A Question On Rules - Was It A Five?

[scottj]

Ah--the rest of the story. So it looks like you did the right thing in the end. It's not surprising the varied responses given the differences in the rules around the world. The key is knowing the rules you are working with. Below are the definitions of the failure in question from four different governing bodies. All of these organizations make a somewhat vague distinction between a marker and tape, but, they do all seem to make that distinction, and with a boundary being either a tape or marker. The rules are all very similar with slight differences. While reading through these rules I noticed a couple of interesting things. None of them specify a failure for having to reset the tape (only markers, flags and supports) and the ACU does not list breaking a tape as a failure.

MA: The machine crosses a boundary with either wheel, that wheel being on the ground.

ACU: If any wheel of the machine crosses any boundary tape or marker whether the wheel be on

the ground or airborne before the front wheel spindle passes the “Section ends” sign.

FIM: A wheel passes over a tape so that it touches the ground on the opposite side.

NATC: In the case of running over a taped boundary, there must be ground visible between the tape and the tire

and the tire must be on the ground on the out-of-bounds side of the tape.

[motovita]

Thanks for all the replies and information and vote. It is always interesting to hear of interpretations and deliberations and I agree we do not want the rules to expand further and further to cover every possibility and perhaps as suggested if it is not in the rules then all is okay. Yes, it was a judgement call, and dadof2 described the way the boundary tape (positioned at 30cm off the ground and not loose) caught on the tread blocks and brought the now stretched boundary tape forward over the top of the wheel/tyre so it now essentially ran across the swingarm and forward of the rear axle - and michael-t's perspective was what was going through my mind as I watched the tape progressively be pulled up and over the rear wheel.

I felt I had to make a decision rather than wait and see or hope that the rider broke the tape or failed the splat jump or failed somewhere else in the section, so I did not have to worry about my confusion with regard the tape being pulled forward of the rear axle - note that the event was a Championship event. What transpired was that the rider queried (without anger or challenge, but more surprise) the decision and explained his perspective and as there was confusion and maybe I was hasty and maybe the rider may have broken the tape as he cleared it, I decided that in the circumstance I had potentially prevented him making a bona-fide attempt due to my confusion or haste and I called a baulk and allowed a re-run taking into account marks lost prior to that point of baulk and the section observed from the point of the "baulk". I let the Clerk of Course know of the incident and all is happy and good. As a note, the rider did not clean the section thus there was also no advantage to the rider by calling the baulk. And the rider and I will ride together another day. None of us are perfect.

Thanks all for your contributions.

OK, now I get the picture.

I'd say that you called the five too soon. If the tape came off the wheel and returned to nearly it's original location (doesn't seem likely), I wouldn't give any penalty for it.

You probably saved the rider points by giving a re ride, as the tape probably would have broken or required re setting if he had continued his original ride.

[thats_a_five]

Hummnn ...I believe under ITSA rules , that rider would've been asked to leave , And don't bother coming back ....

If I had been that Trials Marshall, the rider would have been awarded a minimum of 2 sets of penalty points for yelling at 2 officials. If you want to yell and scream at officials take up tennis.

[thats_a_five]

PeterH,

It was good to hear that by calmly discussing a questionable call, that a mutually acceptable decision was made and everyone involved supports the result. Good on you and the rider.

Cheers.