Originally, “...toe the line...”, to stand with one’s toe on the starting or boundary line, therefore to follow the rules, to stay within the defined limits. Also, in old bare-knuckle prize-fighting, after one is knocked down, to stand up and indicate one is ready to go on by standing with one’s toe on a line drawn across the ring, to “come to scratch.”
I guess I wrote poorly. Sorry.
I was complaining about “tow” vice “toe.”