1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
These regulations shall be read in conjunction with the ICC's
General Regulations governing international climbing competitions.
1.2.
All Difficulty competition routes shall be climbed on-lead with the
competitor belayed from below.
1.3.
A route shall be considered successfully completed if it is climbed
in accordance with the regulations and rules governing Difficulty
competitions and if the rope is safely clipped into the karabiner on the
final quickdraw by the competitor from a legitimate position.
2.
NUMBER OF COMPETITORS AND THE STARTING ORDER
2.1.
Except where otherwise specifically defined (e.g. World Cup
competitions) rounds of a competition (other than the final and superfinal)
are held on a single routes: The
starting order for these rounds will be determined by random selection of
the competitors.
2.2.
Rounds of the competition (other than the final and superfinal)
which are held on two or more separate routes:
The competitors shall be allocated between the routes as follows:
a)
The first round of a competition held on two or more routes of
similar difficulty, the competitors shall be allocated to these routes by
random selection;
b) Subsequent
rounds held on two or more routes of similar difficulty, the competitors
shall be allocated to these routes, alternatively, in the order in which
they finished in the previous round; e.g.
previous rank order 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., shall be allocated to routes
A and B in the order - competitors 1 and 3 allocated to route A and
competitors 2 and 4 to route B. On
completion of this allocation the starting order shall be determined
through random selection.
c)
Final Round: The
starting order shall be in the reverse order of the ranking of the
semi-final round. If after
the application of the countback procedure there are competitors who are
tied and share places, the starting order for these tied places shall be
decided by random selection.
d)
Superfinal: The
starting order shall be the same as for the final round of the
competition.
3.
OBSERVATION PERIOD
3.1.
In accordance with the General Regulations, competitors (as a
group) shall be permitted to observe the on-sight route they are required
to attempt.
3.2.
In the case of the superfinal, the President of the Jury may decide
not to permit an observation period.
4.
CLIMBING PROCEDURE
4.1.
Each route shall be allocated a pre-designated period in which a
competitor may attempt the route. This
time period shall include a 40 second final preparation period, at the
base of the route, described in Article 4.2 below.
4.2.
On entering the competition area at the base of the climbing wall,
the competitor shall be required to immediately step over the official
start line. At that point,
the Category Judge shall start (or give instruction to start) the
recording of the time taken by a competitor in attempting the route.
Each competitor shall be permitted 40 seconds to commence their
attempt on the route. If the competitor has not started their attempt at the end of
this 40 second period they shall be instructed to start immediately.
The 40 second final observation period shall be part of the overall
time for the route. Any
further delay shall make the competitor liable to the disciplinary
procedures specified in Section 6, Disciplinary Procedures During
Competitions.
4.3.
Each competitor's attempt shall be deemed to have started when both
feet have left the ground.
4.4.
A competitor may ask the Category Judge at any time during their
attempt on their route how much of their allotted route-time remains, and
the Category Judge shall immediately inform the competitor of the
remaining time. The Category Judge shall also inform a competitor when
only 60 seconds of the allocated route-time remains. When the route-time
has ended, the Category Judge shall stop the competitor and instruct the
measurement procedure to take place.
A competitor who fails to obey the Category Judge's instruction to
stop climbing shall be liable to the disciplinary procedures specified in
Section 6, Disciplinary Procedures During Competitions.
4.5.
During their attempt on a route:
a)
Each competitor shall snaplink each karabiner/quickdraw in
sequence. Each karabiner must be snaplinked before the lowest part of
the competitor's body has moved above the lowest karabiner connected to a
quickdraw (in the case of a traverse or roof section of the route, before
the competitor's body has moved beyond an unclipped karabiner/quickdraw in
the line of the route as defined by the International Forerunner).
Any violation of this rule shall result in the competitor's attempt
on the route being terminated and a measurement taken in accordance with
Article 5 below. The refusal by a competitor to obey the instruction of a
Category Judge to terminate their attempt on a route shall make the
competitor liable to the disciplinary procedures specified in Section 6,
Disciplinary Procedures During Competitions.
b)
In special circumstances (e.g. in the interests of safety) the
President of the Jury shall be authorised to amend Article 4.5(a) above
for a particular route; in this case the last legitimate position to clip
is the last hold from which the competitor can clip without down climbing
or back climbing.
c)
A competitor may down-climb at any point during their attempt on a
route as long as he/she is not in violation of Article 4.5.a) or returns
to the ground.
d)
Where a competitor clips the rope into a karabiner in accordance
with Article 4.5(a) above but where some technical error has occurred, the
competitor shall be permitted to clip the next karabiner in sequence and
then unclip and re-clip (if necessary, by down-climbing) the previous
karabiner. At the end, all the protection points must be clipped in.
