Final answer:
To make the center of the rope go in one direction during a game of tug-of-war, one team needs to pull with more force than the other. This causes the forces exerted by the players to become unbalanced, leading to acceleration in opposite directions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to make the center of the rope go in one direction during a game of tug-of-war, one team needs to pull with more force than the other. When one team applies a larger force, the forces exerted by the players are no longer balanced by the force of tension in the rope, causing the teams to accelerate in opposite directions as a result. This is because the tension in the rope transfers to the players, and the team with the greater force overcomes the opposing force.