RULES 2022

VERSION
No 2.0.0

DATE
February 2022

DISTRIBUTION ISSUED TO
IFSC Member Federations National Federations
IFSC Technical Commissions
IFSC Continental Councils
IFSC Executive Board Members
Event Organisers
PREPARED BY
IFSC 2022 Rules Commission

Authors
Tim Hatch, François Leonardon
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOSSARY ..............................................................................................................................................................3
PART 1 – GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................... 11
1. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SPORT CLIMBING .................................................................................... 12
2. MEMBER FEDERATIONS............................................................................................................................... 16
3. GENERAL RULES........................................................................................................................................... 20
4. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES ........................................................................................................................ 25
5. ANTI DOPING............................................................................................................................................... 28
6. APPEALS ...................................................................................................................................................... 29
PART 2 – DISCIPLINE RULES .................................................................................................................................. 32
7. LEAD ............................................................................................................................................................ 33
8. BOULDER ..................................................................................................................................................... 44
9. SPEED .......................................................................................................................................................... 54
10. TEAM SPEED ................................................................................................................................................ 62
11. BOULDER & LEAD ........................................................................................................................................ 63
PART 3 – EVENT RULES......................................................................................................................................... 71
12. WORLD CUP SERIES ..................................................................................................................................... 72
13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ............................................................................................................................ 78
14. YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ................................................................................................................ 83
15. NOT USED .................................................................................................................................................... 88
16. NOT USED .................................................................................................................................................... 89
ANNEX 1 – ROUTE SCORING VALUES ................................................................................................................... 90
ANNEX 2 – NOT USED .......................................................................................................................................... 91
ANNEX 3 – CUP RANKING POINTS ........................................................................................................................ 92
ANNEX 4 – RACE/LANE PAIRING (SPEED) ............................................................................................................. 93
ANNEX 5 – NOT USED .......................................................................................................................................... 95

2
 GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY

Interpretation

1. The following terms shall apply throughout these Rules:

Shall, and the alternative must, states a mandatory requirement;

Shall not, and the alternative must not, states a prohibition;

Should and should not state recommendations, there may be reasons to ignore a
recommendation but the full implications must be understood and the case carefully weighed
before choosing a different course;

May references a discretionary matter;

2. The following definitions shall apply throughout these Rules:

Applicable Standards has the meaning given in Article 3.5 of these Rules;

Appeal Fee means the amount published by the IFSC in relation to making in-competition appeals
regarding compliance with and interpretation of these Rules;

Artificial Hold means a manufactured climbing hold attached to the Climbing Surface by means of
screws or bolts;

Assistance Dog means a dog which provides assistance to a disabled person, and is task-trained
to help mitigate the handler's disability;

Attempt Period means a period of time allowed for a competitor to make attempts on a route or
boulder, which includes any period allowed for the competitor to prepare for their attempt(s)
either in a Call Zone/Transit Zone or on the field of play, and any period of time allowed for their
attempts;

Calendar Event means an international event:

a) including competitions in one or more of the Disciplines recognised by the IFSC and
governed by these rules; and/or

b) listed on the calendar of events published by the IFSC;

Call Zone means any designated area to which competitors must report prior to commencing
their attempt(s) any round of competition;

Category means a group of competitors within one specific Sport Class, Discipline, gender and
age group;

Championship refers to the highest tier individual event(s) authorised by the IFSC (or a
subordinate continental council of the IFSC) in each of the Boulder, Combined, Lead and Speed
Disciplines and listed on the calendar of events published by the IFSC. Championships may carry
the following additional designations:

a) “Climbing”, where organised exclusively for competitors in the Open Sport Class;
3
 GLOSSARY

b) “Continental”, where eligibility to participate is restricted to Member Federations from

a single IFSC continental council of the IFSC; and

c) “Paraclimbing”, where organised exclusively for competitors in one or more Para Sport
Classes;

d) “World”, where participation is open to all Member Federations;

e) “Youth”, where organised for competitors in the U20, U18 and U16 age groups;

Climbing Period means the maximum period of time allowed for a competitor’s attempts on any
route or boulder;

Climbing Surface means the usable surface of a climbing wall:

a) including any permanent irregularity or textured feature on, or closed edge to the
surface; but

b) excluding any Artificial Holds, volumes or other temporary Structures fixed onto the
usable surface;

Climbing World Cup means any World Cup competition open to competitors in the Open Sport
Class only;

Competition Area means that part of the event venue allocated for sporting activities forming
part of a competition, including:

a) Any Isolation Zone or Warm-up Area(s);

b) Any Call/Transit Zone(s);

c) Any Competition Zones, including:

i) the Climbing Surfaces(s) used within any round of a competition;

ii) the area immediately in front of and next to the climbing wall(s), and

iii) any other area assigned specifically for the safe and fair conduct of a competition,
such as additional areas needed for video recording or playback;

Control means, for the purposes of judging and scoring, that a competitor has made use of some
object/structure to achieve or change a stable body position, and the terms “Controls”,
“Controlled” and “Controlling” should be interpreted in this context;

Cup or Cup Series refers to an annual competition series authorised by the IFSC (or a subordinate
continental council of the IFSC) in any of the Boulder, Lead and Speed Disciplines and listed on
the calendar of events published by the IFSC. Cups and Cup events may carry the following
additional designations:

a) “Climbing”, where organised exclusively for competitors in the Open Sport Class;

b) “Continental”, where eligibility to participate is restricted to Member Federations from

a single IFSC continental council of the IFSC; and
4
 GLOSSARY

c) “Paraclimbing” where organised exclusively for competitors in one or more Para Sport
Classes;

d) “World”, where participation is open to all Member Federations;

e) “Youth”, where organised for competitors in the U20, U18 and U16 age groups;

Cup Ranking means the continuously updated ranking published by the IFSC in accordance with
Article 12.16 of these Rules to determine the overall winner of a Cup Series for the relevant Sport
Class Category;

Cup Ranking Points means the points awards to qualifying competitors following the completion
of any relevant event as set out in Annex 3 (Cup Ranking Points) for the purposes of determining
the overall ranking of competitors in a Cup series;

Discipline means a specific format for competition climbing which conforms to specific rules and
standards;

Did Not Start or DNS means:

a) in respect of any specific boulder, route or race within any round or stage of a
competition, that a competitor failed to attempt that boulder, route or race, recorded
alternatively as Not Started; and

b) in respect of any round or stage of a competition, that a competitor either:

i) where that round of the competition is conducted under Isolation Conditions,

failed to report to the Isolation Zone by, or was not present within the Isolation
Zone at, the time set out on the Start List for that round;

ii) failed to report to the Call Zone when called for that round or stage; or

(ii) was otherwise recorded with a Did Not Start IRM pursuant to the relevant
provisions of Part 2 of these rules,

and will be recorded as such on the relevant results. Competitors recorded as Did Not Start in any
round or stage will not be eligible to compete any subsequent round or stage of the same
competition;

Disqualified or DSQ means a disqualification from competition for breach of these rules;

Disqualified for Behaviour or DQB means a disqualification from competition for a violation of
the World Anti-Doping Code (or, where applicable, the Olympic Charter), or any other serious
breach of applicable regulation issued by the IFSC, or where relevant the IOC or a NOC, including
but not limited to:

a) serious unsporting behaviour or other serious disturbance; and

b) abusive, threatening or violent behaviour to any person;

Eligible Impairment has the meaning given in the Classification Rules for IFSC Paraclimbing;

5
 GLOSSARY

Event Organiser means the body responsible for the organisation and preparation of any
Calendar Event;

Event Period means, for a Calendar Event, the period commencing 12 hours prior to the
scheduled start of the first round of competition and finishing at 24:00 hours (local) of the day on
which the last round of competition is scheduled to take place;

Gloves means any hand-made or manufactured glove, whether or not designed and sold for the
purposes of climbing. For the avoidance of doubt, tape applied to the hands by the athlete
themselves is not be considered to be a Glove;

IFSC Official means any and all of the officials listed in paragraph 1.10, appointed by the IFSC at a
relevant Calendar Event;

Illegal Aid means Controlling or Using any of the following:

a) with the hands:

i) any placements for “T-Nuts” on the Climbing Surface or any Structure;

b) with either hands or feet

i) any part of the Climbing Surface or Structures/holds demarcated as out of bounds

by the use of continuous black tape;

ii) any advertising or informational placards fixed to the Climbing Surface;

iii) any open edges to the Climbing Surface;

iv) any bolt hanger fixed to the Climbing Surface; or

v) any Protection Point or the climbing rope;

International Level Athletes means, for the purposes of the IFSC Anti-Doping Rules, any
competitors selected to be part of the Testing Pool and Registered Testing Pool (as these are
defined within the IFSC Anti-Doping Rules) and in addition:

a) any International Licence Holder competing in the Open Sport Class and ranked 15th or
better in the World Ranking (for each relevant Category); and

b) the current World Champion in each Sport Class Category recognised by the IFSC,

in each case as at the conclusion of the immediately preceding calendar year;

International Licence means an approval granted by the IFSC to an individual to:

a) participate in any Championship;

b) participate in any Cup Series or event; and

c) be granted a World Ranking;

International Licence Holder means, for the purposes of the IFSC Anti-Doping Rules, any athlete
who holds or has held an International Licence within the current or preceding calendar year;
6
 GLOSSARY

Invalid Results Mark or IRM means a non-scoring result, such as: Did Not Start, Disqualified or
Disqualified for Behaviour. Competitors assigned an Invalid Results Mark applicable to:

a) any individual race, boulder or route within a stage/round (where the relevant
stage/round comprises more than one race, boulder or route), will have no result on
that race, boulder or route; or

b) any stage/round of completion, will be unranked within the applicable stage/round

(and where relevant, the competition);

Isolation Conditions means that competitors within any given round of a competition are to
make their attempts on any route/boulder in that round with knowledge of the relevant
route/boulder limited to such information:

a) as may be gathered by observation from outside the Competition Area prior to the
closing of the Isolation Zone for the relevant Category;

b) obtained during any collective observation period for the relevant route/boulders,
from the area designated for such collective observation, including such information as
may be shared between competitors participating in that collective observation period
(and only where such competitors have not yet made their attempts); or

c) obtained during the competitor’s attempt(s) on the relevant route/boulders;

Isolation Zone means a Warm-up Area for which access is controlled and limited to:

a) competitors qualified for the relevant round of competition;

b) accompanying Team Officials.

Junior (otherwise referred to as Under 20 or “U20”) means the age group comprising
competitors who are or will be 18 or 19 years of age in the year of the relevant Calendar Event;

Kneepad means any hand-made or manufactured covering for the knee made from or
incorporating rubber or other similar materials, the purpose or effect of which is to provide
increased friction or otherwise facilitate the use of kneebars whilst climbing;

Legitimate Position means, for the purposes of Lead competitions, that a competitor in the
course of their attempt on a route:

a) has not used any Illegal Aid;

b) has clipped each preceding Protection Point in sequence; and

c) where the next Protection Point has not yet been clipped, the competitor has not yet
reached, or has not made any climbing movement to pass beyond any Safety Hold
designated by the Chief Routesetter;

Locking Belay Device means a device meeting the EN-15151-1 standard.

Manual Belay Device means a device meeting the EN-15151-2 standard.

7
 GLOSSARY

Member Federation means any National Federation that is a member of the IFSC;

Official Results means the results published by the IFSC at the conclusion of a competition (or
any round of that competition) which must be marked as “Official” and signed by the
appropriate IFSC Official;

Open Sport Class means the class of athletes not having (or assessed as not having) any Eligible
Impairment;

Original Decision has the meaning given in Article 6.8 of these Rules;

Para Sport Class means a class of athletes having been classified by the IFSC as having some
Eligible Impairment;

Paraclimbing World Cup means any World Cup event open to competitors in any Para Sport
Class;

Preparation Period means a defined period of time during which a competitor may make final
preparations ahead of starting their attempts on any route/boulder;

Provisional Results (alternatively referred to as Unofficial Results) means any results published
or circulated by the IFSC prior to the publication of the Official Results for any competition, or any
route/round within that competition;

Protection Point means an assembly comprising:

a) A Quick-Link connector, connected to a bolt fixed to the load-bearing structure of the

Climbing Surface;

b) A Karabiner into which a competitor can clip the rope when climbing. The orientation
of this karabiner shall minimise the possibility of cross loading; and

c) A single continuous machine-sewn sling of appropriate length (as determined by the

Chief Routesetter) connecting (a) and (b).

Ranking means the relationship between a set of results such that, for any two items, the first is
either 'ranked higher than', 'ranked lower than' or 'ranked equal to' the second. All Rankings
referred to in these rules are calculated using the standard ranking scheme unless stated to the
contrary;

Registration Date means the day (ending at 23:59 UTC) by which Member Federations are
required to register the participation of Team Members at any Calendar Event;

Reaction Time means the difference between the time at which a competitor leaves the Starting
Pad and the commencement of the Starting Signal, measured to at least 1/100s, and may be zero,
positive or negative;

Safety Hold has the meaning given in paragraph 7.3;

Seeding means the preliminary ranking of a competitor used for the purpose of fixing their
position in the initial Start List for a competition;

8
 GLOSSARY

Single Rope means a climbing rope meeting the EN-892 standard;

Sport Class has the meaning given in the Classification Rules for IFSC Paraclimbing;

Sport Class Status has the meaning given in the Classification Rules for IFSC Paraclimbing;

Starting Group means some subdivision of the competitors within some given Category and
round of competition who all compete on the same routes/boulders;

Start List means a list of all competitors eligible to start a competition round or some subdivision
of that round, at the time noted on the document. Each Start List will show:

a) the relevant Category and round;

b) the starting order;

c) the name and IOC Country Code of each competitor;

d) the time:

i) at which the Isolation Zone and/or any Warm-up Area will be opened and closed;

ii) of any observation or demonstration; and

iii) for the start of the round.

Starting Signal means a unique tone broadcast by the automated timing system to indicate the
start of a measured climbing time;

Structure means any hollow or solid object providing either a single or multiple holds for either
hands or feet and which is attached to the Climbing Surface for the duration of at least one
round.

Team Manager means the senior Team Official appointed by a Member Federation to any
Calendar Event, responsible for the conduct of all Team Officials and competitors within their
team. The IFSC may, where a Calendar Event includes competitions in more than one Discipline,
permit the nomination of a Team Manager for each Discipline;

Team Member means both Team Officials and competitors;

Team Officials means individuals appointed by a Member Federation to act in the capacity of
Team Manager, coach, trainer, medical or para-medical staff at any Calendar Event;

Technical Incident means any event or circumstance that results in a disadvantage or unfair
advantage to a competitor and which is not the result of that competitor’s action(s).

Top Hold has the meaning given in Article 8.2 of these Rules;

Topo means a symbolic map of a route, marking the scoring value for each handhold on a route;

Transit Zone means a specific area(s) within the Competition Area arranged to permit
competitors to prepare for (or recover from) their attempts on a boulder/route.

9
 GLOSSARY

Use means, for the purposes of judging and scoring, that a competitor has made use of an
object/structure to make both (i) a progressive movement of their centre of mass or hips; and (ii)
a movement of either or both hands toward:

a) the next sequential handhold along the line of progression; or

b) any other handhold further along the line of progression which has been successfully
Controlled by another competitor from the same handhold; or

and the terms “Used”, “Uses” and “Using” will be interpreted in this context.

