Rule 1        GENERAL

1. Applicability of the Rules:  The rules set forth here govern the Wakeboard World Cup organised by the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF). It is requested that organizers establish rules as close to these rules as possible. Whenever the masculine is used, the same shall be construed as meaning the feminine where the context so requires.
   
   
2. Exceptions to the Rules:  Where compliance with the rules is not feasible, the Chief Judge shall with the approval of the majority of the Judges, make the necessary changes.  Such changes will be announced at a riders' meeting, and by posting.  The Chief Judge shall send a report to the Wakeboard World Cup Chairman to explain these changes to the rules.  Where the rules are definite and feasible, a vote of the Judges to decide whether to enforce any provision is prohibited.
   
   
3. Drug Testing:  All competitors must agree to be subject to doping control. Specific policies and procedures regarding doping control shall be detailed in the Medical Regulations of the IWSF.
   
   
4. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Any rider whose conduct is deemed unsportsmanlike or whose conduct may cause discredit to the IWSF, WWC, sponsors or partner, either on or off the competition site, before during, or after the competition, may be disqualified from all or part of the competition including completed events and/or be subject to a fine.
   
   Unsportsmanlike conduct includes, but is not limited to:  damage to private property, use of vulgar language in public, public tantrums, not riding to fullest potential, failure to attend designated functions or events, consuming alcoholic beverages during the competition, competing under false pretences, concealing significant injuries or health problems.
   
   This includes but is not limited to riders and individuals who choose to vandalise or misrepresent wakeboarding at official hotels venues or functions during the event.
   
   Each rider, prior to participating, must sign a code of conduct as a condition of entry.

Rule 2  COMPETITION SITE

1. There will not be any official familiarisation.
   
   
2. The organizers of the event will hand the site over to the Chief Judge one full day prior to the first day of the event for inspection.
   
   
3. Use of the site is under the authority of the Chief Judge until the completion of the competition.
   
   
4. At the discretion of the Event organiser, and only with the approval of the Chief Judge, riders may be selected to ride or partake in a course testing, and/or media, promotional or sponsorship obligations.

Rule 3     SAFETY

1. Safety Director:  The Organizers shall appoint a Safety Director, who will appoint such assistants as appear necessary and inform the Wakeboard World Cup Chairman and Chief Judge. The Safety Director shall be responsible for the safe conditions of all equipment, facilities and operation of the event; but this shall not prevent him from delegating specific responsibilities to his assistants as approved by the Chief Judge. He shall have the authority to take whatever action is necessary, including stopping the event, whenever he observes a condition he believes unsafe. The Chief Judge may overrule any contemplated action or decision of the Safety Director on his own responsibility.
   
2. Unsafe Rider Disqualification:  No rider shall be allowed to compete or to continue to compete if, in the opinion of the Safety Director and a majority of the Boat Judges, his competing would be a danger to himself or other riders in the competition. During the competition, the Safety Director may, at any time, request the Chief Judge to halt the event for a poll of the Boat Judges in regard to a rider's actions or conditions. Whenever practical, the advice of a doctor should be obtained.
   
3. Safety Boats:  Two safety boats shall be used during the event.  The suggested positioning of the safety boats is operating outside the wakeboard course buoys facing a rider during his pass.
   
   
4. Safety Boat Personnel:  Each safety boat will be manned by:
   
   
   • An experienced driver who is familiar with the conduct of all practice and competitive events.
     
     
   • A swimmer who is fully trained in First Aid, Emergency Resuscitation and Water Rescue Techniques. The swimmer will wear a life jacket at all times and, in the event of a serious fall, will jump into the water to assist the rider. If the injured rider is unable to climb into the safety boat with little or no assistance, the rider will be floated to shore and lifted from the water on a suitable board or stretcher. Under no circumstances will an injured rider be lifted passively over the side of the safety boat. It is emphasized that, in international competition, language difficulties may interfere with communication; and, for this reason, the swimmer MUST GET IN THE WATER to assist the injured rider.
     
