2012 Rule Changes

Fellow Trials Riders,

The following rules changes have been made by the NATC that affect the D-4 Trials Committee this year. We follow the NATC in scoring rules unless exempted out. These are mostly minor changes with some being just clarifications. These were discussed at length at the Organizers Workshop and the consensus is that these are all good changes.

(1) Under Fault definitions. NATC pg8 A.1. added; (Note that “toe dabs” will be counted as footing). This will be added to pg7 III.B.1. of D-4 rules. This is a clarification. These dabs have always counted but many checkers were not counting them. What they are referring to is dabs with the toe while the feet are still on the pegs. Touching with the pegs themselves does not count but touching with the feet does. Example. Pushing off a log with the toes with the heels on the pegs.

(2) Under Failure definitions. NATC pg8 B.2. changed to; The rider or machine makes direct contact with a marker. This replaces the wording of a rider or his machine displacing a marker requiring it be reset. Example; Hitting a log and having a marker pop off several feet away would still carry no penalty, however running over a marker or breaking a tape will result in a five. This wording will replace pg7 III.C.5. in D-4 rules along with some other wording changes to clarify this.

(3) Under protests. NATC pg10 D.1. changed to; Obstruction is deemed to have occurred when a rider, attempting a section is prevented from completing a bona-fide attempt due to some unauthorized obstruction. If a rider claims obstruction the section observers decision as to whether a re-ride is permitted is final. Should a re-ride be granted the section shall be observed from the point of obstruction onwards and any points lost prior to the point of obstruction of the original attempt will stand. The change here is that the re-ride is scored from the point of obstruction to the end of the section and that is combined with the original ride score from the start up to the point of obstruction. The score is just one complete ride through the section as if no obstruction ever happened. This or similar wording will replace the D-4 rules pg 8 V.D. balk wording.

All these changes are also in compliance with FIM rules.

If anyone has any questions about these revisions feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Rich