Valid Appeal has the meaning given in Article 6.5 of these Rules;

Valid Results Mark or VRM means a scoring result;

Valid Time has the meaning given in Article 9.13 of these Rules;

Warm-up Area means any part of the Competition Area designated and equipped for the
purposes of athletic preparation;

World Cup means to the highest tier competition series sanctioned by the IFSC in each of the
Boulder, Lead and Speed Disciplines, open to competitors aged 16 or over in the year of the
relevant series;

World Ranking means the continuously updated ranking published by the IFSC in accordance
with Article 3.21 of these Rules;

Youth A (otherwise referred to as Under 18 or “U18”) means the age group comprising
competitors who are or will be 16 or 17 years of age in the year of the relevant Calendar Event;

Youth B (otherwise referred to as Under 16 or “U16”) means the age group comprising
competitors who are or will be 14 or 15 years of age in the year of the relevant Calendar Event;

Z-Clip means a situation where the climbing rope is connected through two Protection Points in
reverse sequence;

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 PART 1 – GENERAL

PART 1 – GENERAL

11
 1. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SPORT CLIMBING

1. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SPORT CLIMBING

Introduction

1.1 The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is the international federation responsible for
all aspects of international competition climbing and is the final authority for all matters concerning
international competition climbing.

1.2 The IFSC is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is member of:

- the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF);

- the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF);

- the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF);

- the International Paralympic Committee (IPC);

- the International University Sports Federation (FISU), and

- the International World Games Association (IWGA).

1.3 The IFSC maintains authority in respect to all international climbing competitions. As such, it is
responsible for:

A) controlling all technical and other aspects of the sport;

B) receiving applications from Member Federations to organise international competitions;

C) approving those applications that it deems in the interest of the sport and which it assesses
as being in accordance with the IFSC rules and regulations governing such competitions.

1.4 Calendar Events shall at all times be organised, undertaken and executed in strict accordance with
these rules and all other relevant regulations published by the IFSC including, where a Calendar
Event is authorised by a continental council of the IFSC, any supplementary rules published by that
continental council.

1.5 The organisational structure of the IFSC is described in detail in its Statutes and Bylaws.

Executive Tasks

1.6 For matters concerning the organisation of international climbing competitions, the tasks of the
IFSC are as follows:

A) receipt of all applications to organise any Calendar Event;

B) dealing with all enquiries - both of a general nature and with respect to approved
competitions;

C) issuing all information regarding any Calendar Event;

D) in particular, issuing all information and application forms to Member Federations concerning
each Calendar Event. All Team Members shall be registered by their Member Federation
within the indicated deadlines;
12
 1. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SPORT CLIMBING

E) issuing IFSC rules, regulations and other notices. Amendments may be published to these
documents, which shall be read in conjunction with and shall take precedence over the
original document. Each amendment shall incorporate a date of entry into force;

F) official publication of all competition results, the World Cup Rankings, World Rankings,
National Team Rankings, Continental Youth Series Rankings, and other official information;

G) appointment of all IFSC Officials to any Calendar Event.

Competitions

1.7 Only the members of the IFSC, or organisations specifically recognised by the IFSC, shall be eligible
to apply to organise Calendar Events.

1.8 Only IFSC members shall be eligible to apply to enter their competitors in any Calendar Event.

1.9 Among the Calendar Events requiring the specific approval of the IFSC are the following:

A) the World Cup series;

B) World Championships and Continental Championships;

C) Youth World Championships and Continental Youth Championships;

Competition Officials

1.10 The IFSC may appoint the following officials to any Calendar Event:

A) Technical Delegate

The Technical Delegate deals with all IFSC-related organisational matters during the running
of any Calendar Event. The Technical Delegate has the authority to ensure that the facilities
and services provided by the Event Organiser (such as registration of Team Members; scoring
and results service; and medical, media and other facilities) are in accordance with the Event
Organiser’s Handbook and/or any other specific provisions agreed between the Event
Organiser and the IFSC. The Technical Delegate has the right to attend all meetings with the
Event Organiser. In the absence of the Jury President and before their arrival at the event
venue, the Technical Delegate acts on their behalf in respect to the organisation of the event
within the Competition Area. In exceptional circumstances, the Technical Delegate has the
authority to decide to apply emergency measures, for instance an adjustment of the
competition format. These measures are specified separately by the IFSC. The Technical
Delegate shall submit a detailed report on the relevant Calendar Event to the IFSC.

Where a Technical Delegate has not been appointed or in case of unforeseen absence/illness,
the Jury President will take over the duties of the Technical Delegate.

B) Jury President

The Jury President has overall authority within the Competition Area. This authority extends
to covering the activities of the media and all persons nominated by the Event Organiser. The
overall authority of the Jury President covers all aspects of the running of a competition. The
13
 1. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SPORT CLIMBING

Jury President presides over all meetings of IFSC Officials and over organisation and technical
meetings with the Event Organiser and Team Members. Although the Jury President does not
normally have a judging role, they may at any time choose to carry out any judging task
generally assigned to the IFSC Judge or other judges should they deem that necessary. The
Jury President is responsible for briefing all officiating National Judges on the application of
the IFSC Rules before the start of a competition. The Jury President is required to submit a
detailed report to the IFSC on the relevant Calendar Event and on each Aspirant Judge
undergoing the final phase of their training programme.

In case of unforeseen absence/illness, the IFSC Judge will take over the duties of the Jury
President.

C) IFSC Judge

The IFSC Judge is an International Judge appointed by the IFSC to assist the Jury President in
undertaking all aspects of judging a competition. Additional IFSC Judges may be appointed.
The IFSC may also appoint Aspirant Judges who undergo the final, practical phase of their
training programme by assisting the IFSC Judge in their judging duties. The IFSC Judge is
responsible for announcing the publication of starting and result lists, appeals, and any
important changes to the competition programme.

The IFSC Judge is assisted in their judging by National Judges appointed by the Event
Organiser or the organising Member Federation. The main role of a National Judge is to judge
the performance of the competitors on routes and boulders respectively. National Judges
shall be persons holding an international or a national licence. The National Judges shall be
fully informed of the technical rules and regulations governing competitions, and shall be
instructed in their duties by, and work under the direction of, the IFSC Judge. The IFSC Judge
could be a member of the Appeals Jury with the Technical Delegate if the Jury President has
been involved in the original decision.

In case of unforeseen absence/illness, the Jury President may assign the role of the IFSC Judge
to a suitably qualified National Judge.

D) Chief Routesetter

The Chief Routesetter consults with the members of the route setting team appointed by the
Event Organiser to plan and co-ordinate all matters of route setting and route maintenance,
including the design of each route or boulder; the installation of holds, protection points and
other equipment in accordance with IFSC regulations; repair and cleaning of routes and
boulders; and the design, installation and maintenance of any Warm-up Area. The Chief
Routesetter is responsible for checking the technical standard and safety of each route or
boulder, advises the Jury President on all technical matters within the Competition Area,
assists in compiling the route sketch of lead routes, and advises the judges on the positioning
of video cameras. The Chief Routesetter is required to submit a report to the IFSC on the
competition and a report on each IFSC Routesetter or other routesetter appointed to
competitions forming part of the relevant Calendar Event.

14
 The Chief Routesetter will nominate another IFSC Routesetter to act in their place in the event
of absence/illness.

E) IFSC Routesetter

The IFSC Routesetter is an international routesetter appointed by the IFSC to assist the Chief
Routesetter in undertaking all aspects of setting a competition. Additional IFSC Routesetters
may be appointed. The IFSC may also appoint additional routesetters undergoing training or
internship programmes.

The IFSC Routesetter will be assisted in their routesetting by National Routesetters appointed
by the Event Organiser or the organising Member Federation. All National Routesetters must
hold an international or a national routesetting licence.

15
 2. MEMBER FEDERATIONS

2. MEMBER FEDERATIONS

Introduction

2.1 The IFSC fully respects the autonomy of its Member Federations in respect to their national
activities.

Responsibilities of Member Federations

2.2 It is the obligation of Member Federations, all Event Organisers and those associated with any
Calendar Event, whether working directly with the IFSC or in association with a Member Federation
or with an Event Organiser, to:

A) unconditionally accept that the promotion, development and administration of the sport of
international competition climbing are under the exclusive control of the IFSC;

B) ensure that no financial or other agreement shall be entered into with an organisation (e.g.
television, competition sponsors, etc.), which may conflict with the IFSC's own agreements,
without written approval of the IFSC;

C) at all times seek the advice and agreement of the IFSC in respect to any decision that might
conflict with the best interest of the sport.

2.3 It is the responsibility of the Member Federations of the IFSC to:

A) administer, promote and actively develop the sport in their country and firmly uphold the
principles of the Olympic Charter, the IOC Medical Code, and the IFSC rules and regulations
governing the sport of international competition climbing;

B) understand and abide by the rules and regulations of the sport and promote and ensure that
all Team Members representing the Member Federation observe the principles of good
sportsmanship;

C) constantly and actively work against the use of drugs or other prohibited substances by all
Team Members representing the Member Federation, and follow all rules and guidelines in
order to guarantee out-of-competition tests, when requested;

D) prohibit any methods or practices that might involve risks to the health or physical
development of their competitors;

E) undertake to set them firmly against any temptation to manipulate the rules and regulations
to the advantage of all Team Members representing the Member Federation;

F) ensure that all Team Members representing the Member Federation treat all other
competitors, officials and others involved in the practice of the sport with full and due respect
at all times, both during competition and in the course of any non-competition activity.

2.4 It is the responsibility of all Team Members participating in any competition to ensure that they

16
 2. MEMBER FEDERATIONS

are fully informed of all details relating to that competition.

Eligibility to enter teams

2.5 Each Member Federation of the IFSC shall be eligible to enter a team of male and female
competitors subject to the following conditions:

A) that they are in compliance with the regulations governing the nomination and registration
of Team Members;

B) that they are not in default of any regulation governing financial obligations to the IFSC;

C) that they are not in default of any decision, or subsequent required action, in respect to a
decision under the IFSC disciplinary procedures;

D) that all competitors registered hold an International Licence, or an application for such a
licence has been received by the IFSC.

2.6 If a country has more than one federation that is a member of the IFSC, the Member Federations
concerned shall only be eligible to enter one nationally agreed team of male and female
competitors, within the permitted quota to represent this country.

Registration of teams

2.7 Each Member Federation shall respect deadlines for the registration of Team Members as set out
in Part 3 to these Rules.

2.8 Where applicable, registration fees payable by each Member Federation in respect of all Team
Members representing the Member Federation at any Calendar Event will be calculated from the
number of registered team members at the relevant Registration Date, provided that:

A) where Part 3 to these Rules provides a period following the Registration Date during which
registrations may be amended; and

B) a Member Federation provides a written notice to the IFSC Office cancelling the registration
of a Team Member during this period,

then the registration fee payable in respect of such cancellation will be reduced by 50%.

2.9 Member federations when registering Team Members for any World Cup, World Championship or
Youth World Championship, shall provide contact information (such as accommodation details,
scheduled dates/times of arrival and departure) for all Team Members.

International licences

2.10 Each Member Federation shall ensure that each Team Member representing the Member
Federation at any Calendar Event holds a current International Licence, or that an application for
such a licence has been received by the IFSC. Only Member Federations shall be permitted to

17
 2. MEMBER FEDERATIONS

submit an application form for the issue or renewal of an International Licence.

2.11 In order to obtain an International Licence, each federation shall submit for each Team Member:

A) a completed official application form;

B) the fee specified by the IFSC for the issue of a new licence, on receipt of the relevant invoice.

2.12 Each International Licence is valid for one calendar year; i.e. from the 1st of January to the 31st of
December. Each Member Federation may, on behalf of its Team Members, renew the International
Licence each year by completing the official application form and sending it to the IFSC.

2.13 Competitors must be a member of the Member Federation of the country for which they hold a
national passport. Competitors who hold dual nationalities can represent only one Member
Federation in any given year, and must make such election no later than:

(A) 1st of March; or

(B) the Registration Date for the first Calendar Event of the year,

whichever is the first to occur. Competitors may not change the Member Federation more
frequently than once every four (4) years and any changes are subject to the agreement of each
Member Federation concerned.

2.14 Team Officials:

(A) must be a member of, and accredited by, the Member Federation of the country for which
they are appointed;

(B) may, with the agreement of the relevant Member Federations, represent more than one
Member Federation; and

(C) must declare to the IFSC all appointments held prior to the first Calendar Event of the year.

2.15 A competitor also registered as a Team Official is considered as the same person with regard to
any disciplinary sanctions and any cumulation of sanctions.

Fees

2.16 All fees (e.g. membership fees, entry fees, licence fees, appeals fees etc.), financial sanctions (e.g.
incurred in relation to breaches of these Rules and/or the provisions of the Event Organisers ’
Handbook), and all other expenses are the sole responsibility of the Member Federations.

2.17 A Member Federation shall pay the IFSC the amount invoiced for fees before the date specified on
the invoice. Failure to do so shall be dealt with as set out in Article 2.19.

2.18 Appeals Fees will be invoiced by the IFSC directly to the Member Federation and shall be paid to
the IFSC before the date specified on the invoice. Failure to do so shall be dealt with as set out in
Article 2.19.

2.19 A Member Federation that is in default of IFSC regulations governing payment of fees shall, in
accordance with the regulations and bylaws, be liable to have its membership suspended and,

18
 2. MEMBER FEDERATIONS

ultimately, withdrawn.

2.20 The scale of all fees shall be decided and published annually by the IFSC.

19
 3. GENERAL RULES

3. GENERAL RULES

Disciplines

3.1 International climbing competitions under these rules include the following Disciplines individually
or in combination:

A) Lead, in which competitors are ranked based on their progression on one or two routes.

B) Boulder, in which competitors are ranked based on the number of boulders completed.

C) Speed, in which competitors are ranked based on the time needed to climb a standard route.

Safety

3.2 The Event Organiser shall be responsible for maintaining safety within the Competition Area and
in the public section of the arena, and in relation to all activities connected to the running of any
competition.

3.3 Each competitor shall be regarded as entirely and solely responsible for the equipment and
clothing that they intend to wear when competing and/or during any competition.

3.4 The Jury President, in consultation with the Chief Routesetter, shall have the authority to take
decisions in respect to any question of safety within the Competition Area, including declining to
give permission to start or continue any part of the competition. Any official or other person
deemed by the Jury President to have infringed, or being likely to infringe, on safety procedures
shall be subject to removal from their duties and/or dismissal from the Competition Area.

Equipment

3.5 Any technical equipment used in any Calendar Event must meet the relevant EN Standard or
comparable International equivalent (the “Applicable Standard”) unless otherwise specified by the
IFSC or, in exceptional circumstances, by the Jury President. The Applicable Standards as at the
date of issue for these Rules are:

Equipment Applicable Standard

Automatic Belay Devices (Speed) EN341:2011 Class A
Belay Devices (Locking) EN15151-1 (Draft)
Belay Devices (Manual) EN15151-2 (Draft)
Climbing Harness EN12277 (Type C)
Climbing Holds EN12572-3
Climbing Rope EN892
Climbing Structures EN12572-1, EN12572-2
Karabiners (Screwgate) EN12275 (Type H)
Karabiners (Self-Locking) EN12275 (Type H)
Quickdraw/ Tape Slings EN566

20
 3. GENERAL RULES

Quickdraw/ Connector (Karabiner) EN12275 (Type B, Type D)

Quickdraw/ Connector (Quick link) EN12275 (Type Q)

Medical Personnel
3.6 The Jury President shall verify that a medical doctor (the “Competition Doctor”) is in attendance to
attend any accident or injury to any Team Member. The Competition Doctor shall be present from
the scheduled opening of the Isolation Zone/Warm-up Area until the end of the attempt of the last
competitor in any round of competition.

3.7 If the Jury President believes that a competitor is unfit to compete for any reason, such as injury
or illness, then:

A) the Jury President has the authority to request a check-up of the competitor by the
Competition Doctor who will proceed with the following physical test:

1) Lower extremity: the competitor shall be able to do five consecutive single-leg jumps
with each leg.