     
5. On Site Medical Facilities:  The Safety Director will appoint a Competition Medical Officer who will undertake to provide the following services:
   
   
   • A suitably qualified medical officer will be in attendance during throughout the event.
     
     
   • A suitably equipped medical station prepared to deal with any sort of medical emergency will be conveniently located at the competition site.
     
     
   • Suitable transportation facilities that will allow an injured rider to be moved safely and promptly to the best local medical unit for further care.
     
     
   • A working relationship will be established between the local hospital or medical unit and the Competition Medical Officer, such that casualties will get prompt and expert treatment when required.

    

Rule 4        CATEGORIES

There will be two categories, unless otherwise specified by the Wakeboard World Cup Committee:

Pro Men and Pro Women

Rule 5        HEAT SYSTEM

The 2005 Wakeboard World Cup Overall Standings will be used to seed riders for the first World Cup stop in 2006.  Thereafter, the current 2006 Wakeboard World Cup Overall Standings List will be used for seeding purposes at each World Cup stop.   Wakeboarding uses a heat format.   In qualifying rounds, the running order is determined by the rider's seeding numbering, which is determined by the Wakeboard World Cup Overall Standings List when applicable. If a rider is not listed, they will be randomly placed on the running order.   

The number of riders in each heat is dependent on the total number of riders entered. A percentage of the riders from each heat will then advance to the semi-finals and finals. The Semi Finals and Finals will be selected from placement and NOT scores.

The Last Chance Qualification (LCQ) round will NOT be used.

Rule 6        RIDER PREPARDNESS

A rider must be in his bindings, with his life vest and assigned bib on, and with a rope that will not interfere with him being ready to ride when the boat returns to the dock/start area. Any rider who fails to be on immediate hand & in condition to ride when it is his turn in the running order as stated above will be disqualified.

Rule 7        ADVANCEMENT

A rider must score (more than 0) in the qualifying round to advance to the next round of competition.

Entry is by invitation only at the discretion of the Wakeboard World Cup Committee. Riders must be a member of and in good standing with their respective country’s Federation. The Wakeboard World Cup committee will inform all riders prior to each stop if there are any special/different requirements for any World Cup stop.

The World Cup committee will only extend invitation to riders based on the following criteria:

1. Riders must have participated in the 2005 WWC Wakeboard World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Only riders who were ill or injured and unable to compete may be considered.  This must be supported by a medical certificate and the Wakeboard World Cup Committee must have been notified before the event of his inability to compete and the reasons therefore.
   
   
2. Four (4) riders, two (2) male and two (2) female, chosen by MasterCraft.
   
   
3. Two (2) riders, one (1) male and one (1) female, chosen by the host country.  Both riders must be citizens or permanent residents of that country, unless specified otherwise by the Wakeboard World Cup Committee.    The Wakeboard World Cup Committee may also permit the host country to enter more than two riders in either the Pro Men’s or Pro Women’s category in the event of withdrawals.

Rule 9        WITHDRAWAL

Notification of withdrawal(s) with reason must be given immediately to the Chairman of the Wakeboard World Cup Committee by fax or email.   Withdrawal(s) made due to injury or illness up to one month before a World Cup Stop must be supported by a medical certificate. The World Wakeboard Council may require documentary evidence to support withdrawal(s) for any other reason. If a withdrawal arises after riders have arrived at a World Cup stop, notification of withdrawal, accompanied by supporting document, must be made in person to the Chief Judge.  A penalty of USD500.00 is payable to the World Wakeboard Council if a rider withdraws from a World Cup stop without any valid reason, and eliminated from the next World Cup stop following that which he has withdrawn from.

Rule 10      CLOTHING & ADVERTISING

Rider are encouraged not to wear items of clothing or logos of non-World Cup sponsors while on site or attending any World Cup activities. Riders agree that the Organizers have the right to control or prohibit advertising material used, worn, or displayed by the rider at the site during the contest.

