tug of war 
noun
1A contest in which two teams pull at opposite ends of a rope until one drags the other over a central line.Choose from billiards, horseshoes, tag games, hockey, Frisbee, tug of war, jump ropes, running, or bowling, just to name a few....
- The blue team dominated the day-long event winning in six disciplines, soccer, pool, table tennis, tug of war and volleyball while their rivals won chess, draughts and rugby.
- There are several teams lined up for the tug of war but more are welcome to come and test their strength against the champions.
1.1A situation in which two evenly matched people or factions are striving to keep or obtain the same thing: a tug of war between builders and environmentalists...
- There's long been a tug of war over the control of computing assets in big companies.
- We can expect a protracted tug of war, which may drag on until the review deadline draws near.
- The major powers are engaged in a tug of war over interests in the region.