2) Upper extremity: the competitor shall be able to perform five consecutive push-ups
using both arms.

3) Bleeding: the competitor shall be able to stop the bleeding so as to be sure that he will
not put blood on the holds. A white handkerchief applied to the wound (after having
put a tape on it) must not show any sign of blood.

B) the Jury President shall stop the competitor from competing if, following the results of this
test, the Competition Doctor is of the opinion that the competitor is unfit to compete. Should
there later be evidence that the competitor has recovered, then they may request to undergo
the relevant physical tests again. The Jury President shall allow the competitor to compete if,
following the results of such tests, the Competition Doctor is of the opinion that the
competitor is fit to compete.

3.8 Under no circumstances shall special provisions be made at the request of any competitor, e.g.
descent to the ground from the top of a boulder by a ladder.

The Competition Area

3.9 The Competition Area must be demarcated from any area open to the public.

3.10 Not used.

3.11 No Team Member is permitted to carry or use any electronic communication equipment while in
the Competition Area unless the Jury President has permitted such equipment.

Access to the Competition Area

3.12 Only the persons specified below shall be permitted to enter the Competition Area:

A) IFSC Officials;

21
 3. GENERAL RULES

B) Event Organiser’s officials;

C) competitors eligible to take part in the current round of competition (as directed by or on
behalf of the Jury President);

D) authorised Team Officials (the Isolation Zone/Warm-Up area only);

E) other persons specifically authorised by the Jury President. Such persons shall, throughout
their stay in the Competition Area, be escorted and supervised by an approved official to
ensure the maintenance of security of the Competition Area and prevent any undue
distraction of, or interference with, any competitor,

3.13 Animals, other than Assistance Dogs, are not allowed in the Competition Area. Exceptions from
this rule can be authorised by the Jury President.

Clothing and equipment

3.14 All technical equipment used by a competitor shall comply with the relevant Applicable Standard.
Competitors:

A) must wear climbing shoes and (where relevant) a harness during their attempts;

B) may use:

1) a chalk bag and commercially available dry or liquid climbing chalk for their hands. No
other performance enhancing agents may be used (e.g. resin/rosin);

2) elasticated compression bandages/wraps (for arms/legs); and/or

3) kinesiology and similar tape, where necessary for the prevention or management of
injury;

4) a climbing helmet.

C) are prohibited from wearing or carrying the following when climbing:

1) audio equipment of any description (excepting competitors in any Para Sport Class for
visually impaired competitors);

2) Gloves or Kneepads (excepting competitors in any Para Sport Class);

other than where specifically permitted by these Rules.

D) may bring personal belongings into the Call Zone/Transit Zone, but not onto the field of play.
This includes:

1) bags/rucksacks or other luggage;

2) battery-powered fans or other equipment,

provided that the Jury President may withdraw permission for the use/carriage of such items
where their use/carriage would inconvenience other competitors.

22
 3. GENERAL RULES

3.15 An alphanumeric bib provided by the Event Organiser shall be displayed prominently on the back
of the top. The size of the bib shall not exceed the dimensions specified in the Event Organisers’
Handbook. The Event Organiser may provide additional bibs to be placed on competitors’ trouser
leg.

Team Uniforms

3.16 Team Members representing their Member Federation at official ceremonies and meetings
(including interviews, and press conferences staged by the IFSC or Event Organizers) shall, unless
otherwise agreed by the Technical Delegate, wear a distinctive team uniform, which shall include
a long-sleeved top bearing:

A) the name of the country or its official IOC three-letter code; and

B) (optionally) the logo of the Member Federation; and

C) (optionally) a representation of the relevant national flag.

3.17 Competitors representing their Member Federation shall, when climbing, wear a distinctive team
uniform:

A) which shall include a uniform top (which may be either long or short sleeved) in the national
sporting colours or of similarly distinct design/colours. Such tops shall also bear:

1) the logo of the Member Federation; and

2) a representation of the national flag; and

3) on the rear or side of the top in a contrasting colour, the name of the country or its
official IOC three-letter code.

B) the design of the team uniform may be different for Male and Female competitors. The colour
of the team uniform must be the same for Male and Female competitors.

Advertising

3.18 All equipment and clothing shall be in compliance with the following advertising rules:

A) Headwear: The manufacturers and/or sponsors’ label in the total size limit of 18 square
centimeters;

B) Team Tops/Legwear: Sponsors’ labels – no larger than 300 square centimeters in total. A
graphic or figurative logo of the manufacturer (not including name or any text) may also be
used as a decorative “design mark” once or repeatedly as a strip not exceeding 5cm in width.
Design marks may be displayed in one of the following positions, provided such use does not
dominate or unduly detract from the appearance of the garment:

1) Across the bottom of the sleeves;

2) On the outer seam of the sleeves;

3) Down the outer seams of the garment;

23
 3. GENERAL RULES

C) Chalk bag: The manufacturer’s name and/or logo and sponsors’ labels – no larger than 100
square centimeters in total;

D) Shoes and socks: Only the manufacturer’s name and/or logo.

E) Any advertising name or logo placed directly on a competitor’s body, e.g. a tattoo, shall be
counted within the size limits specified for the respective part of the body above.

Wall maintenance

3.19 The Chief Routesetter shall verify that an experienced maintenance team is available throughout
each round of competition in order to perform any maintenance and repairs ordered by the IFSC
Judge in an efficient and safe manner. Safety procedures shall be strictly enforced.

3.20 On the instruction of the IFSC Judge, the Chief Routesetter shall immediately arrange for any repair
work. On completion of a repair, it shall be inspected by the Chief Routesetter who shall advise the
Jury President whether the repair results in any unfair advantage or disadvantage to the following
competitors. The decision of the Jury President to continue, or to stop and re-start, that round of
competition shall be final, and no appeal shall be accepted in respect to this decision.

Rankings and records

3.21 The IFSC publishes the following rankings:

A) World Cup Rankings for each year and Category, calculated in accordance with Article 12.16
of these Rules;

B) continuously updated World Rankings:

1) in each of the Boulder, Lead and Speed Disciplines, for competitors having competed in
at least one (1) relevant Qualifying Event within the preceding 12 month period,
calculated as the sum of the ranking points awarded to competitors for the six (6) best
results achieved during that period; and

2) for competitors having competed in at least three (3) Qualifying Events in each of the
Boulder and Lead Disciplines within the preceding 12 month period, calculated as the
sum of the ranking points awarded to competitors for:

a) the three (3) best results achieved in the Lead Discipline during the relevant period;
plus

b) the three (3) best results achieved in the Boulder Discipline during the relevant
period,

provided that a result achieved in a combined Boulder & Lead competition may be
substituted for any single Discipline result when calculating the overall sum;

The method for calculating ranking points awarded at any Qualifying Event shall be decided
and published by the IFSC with the World Ranking tables; and

C) Continental and World Records for the Speed Discipline.

24
 4. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

3.22 The IFSC designates the following Calendar Events as “Qualifying Events” for the purposes of
paragraph 3.21:

A) each World Championship competition;

B) each World Cup competition;

C) each Continental Championship competition;

4. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

Introduction

4.1 The Jury President has the overall authority over all activities and decisions affecting competition
activities within the Competition Area.

4.2 Both the Jury President and the IFSC Judge shall be authorised to take the following actions in
respect to infringements of these rules and with regard to matters of indiscipline by any Team
Member registered for a competition:

A) an informal, verbal warning;

B) an official warning accompanied by the showing of a Yellow Card.

4.3 At the earliest convenient time after issuing a Yellow or Red Card, the Jury President shall:

A) provide a written statement to the Team Manager (or where this is not possible, directly to)
the person(s) concerned regarding the offence and whether the Jury President proposes to
refer the matter for consideration in respect to further disciplinary action in accordance with
the rules;

B) submit a copy of this written statement together with a detailed report of the offence against
the rules, any evidence, and any recommendations regarding consideration of additional
sanction to the IFSC for referral to the IFSC Disciplinary Commission.

Yellow Card warnings

4.4 A Yellow Card warning may be issued for any of the following infringements of the rules:

A) infringements committed in the Competition Area by any Team Member:

1) unsporting behaviour of a relatively minor nature; or

2) use of obscene or abusive language or behaviour of a relatively mild nature.

B) regarding instructions from the any IFSC Official appointed to the competition, including but
not limited to:

1) undue delay in returning to the Isolation Zone/Warm-up Area following the instruction
of the IFSC Judge or the Jury President;

2) undue delay in leaving the Call Zone and entering the Competition Zone when instructed
to do so;

25
 4. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

3) failure to start in accordance with the IFSC Judge’s instruction.

C) regarding equipment and ceremonies:

1) failure to comply with the rules and regulations governing equipment and clothing;

2) failure to wear the bib provided by the Event Organiser;

3) Non-participation of the medallists in the award ceremony;

4.5 A Team Official in receipt of a Yellow Card shall not, for the duration of the relevant Calendar Event,
be permitted access to any area set aside within the Competition Area for the benefit of Team
Members.

Disqualification (DSQ)

4.6 The Jury President is authorised to Disqualify any Team Member registered for a competition. A
Disqualification will be accompanied by the showing of a Red Card.

4.7 The following infringements of the rules will result in immediate Disqualification of the person from
the relevant Calendar Event and may be accompanied by referral to the IFSC Disciplinary
Commission:

A) not used;

B) the use of non-approved equipment;

C) unauthorised use while in the Competition Area of any device capable of communicating or
receiving communication;

D) in respect of any round conducted under Isolation Conditions, gathering or providing

information other than as contemplated by the definition of Isolation Conditions, including
but not limited to:

1) from any person outside the Competition Area;

2) from any person who has already attempted a relevant route/boulder.

For the avoidance of doubt, in competition rounds where Isolation Conditions do not apply,
competitors may receive information from other team members who are outside the
Competition Zone both prior and during their attempts;

Disqualification for Behaviour (DQB)

4.8 The Jury President is authorised to Disqualify for Behaviour any Team Member registered for a
competition. Any Disqualification for Behaviour will be accompanied by the showing of a Red Card
and referral to the IFSC Disciplinary Commission; and will have effect for all competitions at the
relevant Calendar Event.

4.9 The following matters will result in immediate Disqualification for Behaviour:

A) failing to comply with the instructions of the judges, Event Organiser or IFSC officials when in
the Competition Area ;
26
 4. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

B) refusal to submit to an in-competition Body Mass Index (BMI) test when directed by the Jury
President;

C) distracting or interfering with any competitor who is preparing for or is attempting a route;

D) refusing to conform with the advertising regulations governing clothing and equipment;

E) the issue of two (2) Yellow Cards to the same person in one Calendar Event.

Consequences of disciplinary actions

4.10 A competitor who is either Disqualified or Disqualified for Behaviour in respect of any competition
will be unranked in all competitions forming part of the relevant Calendar Event.

4.11 The issue of three (3) Yellow Cards to the same person in the same year will result in one of the
following:

A) if the person is already registered for the next Calendar Event in that year, which either:

1) counts for the World Ranking in the same Discipline in which the third Yellow Card was
issued; or

2) includes a combined Boulder & Lead competition,

then the person will be deleted from the registration list for that Calendar Event; or

B) if A) is not applicable, then the person shall be ineligible for registration in the next Calendar
Event which either:

1) counts for the World Ranking in the same Discipline in which the third Yellow Card was
issued; or

2) includes a combined Boulder & Lead competition,

and in each case, the registration quota for the relevant Member Federation at the relevant
Calendar Event will be reduced accordingly.

Other persons

4.12 The Jury President is authorised to demand the immediate dismissal from the Competition Area of
any person in contravention of the rules and, if necessary, suspend any competition activities until
this demand has been complied with.

27
 5. ANTI DOPING

5. ANTI DOPING

Adoption

5.1 The IFSC has adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (the “Code”).

Application

5.2 The Code applies to all Calendar Events.

5.3 Any person who enters, prepares for or participates in any manner – as competitor, coach, trainer,
official, medical or para-medical personnel – in such competitions is deemed to have agreed to
comply with and be subject to the Code and Article 5.5 of these rules.

Competent bodies within the IFSC

5.4 The competent bodies within the IFSC for the application of the Code are the Anti-Doping and the
Disciplinary Commissions.

Violations and sanctions

5.5 Doping violations will be dealt with in accordance with the IFSC Anti-Doping Policy and Procedure,
and the IFSC Disciplinary and Appeal Rules.

28
 6. APPEALS

6. APPEALS

General

6.1 An Appeals Jury shall be appointed for each Calendar Event organised under these Rules and should
comprise:

A) the Technical Delegate; and

B) the Jury President (or an IFSC Judge if the Appeal concerns a decision made by the Jury
President).

6.2 All Appeals, and all responses to Appeals, must be made in English.

6.3 All Appeals must be presented to either:

A) a member of the Appeals Jury; or

B) an IFSC Judge, who shall refer the matter to the Appeals Jury.

Safety Appeals

6.4 Regardless of any other provision in these Rules, an appeal may be submitted where a serious
safety issue may exist (a “Safety Appeal”). A Safety Appeal must be:

A) made in writing and no Appeal Fee will be applicable;

B) signed by three (3) separate persons appointed as Team Officials, each from a different team,

and the Appeals Jury must without delay determine and implement a course of action to remedy
the identified issue.

Management of Appeals

6.5 On receipt of an Appeal, the Appeals Jury shall assess whether the relevant Appeal is:

A) “Invalid”, in which case any Appeals Form will be returned and no Appeal Fee invoiced, with
the Appeal Form marked as such; or

B) “Valid”, in which case the Appeal Jury shall proceed to determine the Appeal.

6.6 To be considered Valid, an Appeal must, unless specifically stated to the contrary in these Rules:

A) be made in writing using the form available on the IFSC website (or on a sheet comprising the
same information), signed by either:

1) the relevant Team Official, or

2) where no such person is registered for a competition, the relevant competitor;

B) acknowledge the relevant Appeal Fee; and

C) state:

1) the specific article of the Rules on which the Appeal is based; and

29
 6. APPEALS

2) the competitor or class of competitors affected by the Appeal.

6.7 Notwithstanding Article 6.6, the Appeals Jury may rule as Invalid any Appeal which:

A) is made outside any relevant time limits specified in these Rules;

B) proposes a matter not relevant to any article of the Rules; or

C) the Appeals Jury agrees is otherwise invalid.

6.8 In respect of any Valid Appeal concerning some non-compliance with these rules, or some decision
in relation to a competition (the “Original Decision”):

A) if the Appeal concerns the Official Results, the Jury President will:

1) mark the published results as ‘Protested’ or ‘Under Appeal’, noting which results are the
subject of the Appeal;

2) have the Event Organiser broadcast an announcement to the public that the results are
‘Protested’ or ‘Under Appeal’.

B) the Appeal Jury shall determine the Appeal:

1) as soon as is practical with regard to the timetable of the competition;

2) using all personnel and facilities at their disposal, provided that in determining the
Appeal, the Appeal Jury shall not consider any video evidence other than:

a) the Official Video Recordings; and

b) any official IFSC broadcast video recording.

C) if:

1) the available evidence is inconclusive, or the Appeal Jury is unable to reach a unanimous
verdict, then the Appeal shall be “Undetermined”, the Original Decision will stand and
no Appeal Fee will be invoiced.

2) the available evidence is conclusive and the Appeal Jury reaches a unanimous verdict,
then the Appeal will be determined as either:

a) “Successful”, in which case no Appeal Fee will be invoiced and the Original Decision
changed; or

b) “Unsuccessful”, in which case an Appeal Fee will be invoiced to the relevant

Member Federation and the Original Decision will stand.

D) the determination of the Appeal shall be made in writing and handed by a member of the
Appeals Jury to the person who officially lodged the Appeal.