Rule 11      BIBS

Riders are required to wear an official Wakeboard World Cup bib assigned to him during media riding, actual competition, and interviews. If a rider  refuses to wear a bib that is assigned to him while competing, he will be disqualified from the tournament.  No modifications of bibs or addition or deletion of lettering or logos on bibs are permitted.

Rule 12      PRESS INTERVIEWS

Riders must attend press interviews immediately after their respective heats and any other requested time (eg. press conference, etc) whenever necessary.

Rule 13      EQUIPMENT

1. General:  All personal equipment is subject to the approval of the Chief Judge and Safety Director
2. Life Vest:  All riders must wear a life vest.  It is the responsibility of each rider to ensure their life vest meets the following specifications:
   
   
   • It must float the rider.
     
     
   • It must be constructed so as to provide adequate protection from impact damage to the ribs and internal organs.
     
     
3. Towlines: Riders just provide their own handles and ropes which must be of a non-stretch material.
   
   
4. Helmets: Riders must wear a suitable helmet if they choose to hit any of the obstacles in the wakeboard course.  If a rider hits an obstacle without a helmet, he will be disqualified from the competition. If a rider wishes to hit any obstacles, he must start his routine with a helmet on.
   
   
5. Boats:  The total additional weight in the boat will be determined by the Chief Judge and Chief Boat Driver.
   
   
6. Damaged Equipment: A rider is fully responsible for his personal equipment and should have a spare board, fully assembled with bindings and fins, at his disposal should any damage occur. In the event that a rider realises his equipment has been damaged, he may throw the handle to indicate that he wishes to repair his equipment. This will, however, constitute one fall if it occurs in the wakeboard course.  If a rider falls in the wakeboard course due to his equipment being damaged, it will also constitute one fall.  The Chief Judge will have the final say as to whether the equipment has failed. If a rider has damaged his equipment, he will have four minutes to repair the equipment. The damaged equipment must be repaired at the starting dock.  The time begins when the rider gets onto the starting dock.  The rider must have both feet back in his bindings before the four minutes elapses or his routine is over. The boat will then tow the rider from the starting dock to the location of the fall or handle-throw, come to a complete stop and then resume the routine.

Rule 14      RE-RIDES

It is the sole responsibility of a rider to request for a re-ride.

When unfair conditions occurs, which, in the opinion of a majority of the Judges, adversely affects a rider, he shall be granted a re-ride only on the passes affected.  Re-rides will not be granted if a rider's personal equipment fails.

If, in the opinion of the Boat Judges for the event, the request was not initiated as soon as possible after the rider has ridden, the request shall be denied.

Re-ride requests will not be permitted if they are based on variations in weather or water conditions.

Rule 15      PROTESTS

Protests shall be made to the Chief Judge only by a rider.  Protest must be made in writing, must state the reason(s) for the protest, and must be filed as soon as possible, but no later than 10 minutes after the occurrence or after the results of the event are announced.

The rider will come to the Chief Judge's station and get an Official Protest Form to make the protest.  The rider or team representative will then bring the Official Protest form back to the Chief Judge for review.  After the Chief Judge has reviewed the protest and score sheets, he will meet with the Boat Judges to discuss the protest if he deems necessary.   The Boat Judges will meet with rider to discuss the protest if the Chief Judge deems necessary.  Actions may then be taken by the Chief Judge to address the protest.

Protests must be accompanied by the approximate equivalent in local currency of USD100.00 - This amount will be refunded if the protest is considered reasonable or upheld by the Judges.

If a rider wishes to make a protest while on the water,  the protest needs to come by radio to Chief Judge's station.  The Chief Judge will be on hand to hear the protest.  The Chief Judge will record the protest on the Official Protest form until the rider is able to sign and complete the form.  Chief Judge will take the proper steps to solve the protest.

