Event Rules
Here are the rules for ATBA-UK endorsed competitions taking place in the UK. Please take note as you will not be permitted to enter competition unless both you and your board comply with the stated rules. Some of these may seem obvious but please take time to read them.
SAFETY DISCLAIMER AND GENERAL RULES
Protective Gear
All riders MUST wear a Helmet, Wrist Guards, Elbow and Knee Pads. It is recommended that riders also wear additional protective clothing. Helmets must be fastened at all times when riding.
Leashes
To prevent any potential injury to other competitors or spectators of this event, all riders are required to use a board retention device that attaches the rider to the board. The accepted forms of board retention device are Snowboard Bindings, Heel Straps or a Leash. It is important to note that F3 bindings (or similar) alone are not sufficient, and should be used in conjunction with either a leash or heel straps. This must pass inspection if not standard equipment. The device must not let the rider and board be further than 15ft apart. N.B. Due to problems with enforcement of this rule, the ATBA-UK adopt a zero tolerance policy in regard to this rule. Any rider found without a suitable board retention device will be stopped. If that rider has completed a run, then that run will be annulled. This could result in the loss of a qualifying run, or the rider's early exit from competition. Refunds will not be given to riders disqualified on equipment safety grounds
Race Numbers
Race numbers must be worn during all races. Numbers may be worn on the rider's chest, lead leg or side of the helmet. the entire number must be able to be clearly seen at all times.
Rider Conduct off track
Verbal and physical abuse will not be tolerated. Judges will issue a single verbal warning. Upon a second violation, the rider will be disqualified from the event. Sabotage of other competitors boards and equipment will not be tolerated and will lead to immediate disqualification.
Board Design
Please note that these rules apply to the British Championships Events. Should there be sufficient support and entrants for a type of board that falls outside of these guidelines, a specific race class may be provided for them.
- Brake systems are not allowed to be used in boardercross racing.
- Wheels and tyres must not exceed 13inch Diameter.
- The board must be steered by using feet and body weight alone.
- The board must not have any dangerous spikes or areas that could cause damage to the rider or other riders in a crash.
- Tire spikes and motors are not allowed. Any device outside of human energy and gravitational pull are forbidden.
No Show, No Go
All competitors are expected to listen to trackside announcements, and to ensure that they are ready to start when their name is called. Marshalls will allow a short amount of time for riders to prepare, but if a rider is not present when their name is called, then they should not expect for the event to wait for them. If a competitor misses their heat or freestyle jump, then that is solely their own responsibility.
Media Disclaimer
In entering the events you are granting the ATBA-UK Ltd the right to use any video or photographic image for promotional purposes and consent to the storage of any image for future use.
Participation Disclaimer
This document, as part of the Competition entry form, has legal status and indicates informed consent to take part in an activity or event. It can therefore only be signed by someone who is over the age of 18 . Younger riders who come to events without parents or legal guardians being present must bring a suitable, signed letter which satisfies this requirement. Another adult, including a team manager, cannot sign on behalf of a parent or guardian unless they have written authorisation to do so. Unfortunately, any rider under 18 and who does not have a legitimate disclaimer, will not be permitted to take part in the event. A refund will not be given to a rider who is later found not to meet this requirement and who is then disqualified.
Before Events
The weekdays before an event including the Friday are not part of the ATBA-UK events and centres are open for normal business. Riders should plan to pay for all charges for riding and camping during this time in order to meet the cost of opening the centre and of course for transport at the centre. ATBA-UK members will often be charged at a lower, discounted rate and members will often be charged at a lower, discounted rate and should remember to bring their membership cards.
Personal Insurance
Although there are paramedics on site, and the local emergency services will have been informed that the event is occurring, all riders are strongly advised to hold personal accident and injury indemnity insurance to cover possible loss of income and a range of other eventualities. On the ATBA-UK Membership page you will find a link to an insurance offer for members which will make membership even cheaper in subsequent years.
Event Insurance
ATBA-UK as the Event Organiser is required to hold public liability indemnity insurance without which the events would not be permitted to take place. This is a major expense incurred by the ATBA-UK in connection with the National Series and is one of the main benefits of membership. It is also the reason why non-members have to pay a daily surcharge in order to compete.
BOARDERCROSS RULES
Physical Contact
No intentional pushing or grabbing is permitted. During unintentional contact rider may not grab other rider or other rider’s clothing or equipment. Should a rider be judged to have gained an advantage through physical contact, then that rider will be disqualified from their heat. This will mean that the rider is given 4th place in that heat and will not advance to the next round.