30
Consequences of Appeals

6.9 Any formal determination of the Appeals Jury shall be final and not subject to further Appeal.

31
 PART 2 – DISCIPLINE RULES

PART 2 – DISCIPLINE RULES

32
 7. LEAD

7. LEAD

General

7.1 Lead competitions shall:

A) take place on purpose-designed, artificial climbing walls having a minimum height of 12

metres, and permitting the construction of routes:

1) with a minimum length of 15 metres;

2) with a minimum width of three (3) metres (unless a specific exemption is agreed by the
Jury President).

B) be climbed with the competitor belayed from below either:

1) for the Open Sport Class, using a Single Rope secured by clipping the rope to a series of
Protection Points along the route; or

2) for any Para Sport Class, using either:

a) a Single Rope secured through an anchor at the top of the route; or

b) Twin Ropes secured through an anchor at the top of the route and an intermediate
anchor along the route.

C) be organised with:

1) A Qualification round consisting of two (2) non-identical routes (“A” and “B”) for each
Starting Group, attempted after demonstration; and

2) Final and/or Semi-Final round(s) consisting of a single route for each Category,
attempted without demonstration,

7.2 Design of routes:

A) Each route shall be designed:

1) to limit the risk that a fall may injure the competitor or any third party, or obstruct any
other competitor;

2) without any downward jumps.

B) The Jury President may authorise:

1) the climbing rope pre-fixed to one or more Protection Points; and

2) use of a “spotter” to provide additional security for the lower part of the route,

but wherever possible the design of the route should make such precautions unnecessary.

33
 7. LEAD

Safety

7.3 The Jury President:

A) together with the IFSC Judge and the Chief Routesetter, shall inspect each route prior to the
start of each round. The Chief Routesetter may rule that a Protection Point must for reasons
of safety be clipped from a particular hold (a “Safety Hold”) or earlier, in which case such
hold(s) and the relevant Protection Point(s) shall be clearly marked with a blue cross and
pointed out during the route observation.

B) shall decide whether the climbing rope should be replaced at any time during a competition.

7.4 Each competitor shall wear a harness. The Jury President shall not permit a competitor to start if
they reasonably believe that a competitor’s harness is unsafe.

7.5 The climbing rope shall be controlled from the ground by one (1) belayer for each rope, preferably
assisted by a second person. Each belayer:

A) shall use a Manual Belay Device;

B) prior to any attempt on a route, shall check that:

1) the competitor’s harness is properly fastened;

2) the rope is connected to the competitor’s harness using, where the route is attempted:

a) without the rope secured through an anchor at the top of the route, a “Figure 8”
knot secured with a “safety knot”; or

b) with the rope secured through an anchor at the top of the route, two (2) Screwgate
or Self-Locking Karabiners arranged in opposition with the rope attached to these
using a Figure 8 knot, secured with a safety knot or tape, and

3) the climbing rope is coiled or arranged in a manner ready for immediate and proper use;

C) during any attempt on a route, shall pay attention to the competitor to ensure that there is
an appropriate amount of slack in the climbing rope at all times, such that:

1) the competitor is not hindered in any way by the rope being either too tight or too loose;

2) any fall is stopped in a dynamic and safe manner; and

3) the competitor is safely lowered to the ground.

Starting orders and quotas

7.6 The Qualification round may be organised with one (1) or two (2) Starting Groups for each
Category:

A) the number of Starting Groups shall be determined as follow:

34
 7. LEAD

Registered competitors Number of Starting Groups

< 80 1

> 79 1 or 2

B) where two (2) Starting Groups are used:

1) the routes for each group should have similar overall difficulty and similar character
(profile and style).

2) competitors shall be allocated to the groups as follow:

a) any competitors having a relevant World Ranking shall be allocated to a Starting

Group as follow:

Starting Group A Starting Group B

1st 2nd

4th 3rd

5th 6th

b) unranked competitors shall be allocated to Starting Groups at random,

such that a near equal number of competitors are allocated to each Starting Group.

7.7 The quota for each round following Qualification will be filled with the best ranked competitors
from the previous completed round. If the relevant quota is exceeded as a result of ties, all tied
competitors qualify for the next round.

A) The quota for the Semi-Final round will be determined by the number of registered
competitors in the relevant Sport Class Category:

Registered competitors Open Sport Class Para Sport Classes

<27 N/A N/A

>26 26 N/A

If there are two Starting Groups in any Category, the quota for the Semi-Final round shall be
equally divided and applied to both groups.

B) The quota for the Final round will be determined by the number of registered competitors in
the relevant Sport Class Category:

1) for the Open Sport Class, a fixed quota of eight (8);

2) for Para Sport Classes, a floating quota as follows:

35
 7. LEAD

Registered competitors Quota

n<6 3

6 < n < 15 4

n > 15 6

7.8 The starting order:

A) within each Starting Group in Qualification shall be determined as follow:

1) for route A, by random selection; and

2) for route B, in the same order of the route A with a stagger of 50%. e.g. where the Start
List includes 20 or 21 competitors, the competitor starting 11th on route A will start 1st
on route B;

B) for each subsequent round, shall be the reverse of the ranking from the relevant preceding
round, i.e. the best ranked starts last. Where competitors are tied, their starting order shall
be:

1) where the tied competitors each have a World Ranking, in descending order of their
World Ranking, i.e. best ranked starts last;

2) where the tied competitors are each unranked or have the same World Ranking,
randomised; and

3) where competitors(s) having a World Ranking and unranked competitor(s) are tied, the
unranked competitor shall start first,

and in each case will be published in an Official Start List.

Competition procedure

7.9 Competitors eligible to compete in the Semi-Final or Final rounds of a competition must report to
the Isolation Zone by the time stated on the Official Start List for that round, competitors who have
not reported to the Isolation Zone or who are not present in the Isolation Zone at such time will
not be eligible to start the round. The Semi-Final and Final rounds of Lead competitions shall be
conducted under Isolation Conditions.

7.10 There shall be a minimum time gap:

A) of not less than 50 minutes between the completion of a competitor’s attempt on their first
qualification route and commencing their second qualification route; and

B) where consecutive rounds of the competition take place on the same day, of two (2) hours
between the time when the last competitor finishes the first round and the closing of the
Isolation Zone for the following round.

7.11 Each competitor shall start their attempt on any route in the order set out on the relevant Official

36
 7. LEAD

Start List. If a competitor is unable to start at the relevant time, no rescheduling shall be permitted.

7.12 In any round where the number of starters is greater than 22:

A) the holds on each route shall be cleaned at intervals evenly distributed during the round. The
cleaning interval should not exceed 20 and shall not exceed 22.

B) the cleaning schedule shall be marked on the Start List.

7.13 The Final round:

A) shall be preceded by a presentation of the competitors participating in the round;

B) shall have a duration not exceeding 90 minutes for any one Category.

Observation procedure

7.14 Observation:

A) each Qualification route shall be demonstrated by forerunners:

1) on a video recording continuously played back in the Warm-Up Area, starting not later
than 60 minutes before the scheduled start of the round; or

2) where video recordings are not possible, making a live demonstration not less than 30
minutes before the attempt of the first competitor.

B) Semi-Final and Final rounds shall be preceded by a six (6) minute collective observation period
for competitors:

1) During this period, competitors may:

a) touch (only) the first holds on the route without leaving the ground.

b) use binoculars to observe the route;

c) make hand-drawn sketches and notes,

but shall not use any recording equipment.

2) At the end of this period, competitors shall return to the Isolation Zone or to a Transit
Zone as directed by the IFSC Officials,

provided that competitors in visually-impaired Para Sport Classes may be accompanied by a

Sight Guide and references in these articles to competitors will apply equally to such Sight
Guides.

Climbing procedure

7.15 Attempt Periods within each round shall allow a Preparation Period of 40 seconds during which a
competitor may prepare for their attempt after entering the field of play and a Climbing Period of
six (6) minutes. Each competitor may make one (1) attempt on any route, other than where
supplementary attempts are permitted following an Appeal or Technical Incident. In certain

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 7. LEAD

circumstances, a separate practice period may be defined where a competition is “after-work”

during which competitors may make additional attempts on the route with or without the use of
Illegal Aid.

7.16 Not used.

7.17 A competitor’s attempt shall be deemed to have:

A) Started, and measurement of the climbing time (and the Climbing Period) shall start, when
every part of the competitor’s body has left the ground. For the avoidance of doubt, the route
judge has discretion to determine whether a competitor is starting or adjusting their position
prior to starting. During their attempt, competitors:

1) are not permitted to clean holds; and

2) where the route is attempted without the rope secured through an anchor at the top of
the route, must clip the Protection Points in sequence, provided that:

a) the competitor may un-clip and re-clip the last clipped Protection Point at any
time; and

b) the competitor must correct any “Z-Clip” and to do so may un-clip and re-clip any
of the Protection Points involved, provided that after correction all Protection
Points must be clipped.

B) Finished, and measurement of the climbing time shall stop, when:

1) where the route is attempted:

a) without the rope secured through an anchor at the top of the route, they have
clipped the final Protection Point on the route;

b) with the rope secured through an anchor at the top of the route, they have
Controlled the hold marked as “Top”;

2) they have fallen; or

3) the attempt has been terminated by the IFSC Judge.

7.18 The IFSC Judge:

A) shall order that a competitor’s attempt be terminated if:

1) they reasonably believe that further progress on the route would be dangerous; or

2) the:

a) competitor’s climbing time has exceeded the Climbing Period allowed for the
route;

b) competitor has returned to the ground after starting the route.

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 7. LEAD

B) may order that a competitor’s attempt be terminated if:

1) the competitor is no longer in a Legitimate Position; or

2) a Technical Incident has occurred.

Judging and scoring

7.19 A Topo shall be prepared by the Chief Routesetter in consultation with the IFSC Judge before the
start of each round of a competition. Scoring values will be annotated on the Topo, which values
will be fixed for the duration of the round. Each Topo:

A) should be published (with annotated scoring value) on the Official Noticeboard following any
collective observation period (where relevant) and prior to the commencement of the
relevant round;

B) should be published (without scoring values) in the Call Zone;

7.20 Each route shall be judged by at least one (1) National Judge assisted by a Time Keeper, who shall
record for each competitor:

A) their climbing time to the nearest (lower) second;

B) their achieved score, which shall be either:

1) where the competitor has remained in a Legitimate Position throughout their attempt:

a) “TOP”, where the competitor has either

i) clipped the final Protection Point on the route (for competitions in the Open
Sport Class);

ii) Controlled the hold marked as “TOP” with both hands (for competitions in
any Para Sport Class);

In each case within the allowed Climbing Period; or

b) the scoring value on the Topo for the highest scoring hold Controlled or Used by
the competitor prior to their:

i) falling; or

ii) attempt being terminated; or

2) where the competitor has not remained in a Legitimate Position throughout their
attempt, the scoring value on the Topo for the last hold Controlled by the competitor
whilst in a Legitimate Position,

and in each case:

3) only holds used by either hand will be considered for scoring purposes, where the
scoring value for Using a hold (designated by the postfix “+”) will be better than that for
Controlling the same hold; and
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 7. LEAD

4) scoring of a competitor’s attempt will be paused at the last hold marked on the Topo
from which the Chief Routesetter has deemed it possible to clip any unclipped
Protection Point when the competitor Controls (or passes) this hold, unless or until the
relevant Protection Point has been clipped.

7.21 Not used.

Ranking

7.22 Each competitor attempting a route will be ranked on that route in the following order:

A) all competitors scored as TOP;

B) all other competitors in descending order of the score awarded to that competitor,

7.23 Qualification Ranking:

A) any competitor who fails or is ineligible to start both routes in their Starting Group will be
unranked in the round and their result marked Did Not Start or with another appropriate IRM.

B) each competitor starting at least one route in the Qualification round shall be awarded
ranking points for each Qualification route equal to their fractional ranking on the relevant
route.

C) the ranking of competitors within their Starting Group will be calculated in ascending order
of the Qualification Points awarded to each competitor (i.e. lower Qualification Points is
better) according to the following formula

QP = √ (P1 * P2)

where:

QP = Qualification Points, rounded to three (3) decimal places.

P1 = Ranking points on first route.

P2 = Ranking points on second route.

D) points data presented on the Official Results shall be presented rounded to two (2) decimal
places.

7.24 Semi-final & Final rankings.

A) any competitor who fails or is ineligible to start the route will be unranked in the relevant
round and their result marked Did Not Start or with another appropriate IRM

B) in relation to the Semi-Final round, if any competitors are tied following the ranking
procedure of Article 7.22, their relative ranking shall be determined by count-back to their
Qualification Ranking (unless the Qualification round was held with two Starting Groups).

C) in relation to the Final round, if any competitors are tied following the ranking procedure of
Article 7.22, their relative ranking shall be determined:

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 7. LEAD

1) by count-back to their rankings from the preceding round; and

2) if following count-back, any competitors are tied in joint first, second or third place,
these places shall be determined by the climbing time for each competitor (lower times
are better).

7.25 General Ranking

Subject always to paragraph 4.10 of these rules, the General Ranking shall be determined on the
following basis:

A) competitors having a Final ranking, in that order; and

B) where applicable, competitors having a Semi-Final ranking, in that order; and

C) competitors having only a Qualification ranking, in that order, provided that where the
Qualification round takes place with two Starting Groups, their General Ranking shall be
determined by merging the rankings from each group, treating competitors having equal
rankings between the two groups as tied.

Technical Incidents and Appeals

7.26 Only Official Video Recordings, and at the discretion of the Jury President any official IFSC broadcast
video recording, shall be used for the purposes of determining Technical Incidents and Appeals.
The Official Video Recordings must as a minimum record:

A) all holds marked on the Topo;

B) all Protection Points on the route (including the Top);

C) any demarcations marked on the Climbing Surface.

7.27 If a competitor, a Team Official, belayer, or route judge considers that a Technical Incident has
occurred, they must notify the IFSC Judge immediately. The IFSC Judge, if necessary in consultation
with an IFSC Routesetter, shall determine whether a Technical Incident has occurred. If the IFSC
Judge determines that a Technical Incident has occurred:

A) which has afforded the competitor an unfair advantage, the IFSC Judge may either:

1) terminate the attempt; or

2) allow the competitor to continue climbing with the result subject to review (and in this
case no further attempt shall be permitted if the Technical Incident is subsequently
confirmed);

B) which has afforded the competitor a disadvantage, and the competitor:

1) is not in a Legitimate Position, the IFSC Judge shall terminate the attempt;

2) is in a Legitimate Position, the IFSC Judge shall offer the competitor the opportunity to
continue with their attempt or to have the attempt terminated. If the competitor elects
to continue their attempt, the Technical Incident shall be deemed remedied and no

41
 7. LEAD

subsequent claim may be made for a Technical Incident.

7.28 Where a competitor has fallen or attempt has been terminated as the direct result of an agreed
Technical Incident,

A) they shall be escorted to a separate Transit Zone with access to warm-up facilities to await
the determination of the Technical Incident and for the duration of any subsequent
recuperation period. The competitor shall not be permitted to communicate with any person
other than IFSC Officials and the Event Organiser’s staff during this period; and

B) the Jury President should:

1) agree a recuperation period with the competitor, nominally calculated as one (1) minute
for each handhold used prior to the Technical Incident, with a maximum of 20 minutes;

2) schedule the repeat attempt following the agreed recuperation period. All competitors
yet to climb shall be informed about this decision,

provided that if the affected competitor is ranked first at the end of the round, they shall not be
allowed a new attempt on the route.

7.29 Where, following the occurrence of a Technical Incident, the relevant competitor:

A) chooses to continue their attempt in the circumstances described in Article 7.27(B)(2), the
result of this attempt shall stand;

B) is afforded a further attempt on the route pursuant to Article 7.28(B), the competitor’s result
shall be the best result from their attempts on the route.

