddle Pull
Puddle Pull is a variation of tug-of-war. Fraternities and sororities choose their biggest and strongest 10 brothers or sisters for the Greek Week event. Puddle Pull not only demands strength, but also strategy from the caller, who commands the team during the 2-minute pull. If a team is lucky enough to make it to the finals, they must endure a grueling 3-minute pull.
We begin preparing for the event up to three weeks in advance with late-night practices and scrimmages against active brothers who are not on the A-team. There are three basic moves that every team must know. They are locking down, preparing to hit, and hitting.
The basic lockdown form in Puddle Pull is having your legs extended, back arched, head up, and hands close to your body. If each of the 10 men on the rope does this correctly, you are like a rock, and will not give up rope. This is also the way the team should be after the last basic move which is hitting against the opponent.
Another basic move is a sucking up move, or preparing to hit against your opponent. This is done by moving your body quickly so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle. There are many ways of getting into this position. When your legs are at an angle like this, you are ready for the next move which will greatly help the team take rope.
The last, and most exciting, basic move is firing, or hitting against the opponent to take rope. This is done after sucking up so that you are able to take the most rope possible. When the team is called to hit, each man on the rope fires back with all of their energy and extends their legs to take rope onto their side. After being in the air for a few seconds, the team settles back down into their starting lockdown position.
We hope you now know a little more about Puddle Pull! It is an event that has become a Miami tradition and will continue to be a tradition for many years to come. Delta Upsilon takes great pride in this event, and enjoys sharing it with the larger community.
Greek Week Winners
- 1949: Delta Chi
- 2017: Delta Upsilon & Chi Omega
- 2018: Tau Kappa Epsilon & Chi Omega
- 2019: Tau Kappa Epsilon & Chi Omega
- 2021: Beta Theta Pi & Delta Delta Delta
A complete listing of winners appears in the latest Miami Chapter history book, which was released in October 2020.
For more Puddle Pull videos, visit our YouTube page. https://www.youtube.com/user/mudeltau/