Rulebook

Proposal 56: Make age group ranking optional instead of forbidden [ Revision 2 ]

Committee: Track and Field
Submitted on 2017-01-03
Status: Passed on January 21, 2017

Background

In all track races except slow races, and in many other unicycling disciplines, riders are ranked in Age Groups. Since the last revision in 2015, the rulebook explicitly states in 3B.6.4.3 that in Slow Racing at International and Large Competitions, Age Groups are NOT ranked. The reason seems to be that it is difficult to judge a large number of riders, because this has to be done by human judges who are inherently subjective, even though the rules are stated in a strictly objective fashion.

If a technical solution would become available to check adherance to the rules, then there is no need anymore to NOT use Age Group ranking. Although by no means ready to use, there are some promising developments in this direction, see discussion.

In 3B.6.4.4, for smaller, regional or national championships, the decision to apply Age Group ranking is OPTIONAL, and a decision of the host. I would like to expand this option to all competitions, including Unicon.

Reasons:

Before mid 2019 (when the next rulebook comes into play) there might be a reliable and ready-to-use technical solution to check adherance to the rules. In that case, it would be a shame if our rules explicitly forbid to rank Age Groups. If there is no such solution (in the opinion of the host), he can still choose not to rank Age Groups - this applies to any host. In other words: nothing is lost.
The results from preliminary rounds are apparently good enough to decide which riders continue to the final round. In my opinion, that makes them also good enough to base Age Group ranking upon. If a host disagrees, he would (even with this modified rule) still have to option NOT to rank Age Groups.

Proposal

OLD RULES:

Under 3B.6.4
...on a 10 m x 15 cm board...

3B.6.4.3 Rules For International and Large Competitions
These rules are required to be used at Unicon.
Qualification round:
• Riders must complete a time equal or greater than 45 seconds to move on to the
finals.
• Riders get two attempts to complete this result.
• Previous results are valid: If a rider has already completed a result of 45 seconds
or greater at another competition, they can start automatically in the finals and
they don’t have to take part in the qualification round, provided that the result
can be found in an official result list.
• The boards can be marked with tape on the floor.
• No age groups will be ranked.
• Results will not be valid for records (world, continental, national and regional
records).
Final round:
• There will only be one team of judges, in order to have a fair competition.
• All riders who are qualified for the final round start here.
• Riders get two attempts.
• Only results from the finals will be valid for records ( world, continental, national
and regional records).
• The champion is the rider who performs the best result in the final round.

3B.6.4.4 Options for Smaller Competitions
At regional or national championships, the host can decide to offer age groups ranking
and awards, and adjust the qualification time to a lower time as needed. If the hosts
decides to offer age groups, the results from the qualification round count for age group
results. However, the final round is still required. The results from the final round will
also be included in the ranking for age group results. Previous results from other events
are not valid to be included in the age group results. If the host decides to offer age
groups, the board size of 10 m x 30 cm can be used for the 0-10 age group.

3B.6.5 Slow Backward
This is the same as the Slow Forward race, with the following differences:
• Riders ride backward.
• It is an error to ride forward.
• Riders ride on a 10 m x 30 cm board.
• If the host of a national or regional championship decides to offer age groups, the
board size of 10 m x 60 cm can be used for the 0-10 age group.
• Riders move on to the finals if they have completed a time equal or greater than
40 seconds, previous results are valid.

NEW RULES:

Under 3B.6.4
...on a 10 m x 15 cm board (or if Age Groups are ranked, optionally a 10 m x 30 cm board for Age Group 0-10 may be used)...

3B.6.4.3 Qualification and Final rounds, Age Group ranking
At any competition, the host may decide not to offer Age Group ranking and awards. Qualification and Final rounds are always required, and results from both count for Age Group ranking (if Age Groups are ranked), but previous results from other competitions are not valid to be included in Age Group results.
Qualification round:

For Unicon, riders must complete a time equal or greater than 45 seconds to move on to the finals. For other competitions than Unicon, the host may adjust the qualification time to a lower time as needed.
Riders get two attempts to complete this result.
Previous results are valid: If a rider has already achieved the qualification time (or better) at another competition, they can start automatically in the finals and they don’t have to take part in the qualification round, provided that the result can be found in an official result list.
The boards can be marked with tape on the floor.
If judged by eye (as opposed to by an objective technical means), results from the qualification round will not be valid for records (world, continental, national and regional records).

Final round:

All riders who are qualified for the final round start here.
In order to have a fair competition, there will be a single team of judges, or (insofar available) an accurate and reliable technical means to check adherence to the rules.
Riders get two attempts.
Results from the finals will be valid for records (world, continental, national and regional records), regardless of whether they are judged by eye or by a technical means.
The champion is the rider who performs the best result in the final round.

3B.6.4 Slow Backward
This is the same as the Slow Forward race, with the following differences in italic:

Riders ride backward.
It is an error to ride forward.
Riders ride on a 10 m x 30 cm board (or if Age Groups are ranked, optionally a 10 m x 60 cm board for Age Group 0-10 may be used).
For Unicon, riders move on to the finals if they have completed a time equal or greater than 40 seconds.

Note: The numbering of sections after this needs to be adjusted, since with this proposal two ‘old’ sections have merged into one.

Body

Reasons:

Before mid 2019 (when the next rulebook comes into play) there might be a reliable and ready-to-use technical solution to check adherance to the rules. In that case, it would be a shame if our rules explicitly forbid to rank Age Groups. If there is no such solution (in the opinion of the host), he can still choose not to rank Age Groups - this applies to any host. In other words: nothing is lost.
The results from preliminary rounds are apparently good enough to decide which riders continue to the final round. In my opinion, that makes them also good enough to base Age Group ranking upon. If a host disagrees, he would (even with this modified rule) still have to option NOT to rank Age Groups.

Also, this subject is extensively debated in the discussion.

References

Discussion

View Discussion

Change Log:

Revision 2 changed by Klaas Bil (09 Jan 16:29)

(1) Copied "Background" text to "Body" Text, so that it is visible when viewing the proposal.

(2) To remove a slight inconsistency between the 5th bullet of Qualification Round and the 4th bullet of Final Round, I have deleted the word "Only" from the 4th bullet of Final Round.

Revision 1 changed by Klaas Bil (03 Jan 07:16)

Votes on this proposal:

10 out of 14 voting members have voted.

Agree: 8, Disagree: 1, Abstain: 1.