7.30 An Appeal:

A) relating to the termination of a competitor’s attempt:

1) if made by the relevant competitor, may be made verbally and no Appeal Fee will be
applicable;

2) if made by a Team Official, must be made in writing,

and must be made prior to the next competitor starting their attempt. The affected
competitor shall be treated as though the subject of a Technical Incident until the Appeal is
sentenced.

B) relating to the scoring or ranking of any competitor, must be made in writing and:

1) in respect of any appeal concerning the Qualification or Semi-Final rounds, within five
(5) minutes of the publication of the Official Results; or

2) in respect of the Final round, immediately following the display of the relevant
competitor’s Provisional Result (or where no Provision Result is displayed, the Official
Result),

and where an Appeal is made concerning the scoring of any competitor in relation to a

42
particular hold, the Appeals Jury should review the result for that competitor only.

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 8. BOULDER

8. BOULDER

General

8.1 Boulder competitions shall:

A) take place on short routes (“boulders”) constructed on purpose-designed artificial climbing

walls, climbed without ropes;

B) be organised with:

1) A Qualification round consisting of a single course of five (5) boulders for each Starting
Group; and

2) A Final and/or Semi-Final round(s) each consisting of a single course of four (4) boulders
for each Category,

in exceptional circumstances the Jury President may cancel up to one (1) boulder in any
round.

8.2 Design of boulders:

A) each boulder shall be designed:

1) to limit the risk that a fall may injure the competitor or any third party, or obstruct any
other competitor;

2) without any downward jumps.

B) the maximum number of handholds on one boulder should be 12 and the average number of
handholds per boulder in any round should be between four (4) and eight (8).

C) each boulder shall be clearly marked to identify:

1) “Starting Holds” for both hands and both feet which shall not include blank or
unbounded parts of the Climbing Surface. The Starting Holds should not be marked with
specific positions for the hands.

2) a “Zone Hold”, which shall be positioned to aid the separation of competitors with
markedly different performance.

3) a “Top”, which shall be either:

a) a marked finishing hold (the “Top Hold”); or

b) a standing position on top of the boulder,

D) the markings used on each boulder shall indicate:

1) the Starting Holds/Top in one colour;

2) the Zone Hold using a second colour,

in each case using a different colour to any other demarcation on the Climbing Surface. An
44
 8. BOULDER

example of these markings shall be installed within the Isolation Zone, which should be the
same for the entire duration of a competition.

8.3 A timing system shall be used in each round to display the time remaining within each Preparation
Period and Climbing Period. The timing system display shall:

A) be visible to all competitors on the field of play and in each Transit Zone;

B) show the time remaining within the relevant period, rounded up to whole seconds;

C) provide audio signals to announce:

1) the beginning and the end of each Climbing Period;

2) when one minute remains within each Climbing Period; and

3) a five (5) second countdown at the end of each period.

Safety

8.4 Safety matting shall be used to protect each boulder:

A) the Chief Route-Setter shall adjust the number and character of the boulders to the safety
matting available. If mats are joined, gaps shall be covered in order to avoid competitors
falling in between them.

B) the Jury President, the IFSC Judge and the Chief Route-Setter shall inspect each boulder and
the safety matting prior to the start of each round to identify and address any safety risks.

Starting order and quotas

8.5 The qualification round may be organised with one (1) or two (2) Starting Groups for each Category:

A) the number of Starting Groups in each Category shall be determined as follow:

Registered competitors Number of Starting Groups

< 40 1
41 – 59 1 or 2
> 59 2
B) where two (2) Starting Groups are used:

1) each course should have similar overall difficulty and the boulders on each course
should be constructed with similar character (profile and style).

2) competitors shall be allocated to Starting Groups as follow:

a) any competitors having a World Ranking for Boulder on the day of the Technical
Meeting shall be allocated to a Starting Group in the manner shown in the
following example:

45
 8. BOULDER

Starting Group A Starting Group B

st
1 2nd
4th 3rd
5th 6th
b) unranked competitors shall be allocated to Starting Groups at random,

such that a near equal number of competitors are allocated to each Starting Group.

8.6 The quotas for each round following Qualification will be filled with the best ranked competitors
from the previous completed round. If the relevant quota is exceeded as a result of ties, all tied
competitors qualify for the next round:

A) The quota for the Semi-Final round will be determined by the number of registered
competitors in the relevant Category. If there are two Starting Groups in any Category, the
quota for the following round shall be equally divided and applied to both groups.

Registered competitors Quota

<21 N/A

>20 20

B) the quota for the Final round shall be six (6):

8.7 The starting order:

A) within each Starting Group in Qualification shall be determined as follow:

1) first, any competitors having a World Ranking, in ascending order of this ranking (i.e. the
best ranked competitor starts first); and

2) second, all unranked competitors in random order.

B) for each subsequent round, will be the reverse of the ranking from the preceding round, i.e.
the best ranked starts last. Where competitors are tied, their starting order will be:

1) where the tied competitors each have a World Ranking, in descending order of their
World Ranking. i.e. best ranked starts last;

2) where the tied competitors are each unranked or have the same World Ranking,
randomised;

3) where competitors(s) having a World Ranking and unranked competitor(s) are tied, the
unranked competitor shall start first,

and in each case will be published in an Official Start List.

Competition procedure

8.8 All rounds of Boulder competitions shall be conducted under Isolation Conditions. Competitors
eligible to compete in any round of a competition must report to the Isolation Zone by the time
stated on the Official Start List for that round, competitors who have not reported to the Isolation
46
 8. BOULDER

Zone or who are not present in the Isolation Zone at such time will not be eligible to start the round.

8.9 Where consecutive rounds of a competition take place on the same day, there should be a
minimum time gap of two (2) hours between the time when the last competitor finishes the first
round and the closing of the Isolation Zone for the following round.

8.10 The Qualification and Semi-Final rounds will be organised as a series of rotations each equal in
duration to the Attempt Period for the round, each competitor participating in the round:

A) will start their attempts on each boulder in the order set out on the Official Start List. No
rescheduling will be permitted if a competitor is unable to start at the relevant time.

B) will attempt each boulder of the relevant course in the prescribed order;

C) will have a resting period equal to the Attempt Period for the round in between their attempts
on each successive boulder.

D) at the end of the Climbing Period, the competitors who were climbing, shall stop climbing and
enter a designated Transit Zone. This Transit Zone shall be located so that competitors cannot
observe any boulder not yet attempted.

E) at the start of each Climbing Period, the competitors who were resting shall (if able)
commence their attempts on the next boulder in succession or having finished the course,
leave the Competition Area. The Jury President should ensure that competitors are not
released from the Transit Zone before the end of the rotation following their completion of
the course.

8.11 The Final round:

A) shall be preceded by a presentation of the competitors participating in the round;

B) for each Category:

1) each boulder will be attempted by all competitors in the order set out on the Official
Start List;

2) once a competitor has finished their attempts, they will return to a separate Transit
Zone and the next competitor will start;

3) once all competitors have completed their attempts on a boulder, the competitors will
move on to the next boulder as a group.

Observation procedure

8.12 Observation

A) there will be no separate observation period for the Qualification and Semi-Final rounds.

B) the Final round shall be preceded by a collective observation for period of two (2) minutes
per boulder.

1) during this period, competitors may touch (only) the marked Starting Holds and are

47
 8. BOULDER

prohibited from using any recording equipment.

2) at the end of this period, competitors will return to the Isolation Zone or to a Transit
Zone as directed by the IFSC Officials.

C) A photograph or sketch of each Boulder may be shown in the Transit Zone for each boulder..

Climbing procedure

8.13

A) The Attempt Period within each of the Qualification and Semifinal rounds shall comprise a
fixed Preparation Period during which a competitor may prepare for their attempts prior to
entering the Field or Play, and a fixed Climbing Period. The duration of these periods shall be:

Round Preparation Period Climbing Period

Qualification 15 seconds 5 minutes
Semi-Final 15 seconds 5 minutes

B) The Attempt Period within the Final round shall allow a Climbing Period of four (4) minutes
with no separate Preparation Period,

and in each case, competitors may make unlimited attempts on any boulder within the relevant
Climbing Period. In certain circumstances, a separate practice period may be defined where a
competition is “after-work”, during which competitors may practice or “work” on boulders. Other
than during such practice periods, each boulder must be attempted in its entirety and competitors
must not practice or “work” or use Illegal Aid on any part of a boulder.

8.14 Subject to the rules governing the scoring of attempts, competitors may at any time:

A) clean any part of the boulder that they can reach without making use of any hold;

B) request that any part of the boulder be cleaned,

and only brushes and other materiel provided by the Event Organiser may be used for these
purposes.

8.15 A competitor’s attempt will be deemed to have:

A) Started when every part of the competitor’s body has left the ground.

B) Finished when:

1) Successful;

2) they have fallen or touched the ground after starting; or

3) the attempt has been terminated by the boulder judge or an IFSC Official as:

a) Unsuccessful; or

b) if a Technical Incident has occurred.

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 8. BOULDER

Judging and scoring

8.16 Each boulder shall be judged by at least one (1) National Judge who shall record:

A) the number of attempts made by each competitor. An attempt will be counted each time the
competitor:

1) makes either a Correct or Incorrect start;

2) prior to starting, touches or makes use of any Artificial Hold or Structure other than:

a) the Starting Holds, or

b) any Artificial Hold or Structure which is fixed or positioned so as to modify the

usable part(s) of any Starting Hold (a “Blocker Hold”);

3) adds any “tick marks”,

and in respect of (2) and (3), a disciplinary sanction may also be applied.

B) on which attempts the competitor Controls the Zone Hold;

C) on which attempt the competitor Successfully completes the boulder.

8.17 A competitor’s attempt will be:

A) judged “Unsuccessful” if:

1) the competitor has made an Incorrect start;

2) the competitor has touched the safety matting after leaving the ground;

3) the Climbing Period has expired;

4) the competitor has made use of any Illegal Aid,

and the relevant attempt terminated, and

B) otherwise judged “Successful” where the competitor is in a Controlled position:

1) with both hands matched on the Top Hold; or

2) standing on top of the boulder,

and in each case the boulder judge has raised a hand and announced “OK”.

8.18 A competitor’s start will be judged:

A) “Correct” where the competitor achieves a stable Controlled position with both hands and
both feet on the Starting Holds without Controlling or Using any other Artificial Holds or
Structures. For the avoidance of doubt, when starting a boulder, a competitor may:

1) touch, Control or Use any part of the Climbing Surface in order to attain the Starting
Holds; and/or

49
 8. BOULDER

2) touch any Blocker Hold(s).

B) “Incorrect” where the competitor

1) Fails to achieve a stable Controlled position with both hands and both feet on the
Starting Holds; or

2) Controls or Uses any Artificial Holds or other Structures not marked as Starting Holds
before achieving a stable Controlled position with both hands and both feet on the
Starting Holds.

Ranking

8.19 On each course of boulders:

A) any competitor who fails or is ineligible to start the course will be unranked in the relevant
round and their result marked with the appropriate IRM.

B) each competitor starting the course shall be ranked using the following criteria:

1) in descending order, the number of Successfully completed boulders (“Tops”);

2) in descending order, the number of boulders on which the competitor has either:

a) Controlled (with any hand) the Zone Hold; or

b) successfully completed the boulder without having Controlled the Zone Hold,

this number being the “Zone Points” awarded;

3) in ascending order, the total number of attempts to achieve these Tops;

4) in ascending order, the total number of attempts to achieve these Zone Points;

8.20 Semi-Final & Final rankings

If any competitors are tied following the ranking procedure of Article 8.19, their relative ranking
shall be determined:

A) by count-back to their rankings from the previous round (unless the previous round was held
with two Starting Groups);

B) if, in respect of the Final round (or where the Final round was cancelled, the Semi-Final
round), any competitors are tied in equal 1st, 2nd or 3rd place following count-back (if relevant),
the relative ranking of these competitors will be determined by comparing the best results
for each such competitor:

1) starting with the number of Tops attained on the 1st attempt, then the number of Tops
attained on the 2nd attempt, and so on; and

2) where the comparison in (a) cannot break any tie, by comparing the number of Zones
attained on the 1st attempt, then the number of Zones attained on the 2nd attempt, and
so on,

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 8. BOULDER

where competitors remain tied following (1) and (2), the results of such competitors shall be
considered equal.

8.21 General Ranking:

Subject always to paragraph 4.10 of these rules, the General Ranking shall be determined on the
following basis:

A) competitors having a Final ranking, in that order; and

B) where applicable, competitors having a Semi-Final ranking, in that order; and

C) competitors having only a Qualification ranking, in that order, provided that where the
Qualification round takes place with two Starting Groups, their General Ranking shall be
determined by merging the rankings from each group, treating competitors having equal
rankings between the two groups as tied.

Technical Incidents and Appeals

8.22 Only Official Video Recordings, and at the discretion of the Jury President any official IFSC broadcast
video recording, shall be used for the purposes of determining Technical Incidents and Appeals.
The Official Video Recordings must as a minimum record:

A) the Starting Holds for each boulder;

B) the Zone Hold for each boulder; and

C) the Top for each boulder;

D) any demarcations marked on the Climbing Surface.

8.23 If a competitor, Team Official or boulder judge considers that a Technical Incident has occurred,
they must notify the IFSC Judge prior to commencing any further attempts. No Technical Incident
shall be considered where notification is made following the start of the next rotation.

8.24 The IFSC Judge, if necessary in consultation with an IFSC Route-Setter, shall determine whether a
Technical Incident has occurred. For the avoidance of doubt, the following matters shall not be
considered as Technical Incidents:

A) the interruption of a competitor’s attempts to stop bleeding;

8.25 An Appeal which if upheld:

A) would entitle the affected competitor(s) to make further attempts on the relevant boulder(s):

1) if made by the relevant competitor, may be made verbally and no Appeal Fee will be
applicable;

2) if made by a Team Official, must be made in writing,

and in each case must be made:

a) in respect of the Qualification or Semi-Final rounds, before the finish of the next

51
 8. BOULDER

rotation; or

b) in respect of the Final round, prior to the next competitor starting their attempts.

B) would not entitle the affected competitor(s) to make further attempts on the relevant
boulder(s), must be made in writing and:

1) in respect of any appeal concerning the Qualification or Semi-Final rounds, within five
(5) minutes of the publication of the Official Results; or

2) in respect of the Final round, upon the display of the relevant competitor’s Provisional
Result (or where no Provision Result is displayed, the Official Result).

8.26 Where a confirmed Technical Incident or an Appeal covered by Article 8.25(A):

A) can be resolved/determined prior to the commencement of the next rotation, the relevant
competitor shall be offered the opportunity to continue their attempts:

1) if the competitor chooses to continue, then the incident will be considered concluded.

2) if the competitor chooses not to continue, then the competitor shall resume their
attempts at a time determined by the Jury President, having due regard to:

a) any recuperation period appropriate for the affected competitor;

b) minimising the impact on other competitors;

c) the overall competition schedule.

B) cannot be resolved/determined prior to the commencement of the next rotation:

1) in the case of a Technical Incident only, the round shall be suspended for the affected
competitor and for all competitors on preceding boulders until the matter is
resolved/determined; and

2) the affected competitors shall resume their attempts as directed by the Jury President
once the matter is resolved/determined,

and in each case, the affected competitors will act as directed by the Jury President. For the
avoidance of doubt, any competitor who leaves the Competition Area prior to the matter being
resolved/determined will not be permitted to resume their attempts.