All judges must be at the Chief Judge's station immediately following the last event each day and will remain 20 minutes after the release of the official results to answer questions

Protests will be handled by the Chief Judge and the 3 judges involved in the respective event.  In the case of other protests, ie. heat protests, timing, etc, such protests shall be handled by the majority of judges.
A correction of an error in the computation of scores shall not be considered a protest and the correction shall be made on the approval of the Chief Judge and Calculator within 20 minutes after the results are announced, and Boat Judges' scoring sheets have been made available for inspection.  The inspection of scoring sheets will be done only in the presence of the Judges scoring that particular event.

Rule 16      USE OF VIDEO

Due to the subjective scoring nature & spirit of wakeboarding, video footage of any kind will not be used by judges or riders to resolve  disputes.  Judges will not view or comment on any video footage during the event.

Rule 17      COMPETITION  FORMAT

1. General: Each rider shall be allowed two passes through the wakeboard course during which time he may perform any routine he chooses. He will be judged on subjective style categories, to arrive at a single combined score.  Judging of the routine begins when the rider enters the wakeboard course and ends when the rider exits the wakeboard course, falls for a second time, or completes his double-up (double-up only in finals).
   
   Riders are encouraged to perform a smooth flowing routine with a wide variety of tricks.  Each manoeuvre should be different and executed as cleanly as possible and taken to its limit.
   
2. Boat (Scoring) Judges: The Chief Judge will designate three Boat Judges, seated in the tow boat, to score each rider's routine.
   
   
3. Scoring: Judges will award a maximum of 100 points to each rider based on their overall impressions of the routine performed.  The judges will score each rider in each of the following categories:
   
   
   • Execution - 33.3 Points
     This reflects the level of perfection to which each manoeuvre was performed, as well as the successful completion of the routine with a minimum number of falls.
     
     
   • Intensity - 33.4 Points
     This reflects how big the moves were performed, as well as the technical difficulty of the tricks executed.
     
     
   • Composition - 33.3 Points
     This reflects the overall composition of the routine in terms of the rider's ability to perform a variety of manoeuvres in a flowing, creative sequence.
     
     
   Calculation of Scores: The Average method of calculating will be used. Scores from the three categories (Execution, Intensity and Composition) of a rider's routine are added together to produce a judge's total score.  All three judges' total scores are then averaged to produce a final score for a rider.
   
   
4. Head-To-Head Format – Men Only:   After the top 8 Pro Men have advanced from the semi finals they will go into a head-to-head format (example):
   
   
   

Rule 18      WAKEBOARD COURSE

1. Course Buoys: Buoys to be used for the wakeboard course must be approved by the Wakeboard World Cup Committee.
   
   
2. Course Dimensions: A start buoy shall establish the approximate area of the beginning of the wakeboard course from each direction.  The end of the pass shall be signified by and end buoy. The distance from the start and end buoys will be a minimum of 370 metres. These course dimensions will be used where practical.  Bright orange buoys are recommended for the start and end buoys.
   
3. Cut-Off buoy: A cut-off buoy will indicate the point after which the tow boat will not be able to get up to speed for a rider to continue his run in the second pass. A bright green buoy will be used for the cut-off buoy.  The position of the cut-off buoy will be determined by the Chief Judge and Chief Boat Driver.  Obstacles may also be used instead of cut-off buoy at the discretion of the Chief Judge. The cut-off buoy will not be used in finals where there is a double up.
   
   
4. Proceeding through the two wakeboard passes:  The boat shall follow as closely as possible the path specified by the Chief Judge for the event, such path to include the preparation time before each pass. The second pass shall be in the opposite direction from the first pass.
   
   
5. A rider's routine will begin when he performs his first trick at, close to or after the start buoy. Hitting an obstacle can/may also signify the beginning/end of the routine.
   
   
6. A riders routine will end: when he falls for a second time or when he passes the end buoy.  A rider's last trick will be scored if he leaves the crest of the wake before passing the end buoy.