The Category Judge
may order that the attempt be terminated and the greatest height (or
greatest distance) measured if the he/she decides that to proceed further
would contravene the safety regulations.
5.
HEIGHT MEASUREMENT
5.1.
In accordance with Article 8 below, in the event of a fall or the
Category Judge instructing a competitor to stop climbing, the highest hold
held or touched (or in the case of a traverse or roof section of a route,
the furthest hold held or touched), in the line of the route as determined
by the International Forerunner, shall be measured.
Each hold shall be deemed as such by the International Forerunner
before the start of a round of the competition or following positive use
by a competitor during that round of the competition.
5.2.
Only holds used by the hands shall be considered. As determined by
the Category Judge, a hold that is 'held' shall be considered as having a
higher ranking than a hold that is 'touched':
a)
A hold that is 'held' shall be given the height of the hold with no
suffix;
b)
A hold that is 'touched' shall be given that height with a minus
(-) suffix;
c)
A hold which is 'held' and from which a climbing movement is made
in the interest of progressing along the route shall be given that height
of the hold 'held' with a plus (+) suffix.
5.3.
If a competitor touches a point devoid of holds (as specified by
the International Forerunner), this point shall not be included in any
measurement of the maximum height (or, in the case of a traverse or roof
section of the route, the greatest distance) achieved by the competitor.
5.4. If a competitor takes hold of the final quickdraw before the
rope is safely clipped into the final karabiner this shall be considered
as an artificial aid and the competitor's attempt on the route shall be
terminated and measured in accordance with Article 5.1 and Article 5.2.
6.
RANKING AFTER EACH ROUND OF THE COMPETITION
6.1.
After each round of the competition, the competitors shall be
ranked according to Article 5.2.
6.2.
In the case of tied places, a countback procedure shall be used
such that the results of the previous round shall be taken into account in
separating tied competitors. If ties remain, successively earlier rounds shall be taken
into account in the countback procedure.
The countback procedure shall not apply to that round where
competitors have competed, split in to two groups, on two or more
non-identical routes.
6.3.
When not otherwise specified in the competition format, if a
qualifying round of a competition requires that the competitors be
allocated between two or more non-identical routes having the same
technical grade, for those competitors who do not qualify for the
following round, the final ranking shall be determined by the aggregate
place achieved on the ranking of the combined routes.
6.4.
Superfinal: If, after
applying the countback procedure at the end of the final round of the
competition, there exists a tie for the first place a superfinal shall be
held. If a tie exists at the
end of a superfinal, the competitors that remain tied shall be deemed
equal and the competition will be terminated.
7.
QUOTAS FOR EACH ROUND
7.1.
Article 7 must be read in conjunction with Article 6 above; i.e.
the ranking procedure must first be completed before Article 7 is applied.
7.2.
Where there are insufficient competitors who have successfully
completed the route in the preceding round of the competition, the
remaining places of the fixed quota shall be filled by the next best
ranked competitors.
7.3.
The fixed quota of competitors qualifying for the semi-final and
final shall be, respectively, 26
and 8 competitors.
7.4. Semi-Final
and Final Rounds - Floating Quotas: If
the fixed quotas for the semi-final and final rounds of the competition
are exceeded as a result of tied places following the application of the
countback procedure, the number of competitors nearest to the fixed quota
(when calculated from above and below) shall qualify for the next round of
the competition subject to the condition that the semi-final and final
rounds shall consist of, respectively, not less than 20 and 6 competitors;
If this number is the same when calculated from above and below, the
number of competitors
corresponding to the
greater quota qualify for the final round.
Under special
circumstances (e.g. TV live broadcasting requirements), the smaller quota
may be taken: this decision shall be announced by the President of the
Jury after consulting the organiser, in the technical meeting prior to the
competition.
8. TERMINATION
OF AN ATTEMPT ON A ROUTE
8.1. Successful
Attempt on a Route: A
competitor shall be deemed to have successfully completed an attempt on a
route if that attempt is in accordance with Article 1.3 above.
8.2. Unsuccessful
Attempt on a Route: A competitor shall be deemed to have unsuccessfully
completed an attempt in a route if he/she:
a) Falls;
b) Exceeds the
permitted time for the route;
c) Touches any
part of the wall surface beyond the marked boundaries of the route;
d) Uses the
side-edges or top-edges of the wall;
e) Fails to snap
link a quickdraw in accordance with regulations governing the competition;
f) Once
having started, touches the ground with any part of the body;
g) Uses any
artificial aid.