8.27 When a competitor who has suffered a Technical Incident or who has been the subject of an Appeal
resumes climbing:

A) they shall be allowed the time remaining when the relevant incident occurred, with a
minimum of two (2) minutes; and

B) their next attempt:

1) in the case of a Technical Incident, shall be deemed a continuation of the prior attempt;
and

52
2) in the case of a determined Appeal, may be deemed as either:

a) a continuation of the prior attempt; or

b) as a new attempt,

in each case as the circumstances dictate.

53
 9. SPEED

9. SPEED

General

9.1 Format

Speed competitions shall:

A) take place:

1) on structures designed to the specification set out in the IFSC Speed Licence Rules;

2) using an automatic timing system approved by the IFSC; and

3) with the competitor secured from above using an IFSC-licenced automatic belay system,

In exceptional circumstances, the Jury President may instead require a top-rope to be used,
controlled from the ground by two belayers situated to the side of the climbing lanes.

B) be organised with:

1) a Qualification round consisting of a single stage, taking place on two lanes, left “A” and
right “B”, with competitors climbing in pairs; and

2) where the number of competitors recording a valid qualifying time is four (4) or more,
a Final round consisting of between two (2) and four (4) elimination stages.

C) should have a practice period preceding the Qualification round. Where a practice period is
organised, the time and arrangements for this practice period shall be announced at the
Technical Meeting.

9.2 The IFSC recognises World, Olympic and Continental records for the following Categories:

A) Men (aged 16 or over in the year of the event)

B) Women (aged 16 or over in the year of the event)

9.3 A record may be set only during scoring races (i.e. not during any practice period or any race which
is abandoned or cancelled) and where:

A) the Climbing Surface, Artificial Holds, timing system and autobelay system have been certified
by the IFSC to meet the requirements for a World Record;

B) the competition has been designated by the IFSC as a “Record Event”;

C) a Jury President has been appointed by the IFSC Sport Department; and

D) the Event Organiser has provided for anti-doping tests in compliance with the national
regulations governing international sport in their country, the World Anti-Doping Code, the
IFSC Anti-Doping Policy and Procedure and the IFSC Disciplinary Rules, on any competitor
recording a time lower than or equal to the current World Record,

provided that any record set in-competition will be struck down where the relevant competitor is
Disqualified or Disqualified for Behaviour at the relevant competition, or no anti-doping test is
54
 9. SPEED

performed/reported.

9.3A Subject to article 9.3, when a record-setting time is first recorded:

A) the time will be designated as a record and the Jury President will record the competition,
the round in which the race took place, the name, Category and nationality of the competitor
and the date/time of the race;

B) if multiple competitors in the same race each record a record-setting time:

1) where the relevant competitors record different times when measured to the nearest
1/1000s, the record will be held by the race-winning competitor; or

2) where the relevant competitors record the same time when measured to the nearest
1/1000s, the record will he held jointly by each of the competitors,

provided that where either:

i) the relevant competitor is Disqualified or Disqualified for Behaviour at, or in relation to any
breach of the WADA Code only, following the relevant competition; or

ii) the timing system in use is ruled faulty during the course of the competition, then

the relevant result will be struck down, the Jury President recording the same.

Safety

9.4 Each competitor shall wear a harness. The Jury President shall not permit a competitor to start if
they reasonably believe that a competitor’s harness is unsafe. Competitors may wear elbow and/or
knee pads.

Starting orders and quotas

9.5 The quota for the Final round shall be determined by reference to the number of competitors
having a Valid Time from the Qualification round (but excluding any competitors who have
recorded a False Start) as follow:

Competitors with a Valid Time Final quota

4–7 4

8 – 15 8

> 15 16

9.6 The starting order:

A) for the Qualification round shall be determined as follow:

1) for Lane A, by random selection; and

2) for Lane B, in the same order as Lane A with a stagger of 50%. e.g. where the Start List
includes 20 or 21 competitors, the competitor starting 11th on Lane A will start 1st on
Lane B.
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 9. SPEED

B) for each stage of the final round shall be as set out Annex 4 (Race/Lane Pairing (Speed)), which
also sets out the lane allocation for each race. If two or more competitors are tied following
the Qualification round, their starting order in the first stage of the Final round shall be
determined by random selection.

Competition procedure

9.6A Each route will be cleaned following:

A) the completion of the Practice Period, and

B) the completion of the Qualification round for each Category.

9.7 Where a Practice period is held, competitors should be entitled to one practice run on each route.
Competitors will not be stopped in the event of a False Start. The Practice period:

A) should include a demonstration of the false start signal and of the timing equipment; and

B) should take the form of a pre-run of the Qualification round, each competitor eligible to
participate in the Qualification round making their attempts in the starting order published
for the Qualification round. The Jury President may vary the timing and format of any Practice
period to reflect circumstances specific to a competition.

9.8 In the Qualification round:

A) each competitor may make one attempt on each lane, other than:

1) where a re-run is required following a False Start or a Technical Incident, in which case
an additional attempt shall be permitted; or

2) where they fail to report to the Call Zone when called, in which case the relevant race
shall proceed without them.

B) each competitor shall remain in the Competition Area as directed by the Jury President until
they have completed their attempts on both lanes.

C) a competitor making a False Start on their first scheduled race will not be eligible to start their
second scheduled race. In all cases where a False Start occurs, the competitor who has not
made the False Start may re-run, in which case they will run alone. This re-run should take
place before the next scheduled race.

9.9 The Final round:

A) shall take place as a series of stages each consisting of a number of "duel" races, the winner
of a race in any stage proceeding forward to the next stage. The number of stages and races
in each stage will be determined by the quota for the Final round.

B) in any race in the Final round, winner shall be determined as follow:

1) where one competitor fails or is ineligible to start, the other competitor (and no race
will be run);

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 9. SPEED

2) where both competitors start:

a) where both competitors record a Valid Time, the competitor who records the
lowest (or only) Valid Time;

b) where one competitor is determined to have made a False Start, the other
competitor;

c) where both competitors each record the same Valid Time or no Valid Time (other
than where a False Start has occurred), an additional race will run to break the tie.
If following this the competitors remain tied, the tie will be broken by comparing
the competitors’ qualification ranking.;

3) where neither competitor starts, no competitor will be recorded as the winner;

C) a presentation of all Semi-Finalists shall be made before the first race of the Semi-Final stage.

D) the losers of the Semi-Final races will compete for 3rd and 4th place in a "Small Final".

E) the winners of the Semi-Final races will compete for 1st and 2nd place in a "Big Final”, which
will follow the completion of the Small Final (or where multiple Categories are competing in
parallel, following the completion of all Small Final races). If a False Start occurs in the Big
Final (only), the winning competitor may elect to race alone.

F) each competitor shall remain in the Competition Area as directed by the Jury President.

Climbing procedure

9.10 All races shall be started with a clearly audible signal initiated by an assigned Starter, who shall not
be an IFSC Official. The Starter shall select a position where he is not visible to the competitors. The
source of the starting signal should be positioned as near possible equidistant from all competitors.

9.11 Each race shall use a common starting protocol:

A) on being called to the start of a route, each competitor:

1) should, within 10 seconds of being called, position the starting pad as appropriate for
their preferred starting position. During this period competitors may touch (only) the
first holds on the route and must remain on the ground;

2) will present themselves to the belayer, who shall confirm that

a) the competitor’s harness is properly fastened; and

b) the competitor’s harness is safely connected to the automatic belay system or top-
rope.

3) will take up an assembly position as designated by the Starter, not more than two (2)
meters in front of and facing away from the wall.

B) at the command ‘At your marks’, each competitor will without delay take a position with both
hands and one foot on their preferred starting holds, and one foot on the starting pad.
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 9. SPEED

C) once all competitors are motionless in their starting positions, the Starter shall announce
‘Ready‘ and following this will initiate the timing system.

D) if for any reason following the command ‘At your marks’ but prior to the Starter announcing
‘Ready’:

1) the Starter is not satisfied that the race can proceed; or

2) a competitor raises a hand to indicate that they are not ready to start,

the Starter shall order all competitors to return to the assembly position.

E) if a competitor fails to comply with (A) or (B), or by any action disturbs other competitors, the
Starter shall order all competitors to return to the assembly position. The Jury President may
issue a Yellow Card to the offending competitor.

9.12 False Starts

A) where in any race, following the Starter declaring ‘Ready!’:

1) one competitor has a Reaction Time less than 0.100s, that competitor shall be recorded
as having made a False Start;

2) both competitors have a Reaction Time less than 0.100s:

a) the competitor with the lowest (fastest) reaction time shall be recorded as having
made a False Start; and

b) if both competitors have the same Reaction Time, the relevant race shall be re-run
and no False Start shall be recorded.

B) in addition to any recall signal made by the timing system following a False Start, the Starter
shall also declare ‘Stop!’ as soon as possible.

C) No Appeal may be made in relation to the validity of a Reaction Time recorded by an

automatic timing system approved by the IFSC.

9.13 A result will be recorded as:

A) a “Valid Time” where the relevant competitor:

1) has struck the top timing pad/switch; and

2) stopped the timer,

except where a False Start has been made by any competitor in the relevant race; or

B) a “Fall” where the relevant competitor, in the course of an attempt:

1) fails to stop the timer;

2) arrests any fall/slip other than using the highest hold Controlled/Used prior to the
fall/slip;

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 9. SPEED

3) uses the side edges or the top edges of the wall for climbing; or

4) touches the ground with any part of the body after having started.

9.14 Competitors shall be afforded a minimum resting time of five (5) minutes between attempts on
the route(s) other than:

A) where a tie-break race is held pursuant to Article 9.9(B)(2)c); or

B) following the occurrence of a False Start pursuant to Article 9.12(A).

Judging and scoring

9.15 The climbing time for each competitor shall be defined as the period between the Starting Signal
and the completion of the competitor’s attempt. The timing system shall:

A) record and display the climbing time for each competitor separately.

B) be capable of measuring times to an accuracy of at least 1/1000s.

1) times shall be recorded to the nearest 1/1000s for the purposes of ranking;

2) displayed rounded down to the nearest 1/100s other than where necessary to show a
tie-break.

9.16 Not used

Ranking

9.17 Qualification ranking:

A) each competitor who fails or is ineligible to start both their scheduled races will be unranked
in the round and their result marked Did Not Start or with another appropriate IRM.

B) each competitor who has made a False Start on either their first or second scheduled race
will be ranked equal last in the round.

C) subject to (A) and (B) above, each competitor who has otherwise failed to record a Valid Time
in one or both scheduled races will be ranked equal, ahead of any competitors who have
made a False Start.

D) subject to (A), (B) and (C) above, each competitor who has recorded a Valid Time in at least
one of their scheduled races will be ranked in ascending order of their best (or only) Valid
Time, measured to 1/1000s. Where any two competitors have the same best (or only) Valid
Time, their relative ranking will be determined as follow:

1) where both competitors have a second Valid Time, by comparison of these times;

2) where only one athlete has a second Valid Time, they will be ranked ahead of the
competitor with no second Valid Time;

3) where neither competitor has a second Valid Time, the two competitors will be ranked
equal.

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 9. SPEED

E) if, following the above ranking procedure, the quota for the Final round is exceeded as a result
of ties, the tied competitors shall re-run on Lane A until all relevant ties are broken. The times
recorded in these attempts will be used only to determine which competitors qualify for the
Final round and for no other purpose.

9.18 Final ranking:

A) any competitor who fails or is ineligible to start their first scheduled race will be unranked in
the round and their result marked Did Not Start or with another appropriate IRM.

B) Competitors will be ranked in the Final round in order of the last stage in which they
competed and within each stage in the following order:

1) the race winners in that stage; and

2) the race losers in that stage, ranked relative to each other in order of their ranking from
the Qualification round.

9.19 General Ranking:

Subject always to paragraph 4.10 of these rules, the General Ranking shall be determined on the
following basis:

A) competitors having a Final ranking, in that order; and

B) competitors not having a Final ranking, in order of their Qualification ranking,

where any stage in the Final round is cancelled, the competition will be considered concluded and
the General Ranking will be calculated after the last completed stage, the race winners in the last
completed stage being ranked relative to each other in order of their ranking from the Qualification
round.

Technical Incidents and Appeals

9.20 Only Official Video Recordings, and at the discretion of the Jury President any official IFSC broadcast
video recording, shall be used for the purposes of determining Technical Incidents and Appeals.
The Official Video Recordings must as a minimum record:

A) the starting position for both lanes;

B) the top timing pad/switch for both lanes; and

C) the attempt of each pair of competitors in each race.

9.21 If a participating competitor or Team Official considers that a Technical Incident has occurred, they
must notify the Jury President before the start of the next race.

9.22 A claim for a Technical Incident in relation to the performance of the timing system may be made
only in relation to some evident or systematic error.

9.23 The Jury President shall determine whether a Technical Incident has occurred:

A) in order to make this determination, the Jury President shall as necessary:

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 9. SPEED

1) review the official video recordings;

2) require the system to be tested;

3) require a Routesetter to climb the relevant route and strike the top timing pad/switch.

B) where the Technical Incident :

1) can be remedied and is considered to have affected a single race, the competitors
directly affected by the failure shall re-run their attempts; or

2) cannot be remedied or is considered to have affected all competitors in the relevant

stage, the Jury President shall either:

a) cancel the affected and all subsequent stages; or

b) abandon and restart the stage

9.24 An Appeal concerning:

A) the judgment of:

1) a competitor’s attempt in any race; or

2) the result of any race in the Final round,

must be made prior to the start of the next race. The next race shall not commence until the
Appeal has been decided. Such appeals may be made verbally and no Appeal Fee will be
applicable.

B) the published result or ranking of a competitor, must be made in writing and:

1) in respect of any appeal concerning the Qualification round, within five (5) minutes of
the publication of the Official Results; or

2) in respect of the Final round, upon publication of the relevant result/ranking.

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 10. TEAM SPEED

10. TEAM SPEED

The IFSC may authorise use of the IFSC Rules 2018 (v1.5) for Team Speed Competitions.

62
 11. BOULDER & LEAD

11. BOULDER & LEAD

General

11.1 This article shall be read in conjunction with articles 7 (Lead) and 8 (Boulder) of these Rules. In the
event of conflict between the provisions of these articles and the provisions of this article 11
(Boulder & Lead), the provisions of this article 11 (Boulder & Lead) shall take precedence.

11.2 Combined Boulder & Lead competitions shall include both Male and Female categories and shall,
for each category:

A) be organised with:

1) an optional Qualification round;

2) a Semi-Final round;

3) a Final round, and

B) combine within each round;

1) a Boulder stage consisting of a course of four (4) boulders; preceding

2) a Lead stage consisting of one (1) route.

In exceptional circumstances the Jury President may cancel up to one (1) boulder in any
round. The cancellation of any stage will result in the cancellation of the round in which that
stage forms part.

11.3 The design of each boulder/route will conform to the requirements set out in articles 7.2 (Design
of Routes) and 8.2 (Design of Boulders) of these rules with the following amendments:

A) Article 7.2(A) is amended and restated as follow:

“A) each route shall be designed:

1) with not less 30 scoring holds;

2) to limit the risk that a fall may injure the competitor or any third party, or
obstruct any other competitor;

3) without any downward jumps;”

B) Article 8.2(C) is amended and restated as follow:

“C) each boulder shall be clearly marked to identify:

1) “Starting Holds” for both hands and both feet which shall not include blank or
unbounded parts of the Climbing Surface. The Starting Holds must not be marked
with specific positions for the hands.

2) two (2) “Zone Holds”, each positioned to aid the separation of competitors with
markedly different performance.

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

3) a “Top”, which shall be a marked finishing hold (the “Top Hold”);”

11.4 A timing system shall be used in each round to display the either the elapsed time or the time
remaining (i) for each competitor during their attempt on any route during a Lead stage; and (ii)
the time remaining within each Climbing Period and Preparation Period during a Boulder stage.
The timing system shall:

A) be visible to all competitors on the field of play and in each Transit Zone;

B) show the time remaining within the relevant period, rounded up to whole seconds;

C) provide audio signals to announce:

1) the beginning and the end of the Climbing Period;

2) when one minute remains within each Climbing Period; and

3) a five (5) second countdown at the end of each period.

Starting order and quotas

11.5 The quota for each round in a combined Boulder & Lead competition will be:

A) in respect of the Semi-Final round, 20; and

B) in respect of the Final round, eight (8).

The quota for the Semi-Final and Final rounds shall, where relevant, be filled with the best ranked
competitors from the previous completed round. If the quota is exceeded as a result of ties, all tied
competitors shall qualify.

11.6 The starting order:

A) in respect of any Qualification Round:

1) where competitors have qualified for the relevant competition through a qualification
system incorporating results from multiple Calendar Events, in descending order of the
Seeding List produced by that qualification system. (i.e. the best ranked starts last); or
otherwise

2) in random order.

B) in respect of the Semi-Final round:

1) where the competition includes a Qualification round, in descending order of the

ranking from that round. i.e. the best ranked starts last; or otherwise

2) where competitors have qualified for the relevant competition through a qualification
system incorporating results from multiple Calendar Events, in descending order of the
Seeding List produced by that qualification system. i.e. the best ranked starts last.

C) in respect of the Final round, in descending order of the ranking for the Semi-Final round. i.e.
the best ranked starts last.

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

and in each case will be the same for each of the Boulder and Lead stages of the relevant round;
and published in an Official Start List.

Competition procedure

11.7 Each Boulder stage in a competition will be managed in accordance with the following provisions
regarding competition procedures:

A) article 11.9 (replacing article 8.8);

B) article 11.10 (replacing article 8.9);

C) article 11.11 (replacing article 8.11(A); and

D) article 11.12 (replacing articles 8.10 and 8.11(B)).

11.8 Each Lead stage in a competition will be managed in accordance with the following provisions
regarding competition procedures:

A) articles 7.11 and 7.12;

B) article 11.9 (replacing article 7.9); and

C) article 11.10 (replacing article 7.10); and

D) article 11.11 (replacing article 7.13).

11.9 Each stage of each round in the competition shall be conducted under Isolation Conditions.
Competitors eligible to compete:

A) in any stage of a Qualification or Semi-Final round, must report to the Isolation Zone not later
than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time for the relevant stage and remain under
Isolation Conditions until the completion of their attempts in the relevant stage (plus any
period allowed for or resulting from appeals on their attempts);

B) in the Final round, must report to the Isolation Zone not later than 30 minutes prior to the
scheduled start time for the round, and remain under Isolation Conditions until the
completion of their attempts in both stages of the round (plus any period allowed for or
resulting from appeals on their attempts).

Competitors or who are not present in the Isolation Zone at the closing time time will not be eligible
to start the relevant stage or round and shall be marked as DNS. Team Members who leave the
Isolation Zone following the closing time may not re-enter the Isolation Zone until the current
stage/round has finished (and always prior to the start of any following stage).

11.10 Where:

A) in respect of the Qualification or Semi-Final round, consecutive stages take place on the same
day, there should be a minimum time gap of two (2) hours between the time when the last
competitor finishes the first stage and the scheduled start of the following stage.

B) in respect of the Final round, there should be a minimum time gap of 20 minutes between

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

the time when the last competitor finishes the first stage and the scheduled start of the
following stage (inclusive of any period of collective observation, or presentation).

11.11 A presentation of the competitors participating in the Final round:

A) should be made prior to the start of the Boulder stage;

B) may be made prior to the start of the Lead stage;

11.12 Each Boulder stage in a competition will be organised as a series of rotations each equal in duration
to the Attempt Period for the stage, each competitor participating in the stage:

A) will start their attempts on each boulder in the order set out on the Official Start List. No
rescheduling will be permitted if a competitor is unable to start at the relevant time;

B) will attempt each boulder of the relevant course in the prescribed order. ;

C) will have a resting period equal to either one (1) or three (3) Attempt Periods in between their
attempts on each successive boulder. The selection of the resting period will be announced
at the Technical Meeting preceding the competition.

D) at the end of the Climbing Period, the competitors that were climbing shall stop climbing and
enter a designated Transit Zone. This Transit Zone shall be located so that competitors cannot
observe any boulder not yet attempted.

E) at the start of each Climbing Period, the competitors that were resting may commence their
attempts on the next boulder in succession or having finished the course, leave the
Competition Area.

F) The Jury President should ensure that competitors are not released from the Transit Zone
before the end of the rotation following their completion of the course.

Observation procedure

11.13 Competitors may observe the boulders and routes in each stage from any area open to the public
at any time prior to their reporting to the Isolation Zone, excluding any period of time when
routes/boulders are being constructed/tested. Following this:

A) the Boulder stage for the Final round (and optionally the Semi-Final round) will be preceded
by a collective observation period of two (2) minutes per boulder. There will be no separate
observation period for the Boulder stage for any other round; and

B) the Lead stage in each round will be preceded by a collective observation for period of six (6)
minutes:

and in each case:

C) during any period of collective observation, competitors may

1) touch (only) the the first holds on the route without leaving the ground

2) use binoculars to observe the route

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

3) make hand-drawn sketches and notes

but shall not use any recording equipment.

D) at the end of any collective observation period, competitors will return to the Isolation Zone
or to a Transit Zone as directed by the Jury President.

Climbing procedure

11.14 Competitors’ attempts on any boulder will be governed according to the following provisions
regarding climbing procedures:

A) articles 8.14 and 8.15; and

B) article 11.16 (replacing article 8.13).

11.15 Competitors’ attempts on any route will be governed according to the following provisions
regarding climbing procedures:

A) articles 7.17 and 7.18; and

B) article 11.17 (replacing article 7.15)

11.16 The Attempt Periods within any Boulder stage shall comprise a fixed Preparation Period of 15
seconds during which a competitor may prepare for their attempts prior to entering the Field or
Play, and a fixed Climbing Period of five (5) minutes (or four (4) minutes where the stage is
preceded by a collective observation period) during which they may make any attempts on a
boulder. Competitors may make unlimited attempts on any boulder within the relevant Climbing
Period. Each boulder must be attempted in its entirety and competitors must not practice or
“work” or use Illegal Aid on any part of a boulder.

11.17 The Attempt Periods within any Lead stage, shall allow a Preparation Period of 40 seconds during
which a competitor may prepare for their attempt after entering the field of play and a Climbing
Period of six (6) minutes. Each competitor may make one (1) attempt on each route, other than
where supplementary attempts are permitted following an Appeal or Technical Incident.

Judging and scoring

11.18 The Judging of each attempts on any boulder will be governed according to the following provisions
regarding judging and scoring:

A) articles 8.16, 8.17 and 8.18, provided that the relevant National Judges shall record attempts
separately for each Zone on any boulder; and

B) article 11.20 (replacing article 8.19).

11.19 The Judging of any attempt on any lead route will be governed according to the following provisions
regarding judging and scoring:

A) article 7.19; and

B) article 7.20 as modified by article 11.21,

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

11.20 Each boulder will score a maximum of 25 points, with scoring values (the “Base Score”) assigned
as follow:

A) 25 points where the competitor has Controlled the Top Hold (regardless as to whether the
competitor has Controlled any Zone Hold on the boulder);

B) six (6) points where the competitor has Controlled the second Zone Hold but not the Top Hold
(regardless as to whether the first Zone Hold has been Controlled on any attempt);

C) three (3) points where the competitor has Controlled the first Zone Hold only,

where the score awarded to a competitor will be the relevant Base Score decremented by 0.1 for
each attempt made prior to that on which the relevant scoring hold was Controlled. For example:

Result Points Result Points Result Points

A1 z1 Z1 T1 25.0 A1 z1 Z1 T0 6.0 A1 z1 Z0 T0 3.0
A4 z1 Z1 T4 24.7 A2 z1 Z2 T0 5.9 A2 z1 Z0 T0 3.0
A4 z0 Z0 T4 24.7 A4 z1 Z2 T0 5.9 A2 z2 Z0 T0 2.9
A4 z2 Z2 T0 5.9
where in this table:

“A” denotes the total number of attempts made by the competitor on some boulder.

“z” denotes the first attempt on which the competitor Controlled the first Zone Hold on the
boulder.

“Z” denotes the first attempt on which the competitor Controlled the second Zone Hold on the
boulder.

“T” denotes the attempt on which the competitor Controlled the Top Hold on the boulder.

11.21 Each route will score a maximum of 100 points, with scoring values assigned to holds marked on
the route Topo in descending order from the last hold marked on the route as set out in Annex 1
(Route Scoring Values), provided always that:

A) a score of 100 points shall be awarded only where a competitor has both (i) Controlled the
scoring hold marked as “TOP” and (ii) clipped the final Protection Point on the route. Where
the competitor:

1) controls the scoring hold marked as “TOP” but fails to clip the final protection point on
the route, the competitor shall be scored as equal to Using the next lower hold (as
described in paragraph 11.21(B));

2) clips the final protection point from a lower scoring hold, the competitor may continue
their attempt, but if they do not continue shall not be scored as having achieved “TOP”.

B) the scoring value for Using a hold (designated by the postfix “+”) will be equal to the scoring
value for Controlling the same hold plus a fixed increment of 0.1 points.

11.22 At any point in time during a round, a competitor’s score will be the sum of the points awarded to

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

the competitor for each boulder/route on which the competitor has made attempts. Where,
pursuant to paragraph 11.2, a boulder is cancelled during a round, the relevant stage score for each
competitor boulders will be multiplied by a factor of (4/3)

Ranking in each Stage/Round

11.23 Where any competitor fails or is ineligible to start either stage of a round in accordance with the
relevant provisions of articles 7 (Lead) or 8 (Boulder), the relevant competitor will be marked with
the relevant IRM and unranked in that round.

11.24 Subject to article 11.23, each competitor participating in a round will be ranked in descending order
of the points awarded to the competitor pursuant to article 11.22, provided that where any
competitors have the same score, the relative ranking of the tied competitors shall be determined
by comparing (in order):

A) the highest score realised by the relevant competitors on either stage in the round;

B) where applicable, their ranking from the preceding round; and/or

C) if necessary, any Seeding of the relevant competitors.

General Ranking

11.25 Subject always to article 4.10 of these rules, the General Ranking shall be determined on the
following basis:

A) first, any competitors having a Final ranking, in that order;

B) second, any competitors having a Semi-Final ranking, in that order;

C) (if relevant) third, any competitors having only a Qualification ranking, in that order,

Technical Incidents and Appeals

11.26 Technical Incidents and Appeals in relation to each stage of each round will be managed as set out
in articles 7 (Lead) and 8 (Boulder) with the following amendments:

A) in respect to the timing of appeals, the provisions of:

1) article 7.30(B)(2) shall apply in respect of the Lead stage in all rounds of competition;

2) article 8.25(A)(b) and 8.25(B)(1) shall apply in respect of the Boulder stage in all rounds
of competition;

B) for the purposes of this article 11.26, references to Team Official shall mean the Team
Manager (only).

For the avoidance of doubt:

C) Once the results for any stage have been made Official and, if relevant, any Appeals
determined, the results for that stage will not be capable of subsequent appeal;

D) Upon the completion of each round, the ranking and Ranking Points calculation for that round

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 11. BOULDER & LEAD

will be published as the Official Results for the round. Any appeal on the ranking and Ranking
Points calculation must be made in writing and:

1) in respect of any Qualification round and/or the Semi-Final round, within five (5)
minutes of the publication of the Official Results; or

2) in respect of the Final round, immediately following publication of the Official Results.

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 PART 3 – EVeNT RULES

PART 3 – EVENT RULES

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 12. WORLD CUP SERIES

12. WORLD CUP SERIES

General provisions

12.1 In accordance with its statutes, the IFSC may approve each year the organisation of:

A) for the Open Sport Class, a series of events with competitions in each of the Boulder, Lead
and Speed Disciplines (the “Climbing World Cup” or “World Cup”); and

B) for any Para Sport Class, a series of events with competitions in the Lead Discipline only (the
“Paraclimbing World Cup”),

in each case with a maximum of eight (8) competitions in each relevant Discipline.

12.2 Each World Cup event:

A) shall include both Male and Female categories and may include competitions in one or more
Disciplines.

B) should include Sport Classes only where a minimum of four (4) competitors from at least
three (3) different Member Federations have been registered in that class.

C) should:

1) take place during weekend periods;

2) be organised with a maximum duration of:

a) where competitions in one (1) Sport Class or Discipline are held, two (2) days;

b) where competitions in two (2) Sport Classes or Disciplines are held, three (3) days;

c) where competitions in three (3) or more Sport Classes or Disciplines are held, four
(4) days.

12.3 The IFSC shall issue an Information Sheet for each World Cup event:

A) for events including competitions in the Open Sport Class, not less than 30 days in advance
of the first day of the relevant competition

B) for events including competitions in any Para Sport Class, not less than 60 days in advance of
the first day of the relevant competition,

in each case setting out:

1) the location and dates for the event;

2) the registration deadline for the event;

3) the schedule for the competition.

72
 12. WORLD CUP SERIES

Registration of Teams

12.4 Eligibility to participate in any World Cup event is limited to:

A) competitors who are or will be at least 16 years of age in the year of the event and who hold
a valid International Licence; and

B) Team Officials holding a valid International Licence.

12.5 Member Federations may register eligible Team Members in the numbers and capacity following:

A) Team Officials

1) One (1) Team Manager;

2) Two (2) coaches per Discipline;

3) Two (2) qualified medical or para-medical personnel, and

4) One (1) designated Athlete Assistant or Sight Guide to each competitor registered in
Para Sport Classes.

B) competitors:

1) any competitors ranked 10th or above on the relevant World Ranking at the start of the
Calendar Year;

2) a further five (5) competitors (for the host nation, 10 competitors) for each Category
within the competition.

The Registration Date shall be 42 days before the first day of competition, or 15 days where the
event is limited to the Open Sport Class.

Following the Registration Date and until 5 days before the first day of competition, Member
Federations may, in exceptional circumstances, withdraw Team Members and substitute new
Team Members to replace those withdrawn, provided that any substitute competitors must (i) be
registered in the same Category as the withdrawn competitor and (ii) where applicable, have a
Confirmed Sport Class Status for that Category.

12.6 A provisional list of competitors registered within each Category will be published on the IFSC
website not later than:

A) for the Open Sport Class, the day following the Registration Date;

B) for any Para Sport Class, one week following the Registration Date,

and updated to reflect any amendments following that date.

Competition procedure

12.7 The format of each World Cup competition shall be as set out in the relevant Article of Part 2 to
these Rules. In exceptional circumstances:

A) the Jury President may:

73
 12. WORLD CUP SERIES

1) suspend and resume, or abandon and restart any round of a competition (and in the
case of Speed competitions any stage of the Final round); or

2) cancel either the Semi-Final or Final round of a competition (and in the case of Speed
competitions any stage of the Final round);

B) the Technical Delegate may cancel the competition, and

in each case, such decision shall not be capable of Appeal.

12.8 The participation of all Team Members must be confirmed:

A) by the attendance of at least one Team Official (or one competitor if no Team Officials are
registered) at the competition venue; or

B) in exceptional circumstances only (e.g. strikes, traffic delay, etc.), by SMS or email to the
Technical Delegate,

in each case:

1) not later than the date(s) and time(s) specified on the information sheet published by
the IFSC; or

2) if no such time is specified, not later than 30 minutes prior to the commencement of
the Technical Meeting for the competition, and

any competitors not confirmed as participating will be deleted from the relevant Start List.