Start Lanes
On boardercross tracks, start lanes may be marked out in order to ensure that all competitors get a clean start. These lanes will typically go from the start gates to just before the first racing feature. Should a competitor cross over these lane markings and cause a racing incident (i.e. collision, fall etc.) then the heat will be restarted. Should no incident be caused by a competitor crossing the lanes, then no action will be taken.
Staying on the track
Riders should stay on the track at all times. Should a competitor leave the track for any reason, they should make their way directly back onto the track. Should a rider miss a race feature, or are judged to have gained an advantage by leaving the track, then that rider will be disqualified from their heat. This will mean that the rider is given 4th place in that heat and will not advance to the next round.
Flags & Race Marshals
Every event will be crewed by a group of race marshals. It is the responsibility of these marshals to keep a close watch on the track for both rule infringements & racing incidents. Each marshal will have 2 coloured flags. Should riders be shown a yellow flag, then they should be aware that a racing incident has occurred at some point further down the track, and that they should be aware that a fellow competitor may have fallen and by lying on the track. Should a rider be shown a red flag, then they should stop immediately. A red flag is shown when a race is stopped. Riders will get a re-run, but it is essential that all racing stop the moment a red flag is seen trackside. Red flags are only shown when a serious fall or incident has occurred, and must be taken seriously. Riders who are judged to have deliberately ignored a red flag will be disqualified from the event.
FREESTYLE RULES
Big Air & Slopestyle
There are two types of freestyle competition. Big Air, and Slopestyle. In Big Air, competitors will have a single large jump over which to perform tricks, and each run will consist of one jump. In slopestyle, riders will be given the opportunity to ride down a freestyle park perform tricks on the features all the way down. It is important to note that in slopestyle competition, riders will not be judged on each individual jump, but will be given an overall mark based on their performance throughout the entirety of their run through the freestyle park. Riders who deliberately hit lots of small obstacles in an attempt to accumulate points may find that their score is less than that of someone who took a flowing line through the park hitting a lower number of large features.
Freestyle Judging
Each freestyle competitor will be marked by 5 judges. Each judge will score competitors out of a total of 30.0 marks to one decimal place. The entrants will be scored on 4 basic criteria. These are TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY, STYLE, AMPLITUDE & LANDING. Once judges have allocated their scores, the highest & lowest scores will be ignored, and the remaining 3 scores added together to give a total out of 90.0. This will be the competitor's mark for that jump. The 4 criteria are further explained below.
- Technical Difficulty: This criteria deals with how challenging technically the maneuver being attempted is. Riders will score well for tricks that push the boundaries of what is possible. Off axis 540s, and flat 720 & 900 degree rotations are at the upper end of this spectrum, while straight airs & simple grabs toward the bottom.
- Style: Without question, style is one of the most important factors to consider in board sports, and yet also the hardest to explain. Riders will gain a strong style score for fluid motions, tweaking and holding grabs, strong body shape and stillness in the air. Riders will lose points for excessive motion (e.g. arms flapping), not holding grabs for an appropriate length of time and for any perceived or actual lack of control.
- Amplitude: Riders will be scored on how much airtime they get over jumps. Riders will gain points the more airtime that they get. Riders who fail to clear the knuckle of a jump may be penalised.
- Landing: Competitors are expected to be able to land the tricks that they attempt. Riders will gain points for clean landings. Entrants will be penalised for sliding out on landing, not landing clean, putting down a hand on landing and obviously, for falling.
Other scoring criteria
In addition to these four main criteria, judges will also be looking for variety in what entrants are doing. A rider who has a selection of tricks in their bag will gain more points than a competitor who can only do one trick. It is also worth noting that riders who perform tricks from a switch stance can expect to score higher, particularly in the technical difficulty area.
Attempting tricks for the first time
The ATBA-UK fully understands that riders may want to push their limits in an attempt to score well in competition, and we have no wish to prevent this from occurring. However, the ATBA-UK would also like to remind riders that mountainboarding is an extreme sport, and that the possibility of injury is a real one. We would like to take this opportunity to strongly recommend that riders do not use competition as their first attempt to perform difficult tricks. This is especially true for riders considering inverted tricks for the first time. The potential for serious injury while going upside down is very real, and the ATBA-UK would like all riders to bear this in mind before trying a flip or rodeo for the first time.
THE GOLDEN RULE
The Judge's decision is final.