Rule 19      DOUBLE-UP

Each rider who qualifies for the finals will be given a double-up.  It is the sole responsibility of each competitor to communicate to the driver before leaving the dock whether he would like a left or right double-up and where the double-up will occur in the course.  Re-rides will not be granted due to any miscommunication between the rider and driver. In the event that the boat provides a double-up in an incorrect direction, the rider must wave off the double-up and not attempt any manoeuvre. If any manoeuvre is attempted, which includes cutting at the wake, the rider will be deemed to have accepted his double up.  If a rider waves off the double-up, the boat will then turn around, and proceed with a double-up in the correct direction.  Re-rides will not be granted for turbulent water in this instance. If a rider's first fall occurs beyond the cut-off buoy, the boat will then immediately proceed with a double up for the rider.

Rule 20      OBSTACLES

Organisers are encouraged to use obstacles where practical and possible, subject to site conditions and logistics.  

The obstacles may comprise of the following: 

1. Flat Bar
2. A-Frame
3. Rainbow Slider
4. Kicker

Obstacles must be manufactured with the following prerequisites:

1. structural integrity
2. safety
3. adequate floatation and stability

The Chief Judge will make a final decision on whether the obstacles meet the above criteria.

The Chief Judge will make the decision where to place these obstacles in the wakeboard course. Riders are encouraged to hit these obstacles to add variation to their routines.

The obstacles may also signify the beginning of each routine depending on where they are placed.

Rule 21      BOAT SPEED & ROPE LENGTH

Each rider shall receive his choice of a constant speed through the course for each pass, and preferred rope length. The boat speed, assuming it is held constant before entering the course, is the rider's responsibility.

RULE 22     FALLS

1. Out-Of-Course Falls: A rider may have one out-of-course fall either before the start of his first pass or before the start of his second pass.
   
   
2. Handle-Throw:  The rider may also have one handle-throw before the start of his first or second pass which will also count as one out-of-course fall.
   
   If a rider throws the handle prior to the start of his first pass to indicate that his rope was incorrectly put on the wrong loop by the officials or Judges in the boat, it will not count as an out-of-course fall.
   
3. Two Falls: A rider may have a maximum of two falls during a routine. Should a fall occur, the boat will pick up the rider to proceed with the routine.  The rider will not be picked up after a two fall, or after a fall that occurs beyond the cut-off buoy in the second pass.
   
   
4. Obstacles:   When obstacles are used, each rider will receive one obstacle and one water fall only.
   
   
   • Example one: A rider falls on the slider, and then falls on his first manoeuvre off the wake, the rider will be picked up. But his pass will end if he falls on either an obstacle or water trick.
     
   • Example two: A rider falls off the rainbow slider, and then falls off the kicker but has no previous water falls. His pass ends
     
     
5. The rider must be ready to ride immediately upon the boat's return after the first fall, an out-of-course fall,  or handle-throw.

RULE 23     SCHEDULE CHANGES & CANCELLATION OF EVENTS

Changes in the schedule during the competition shall be made only for weather, water conditions, safety, or a similar reason. Such changes will be announced at a riders' meeting and by posting.

At the sole discretion of the World Wakeboard Council and only as a last resort, rounds may be postponed or combined as necessary to complete events and establish winners.

The World Wakeboard Council reserves the right to reduce the cash awards in the case of a terminated or incomplete event. If a final round cannot be completed, competitors may be paid an amount equal to 1/2 of the regular prize money, based on their placement in the semi-final / preliminary round.

Rule 24         OVERALL SERIES CHAMPION

An overall scoring system which awards points for placements will be used to determine the Wakeboard World Cup Overall Series Champion after all stops are completed. 

Points will be awarded after each World Cup stop based on a rider’s final event placement as follows:

The overall winner will be determined by adding up all points awarded from each World Cup stop. In case of a tie for the top spot, here are the criteria to break the tie:

• The first tiebreaker is the rider who took home the most 1st place finishes. 
• The second tiebreaker is the rider who has the most 1st, 2nd, 3rd place finishes added together. 
• The third tie breaker is the rider that finishes highest at the final World Cup stop.

With the use of the heat system, there will be instances where riders have finished in a joint position with a rider in a different heat.  Relevant placing points will therefore be given to each individual, for example: