Fellow cubers, Tyson Mao, Gilles Roux and Ron van Bruchem created a draft version of the WCA regulations, version 2005. You can find the draft version at: [url:3pyq7fc0]http://www.speedcubing.com/events/regulations_draft2005.html[/url:3pyq7fc0] Our goals for this version were to not change the basic rules and procedures, but improve the text and remove unclear things. On the bottom of the page you can find a list of changes. You are all very welcome to send in your comments, additions and other suggestions. For your feedback please use this forum. If you want to see text or regulations changed, then please post a new text proposal. We want to finalize this version on September 5, 2 months before WC 2005. So don't wait too long with your feedback. We are looking forward to a positive discussion. We expect that there won't be a consensus on all issues. In that case the WCA board will need to make a decision. For the 2006 version we are open to discuss some bigger changes. Thanks, Ron van Bruchem

I just had a question about the sitting thing. "...Competitors must preferably solve while standing (except for blindfolded solving), but solving while sitting is allowed although the height of the timer may be uncomfortable..." Now I am not against the sitting thing, but just wonder what the reasoning is behind allowing it (except for the obvious physical limitations for some people). I see that the headphones has been clearly stated, why not the sitting thing? I know this has been posted and discussed many many times and just wonder why this decision has been made. Aren't they both a "comfort" thing? Again I am not trying to ruffle feathers, just the simple curiosity of wanting to know why.

Article 2 states "Shirt and shoes are always required." For obvious reasons barefoot should be allowed in the feet solving event.

[quote="Christy":1mpqx4qu]I see that the headphones has been clearly stated, why not the sitting thing?[/quote:1mpqx4qu] I might get distracted by your music but probably not by your sitting.

Article 3: If I put tiles on my puzzles then "more colours/pieces are visible" and thus it's forbidden? Article 5: If a Magic wire breaks during the solve (which I usually only notice after completing the solve) can I declare it a puzzle defect because I don't like my time and get a new attempt? Article 5: I don't like the rule about blindfold puzzle defects. Why make it a game of luck to put a piece back oriented correctly? Btw, how are you gonna find out that I violate that rule? Article 7: I'd like to ask for a smoke-free environment and reasonable noise level. Article 8: Not sure how it's done so far, but can the WCA delegate/boardmember participate? Article 8: Nitpicking alert: Is a "board member" also a "delegate"? If not, then the 4th/5th item don't apply to board members. Article A, Preinspection: "During this inspection time". So, "inspection" = "preinspection"? (ok, nitpicking mode off now...) Article A, Ending the solve: "If a competitor manipulates the puzzle after the timer has been stopped, the solve is automatically disqualified.". Uh, I always do that. You might want to say "... after the timer has been stopped and before the judge has released the puzzle ...". Also, I'd suggest to make the judge verbally release the puzzle. Oh, and he should really check the puzzle. I noticed for example for cubes they often just look at the cube, i.e. they see three sides only, which is not enough. Article A, Solved State, Rubik's Magic: "The Magic may lie upside at start and end." You maybe mean "upside down". About people taking advantage of other people using the same scrambles earlier: There's an easy way to avoid it completely, but you won't like it: Abandon that strange requirement to use the same scramble for everyone. That requirement is supposed to increase the fairness but it doesn't and it's unnecessary and it allows that kind of cheating. The only real reasons to keep it are: 1) may be hard to explain a noncuber why it doesn't matter and 2) needs more coordination and paper (bad for the rain forest).

Are competitors allowed to use both hands during preinspection for one-handed competitions? I remember getting yelled at during the Exploratorium competition for picking up the puzzle with both hands to inspect for my first solve.

[quote="Bob":ct3b2bjk]Are competitors allowed to use both hands during preinspection for one-handed competitions? I remember getting yelled at during the Exploratorium competition for picking up the puzzle with both hands to inspect for my first solve.[/quote:ct3b2bjk] Yeah, that's the way it ought to be. In my opionion. I'm using just one hand for preinspection for onehanded solves and I think that should be standard . But everybody else I've seen so far has used both hands... so I'm very surprised you got yelled at. Maybe your judge just didn't like you because of something else

I think the rules should require that clocks are put down "standing" before and after inspection. During the german open some judges placed the clock laying down which may change the position of the pegs. Once the puzzle is solved the competitor should be able to drop his puzzle any way.

Here are my comments to the new version of the rules: You ought to define "best of", "average of" and "mean of" somewhere. If you pop during one-handed or feet cubing, you are forced to repair the cube with only one hand or with only the feet. Otherwise you will be disqualified. Is this your intention? In Article 7, you say that competitors must preferably solve while standing except for blindfolded solving. I think you should also acknowledge that competitors that solves the cube with their feet also prefer to sit down. I think that the following item should be added to the list in Article 8: "Each event must have at least two competitors." If you have only one competitor it is not a competition. Of course, it can be a world record try, but that is something different. The last paragraph of Article 8 is about time limits. I suppose you mean by time limit, for instance a maximum solving time of 3 minutes for a 3-cube. My objection regards the very last word "event". Should it not read "solve"? As it stands now a competitor is disqualified from the whole event if he in his first solve do not manage to keep within the 3-min limit. A consequence of this rule is that any who make a DNF will automatically be disqualified from the whole event. In Article A/Ending the solve I suggest that the last sentence should read something like "After that the judge has inspected the puzzle, he handle it over to the competitor". In the fewest moves event, is the HTM uncontroversial? I have not followed the debate, but I think that I find QTM more appropriate. /Anders

[quote="Kåre":j0r3x941]I think the rules should require that clocks are put down "standing" before and after inspection. During the german open some judges placed the clock laying down which may change the position of the pegs.[/quote:j0r3x941] It has been this way at Dutch Open and Euro2004 as well. Sometimes I asked the judges whether they've put it down so the pins stick out upwards but often they didn't understand me, once I think a judge even took the Clock back to the scramblers (which didn't help). What I've done so far is first press the clock down when picking it up, at least this way I ensure the pins aren't somewhere in the middle (did happen sometimes because judge put it down with pins sticking out on bottom). And at end of preinspection I've put it back standing. So I agree, it should be standing. This way we can also start with a true random state, including pins. I prefer this because it's more natural. If you ask somebody to scramble a Clock for you, will he be nice enough to push all pins up? Probably not.

[quote="Anonymous":35gwnft5]In the fewest moves event, is the HTM uncontroversial? I have not followed the debate, but I think that I find QTM more appropriate.[/quote:35gwnft5] http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/few ... d=12033191

Two questions: - Is it allowed to peel off stickers? Wait, i'm serious! For the FMC... since we're not allowed to use extra marker stickers, we could use the stickers from one of the three cubes to mark stickers on the other cubes. Hmm, actually I think there's also no rule how many stickers we're allowed to have. Can I put multiple stickers on top of each other? - Are head lights allowed? I might want to use one for Megaminx if the environment lighting is bad. http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50243039/L ... ointer.jpg