12.9 A Technical Meeting shall be held prior to commencement of each relevant competition to confirm
the event schedule (and any changes from the information on the IFSC website), identify any
specific information related to the application of these Rules in the competition, and communicate
any logistics information not available on the IFSC website.

Start Lists

12.10 The starting order for each competition shall be determined as set out in the relevant section of
Part 2 to these Rules and Start Lists prepared:

A) for the Qualification round, at the Technical Meeting preceding the relevant competition and
following the confirmation of participation.

B) for each other round, immediately following publication of the Official Results for the
preceding round and the conclusion of any relevant appeals procedure,

and in each case published on the IFSC website, the official competition notice board; and copies
made available to Team Officials, the competition speaker and media.

12.11 Not used

12.12 If a competitor fails to report to the Isolation Zone by the published closing time; or to the Call
Zone when called, the competitor will be marked on the Official Startling List for the relevant

74
 12. WORLD CUP SERIES

competition round as “DNS”.

Competition results and rankings

12.13 All Official Results shall be prepared in a format as stipulated by the IFSC, published on the official
notice board, and copies made available to each team, the competition speaker and media.

12.14 For each Category:

A) for each round:

1) Provisional Results should be displayed during the course of each round; and

2) Official Results approved in writing by the IFSC Judge will be published as soon as
possible following completion of the round.

B) following the completion of all rounds of the relevant competition, a General Result will be
published showing the ranking and results within each round for all competitors, signed by
the IFSC Judge and the Jury President.

12.15 At the conclusion of each World Cup competition:

A) the first 80 competitors in each relevant Category shall be awarded Cup Ranking Points as set
out in Annex 3 (Cup Ranking Points) for the purpose of calculating individual and team Cup
Rankings. Tied competitors will be awarded the average of the points allocated for the tied
rank positions, rounded down to two (2) decimal places.

B) team rankings will be calculated for each Member Federation participating in the competition
by adding the Cup Ranking Points of the three (3) best ranked competitors from that Member
Federation in each relevant Category:

1) separately for Male and Female categories; and

2) combining the ranking points for both Male and Female categories (the “National Team
Ranking”),

In each case ranking teams in descending order of the total number of Cup Ranking Points
accumulated.

Cup results and rankings

12.16 Cup Rankings shall be calculated for each competition series of the Climbing World Cup (only) as
follow:

A) an individual ranking for each competitor awarded Cup Ranking Points at any relevant
competition, ranking competitors in descending order of the total number of Cup Ranking
Points accumulated in each relevant Category, and

B) team rankings for each Member Federation with competitors participating in the series,
adding the Cup Ranking Points calculated for the relevant National Team Ranking in each
competition.

75
 12. WORLD CUP SERIES

12.17 The maximum number of results counting toward the individual ranking in each Category will be:

A) when five (5) or fewer competitions are organised, all results;

B) when six (6) or more competitions are organised, the number of competitions less one (1). If
a competitor has competed in more competitions that the maximum number of counting
results, the competitor’s “worst” result shall be discarded, and

if, following the final event of the relevant series, two or more competitors are tied in first place
having the same number of Cup Ranking Points; the tie will be broken by:

1) comparing the head-head performance of the tied competitors, and (if such comparison
cannot break the tie:

2) determining which competitor has the greatest number of best results, starting with the
number of 1st places, then the number of 2nd places and so on.

12.18 Not used

Medals and prizes

12.19 At the conclusion of each World Cup competition, medal ceremonies will be held for each relevant
Category:

A) all medal ceremonies will:

1) take place on the same day as the relevant final round; and

2) comply with the IOC protocol for such ceremonies,

at which:

B) Gold/Silver/Bronze medals shall be awarded to the competitors respectively ranked 1st, 2nd
and 3rd in the General Ranking for the competition. For the avoidance of doubt, multiple
medals will be awarded where competitors are tied.

C) a competition trophy shall be awarded to the winner within each Category.

D) prize money shall be awarded in accordance with the amounts established by the IFSC Board
(or any greater amount agreed by the IFSC and the Event Organiser). For the avoidance of
doubt, tied competitors shall each receive the average of the prize money for the tied places.

in exceptional circumstances, the Technical Delegate may authorise the participation of a

representative in lieu of the relevant competitor.

12.20 On completion of the last event in each competition series:

A) a trophy shall be awarded to the overall winner of that series in each Category (i.e. the
competitor ranked 1st within the individual Cup Ranking).

B) Plates shall be awarded to the competitors ranked 2nd and 3rd within the individual Cup
Ranking.

76
 12. WORLD CUP SERIES

C) a trophy shall be awarded to the Member Federation having the best Overall National Team
Ranking.

D) Not used

Ceremonies

12.21 Unless specifically authorised by the Jury President, at least one team member from each team
must attend the opening ceremony. Failure to observe this rule shall make the relevant National
Federation liable to a financial sanction. The IFSC Executive Board will set the minimum amount of
the relevant financial sanction for each season.

12.22 The Event Organiser shall organize an award ceremony:

A) to follow the conclusion of the final rounds of each competition; and

B) will comply with the IOC protocol for such ceremonies. National anthem playing and flag
raising ceremonies are mandatory at World Cup award ceremonies.

12.23 Not used.

Anti-doping

12.24 The Event Organiser shall arrange for anti-doping tests:

A) to be carried out in compliance with the national regulations governing international sport in
their country, the World Anti-Doping Code, and the IFSC Anti-Doping Policy and Procedure
and Disciplinary Rules.

B) to be administered as a minimum to:

1) the winners in each Open Sport Class Category; and

2) the winners in each Para Sport Class Category, provided that where the number of Para
Sport Class Categories exceeds six (6), the competitors to be tested will be drawn at
random from the list of winners.

77
 13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

General provisions

13.1 The IFSC shall arrange for the organisation of World Championships in:

A) the Open Sport Class, for each of the Boulder, Lead, and Speed Disciplines (the “IFSC
Climbing World Championship”); and

B) any Para Sport Class, for the Lead Discipline only (the “IFSC Paraclimbing World
Championship”),

every second, odd-numbered year in accordance with the IFSC Statutes.

13.1A Each World Championship:

A) shall include both Male and Female categories;

B) shall include Sport Classes only where a minimum of six (6) competitors from at least four (4)
different Member Federations have been registered in that class.

C) should be organised with a maximum duration of:

1) where competitions in one (1) Sport Class or Discipline are held, three (3) days;

2) where competitions in two (2) Sport Classes or Disciplines are held, five (5) days;

3) where competitions in three (3) or more Sport Classes or Disciplines are held, nine (9)
days.

13.2 The IFSC shall issue an Information Sheet for each World Championship:

A) for events including competitions in the Open Sport Class, not less than 30 days in advance
of the first day of the event;

B) for events including competitions in any Para Sport Class, not less than 60 days in advance of
the first day of the relevant competition,

In each case setting out:

1) the location and dates for the event;

2) the registration deadline for the event;

3) the schedule for the event;

4) attendance requirements for any Opening and/or Closing Ceremony.

Registration of Teams

13.3 Eligibility to participate in any World Championship is limited to:

A) competitors who are or will be at least 16 years of age in the year of the event and who hold
a valid International Licence; and

78
 13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

B) Team Officials holding a valid International Licence.

13.3A Member Federations may register eligible Team Members in the numbers and capacity following:

A) Team Officials

1) one (1) Team Manager;

2) two (2) coaches per Discipline;

3) two (2) qualified medical or para-medical personnel, and

4) One (1) designated Athlete Assistant or Sight Guide to each competitor registered in a
Para Sport Class.

B) competitors:

1) any current (adult) World Champion in the Category in which they are champion;

2) a further five (5) competitors for each Category of the competition.

The Registration Date shall be not later than 42 days before the first day of the event, or 15 days
where the competition is limited to the Open Sport Class.

Following the Registration Date and until 5 days before the first day of competition, Member
Federations may, in exceptional circumstances, withdraw Team Members and substitute new
Team Members to replace those withdrawn, provided that any substitute competitors must (i) be
registered in the same Category as the withdrawn competitor and (ii) where applicable, have a
Confirmed Sport Class Status for that Category.

13.4 A provisional list of competitors registered within each Category will be published on the IFSC
website not later than:

A) for the Open Sport Class, the day following the Registration Date;

B) for any Para Sport Class, one week following the Registration Date,

and updated to reflect any amendments following that date.

Competition procedure

13.5 Unless otherwise specified by the IFSC, the format of each competition in a World Championship
shall be as set out in the relevant Article of Part 2 to these Rules, modified as follow:

A) Boulder

No changes

B) Lead

No changes

C) Speed

No changes
79
 13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

D) Boulder & Lead

1) where a combined Boulder & Lead competition is held (including both Semi-Final and
Final as set out in article 11 of these Rules), medals and titles will be awarded to the
competitors ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in this competition, and a General Ranking
published

2) where no combined Boulder & Lead competition in the Combined Discipline is held, a
combined Boulder & Lead ranking will be calculated from the General Rankings for the
competitions in the Boulder and Lead disciplines, assigning ranking points as set out at
Annex 3 (Cup Ranking Points) to each set of results. A points total will be calculated for
each competitor participating in both Boulder and Lead disciplines and these
competitors will be ranked in descending order of the total points awarded and the
ranking published.

13.6 In exceptional circumstances:

A) the Jury President may:

1) suspend and resume, or abandon and restart any round of a competition (and in the
case of Speed competitions any stage of the Final round); or

2) cancel either the Semi-Final or Final rounds of a competition (and in the case of Speed
competitions any stage of the Final round).

B) the Technical Delegate may cancel the competition, and

in each case, such decision shall not be capable of Appeal.

13.7 The participation of all Team Members must be confirmed:

A) by the attendance of at least one Team Official (or one competitor if no Team Officials are
registered) at the competition venue; or

B) in exceptional circumstances only (e.g. strikes, traffic delay, etc.), by SMS or email to the
Technical Delegate,

in each case not later than the date(s) and time(s) specified on the information sheet published by
the IFSC. Any competitors not confirmed as participating will be deleted from the relevant Start
List.

Start Lists

13.8 The starting order for each competition shall be determined as set out in the relevant section of
Part 2 to these Rules and Start Lists prepared:

A) for the Qualification round, at the Technical Meeting preceding the relevant competition and
following the confirmation of participation.

B) for each other round, immediately following publication of the Official Results for the
preceding round and the conclusion of any relevant appeals procedure,

80
 13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

and in each case published on the IFSC website, the official competition notice board; and copies
made available to Team Officials, the competition speaker and media.

13.9 Not used

13.10 If a competitor fails to report to the Isolation Zone by the published closing time; or to the Call
Zone when called, the competitor will be marked on the Official Startling List for the relevant round
as “DNS”.

Results and rankings

13.11 All Official Results shall be prepared in a format as stipulated by the IFSC, published on the official
notice board, and copies made available to members of the team managers, the competition
speaker and media.

13.12 For each Category:

A) for each round:

1) Provisional Results should be displayed during the course of each round; and

2) Official Results approved in writing by the IFSC Judge will be published as soon as
possible following completion of the round.

B) following the completion of all rounds of the relevant competition, a General Result will be
published showing the final ranking and results within each round for all competitors, signed
by the IFSC Judge and the Jury President.

13.13 Following the conclusion of the Boulder, Lead and Speed World Championship competitions:

A) the first 80 competitors in each relevant Category shall be awarded ranking points as set out
at Annex 3 (Cup Ranking Points) for the purpose of calculating a single National Team Ranking.
Tied competitors will be awarded the average of the points allocated for the tied rank
positions, rounded down to two (2) decimal places.

B) National Team Ranking will be calculated for each Member Federation participating in the
championship by adding the ranking points of the three (3) best ranked competitors from
that Member Federation in each Category, ranking teams in descending order of the total
number of ranking points accumulated.

Medals and prizes

13.14 At the conclusion of each competition within a World Championship, medal ceremonies will be
held for each relevant Category:

A) all medal ceremonies will:

1) take place on the same day as the relevant final round; and

2) comply with the IOC protocol for such ceremonies,

at which:

81
 13. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

B) Gold/Silver/Bronze medals shall be awarded to the competitors respectively ranked 1st, 2nd
and 3rd in the General Ranking for the competition;

C) prize money will be awarded in accordance with the amounts established by the IFSC Board
(or any greater amount agreed by the IFSC and the Event Organiser). For the avoidance of
doubt, tied competitors shall each receive the average of the prize money for the tied places;

D) the competitors ranked 1st in each Category shall be awarded:

1) the title “World Champion”; and

2) a competition trophy,

in exceptional circumstances, the Technical Delegate may authorise the participation of a

representative in lieu of the relevant competitor.

Anti-doping

13.15 The Event Organiser shall arrange for anti-doping tests:

A) to be carried out in compliance with the national regulations governing international sport in
their country, the World Anti-Doping Code, the IFSC Anti-Doping Policy and Procedure, and
IFSC Disciplinary Rules; and

B) to be administered as a minimum to:

1) the winners in each Open Sport Class Category; and

2) the winners in each Para Sport Class Category, provided that where the number of Para
Sport Class Categories exceeds six (6), the competitors to be tested will be drawn at
random from the list of winners.

82
 14. YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

14. YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

General provisions
14.1 Frequency and duration

A) the IFSC shall arrange for the organisation of the Youth World Championship every year in
accordance with the IFSC Statutes.

B) each Youth World Championship shall include Categories:

1) for each Discipline authorised by the IFSC;

2) for both Male and Female competitors; and

3) for the following age groups;

a) Youth B: competitors born either 14 or 15 years before the year of the

competition;

b) Youth A: competitors born either 16 or 17 years before the year of the

competition;

c) Juniors: competitors born either 18 or 19 years before the year of the competition,

C) each Youth World Championship should be organised with a maximum duration of:

1) where competitions in one (1) Discipline are held, three (3) days;

2) where competitions in two (2) Disciplines are held, six (6) days;

3) where competitions in three (3) or more Disciplines are held, nine (9) days,

D) in setting the dates of any Youth World Championship, particular consideration shall be given
to minimise problems associated with attendance at educational institutions.

14.2 The IFSC shall issue an Information Sheet for each Youth World Championship not less than 30 days
in advance of the first day of the competition, setting out:

A) the location and dates for the event;

B) the registration deadline for the event;

C) the schedule for the competition(s);

D) attendance requirements for any Opening and/or Closing Ceremony

Registration of Teams
14.3 Only Team Members holding a valid International Licence shall be eligible to participate in any
Youth World Championship. Member federations may register eligible Team Members in the
numbers and capacity following:

A) Team Officials

83
 14. YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

1) one (1) Team Manager;

2) three (3) coaches per Discipline;

3) three (3) qualified medical or para-medical personnel.

B) competitors:

1) any current Youth World Champion, in the Discipline for which they are champion; and

2) a further three (3) competitors for each Category of the competition,

The Registration Date shall be not later than 15 days before the first day of the event.

Competition procedure
14.4 Unless otherwise specified by the IFSC, the format of each competition in a Youth World
Championship shall be as set out in the relevant Article of Part 2 to these Rules, modified as follows:

A) Boulder

1) where two (2) starting groups are used, competitors will be allocated randomly between
each group.

B) Lead

1) where two (2) starting groups are used, competitors will be allocated randomly between
each group.

C) Speed

No changes

D) Boulder & Lead

1) where a combined Boulder & Lead competition is held (including both Semi-Final and
Final as set out in article 11 of these Rules), medals and titles will be awarded to the
competitors ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in this competition, and a General Ranking
published;

2) where no combined Boulder & Lead competition in the Combined Discipline is held, a
combined Boulder & Lead ranking will be calculated from the General Rankings for the
competitions in the Boulder and Lead disciplines, assigning ranking points as set out at
Annex 3 (Cup Ranking Points) to each set of results. A points total will be calculated for
each competitor participating in both Boulder and Lead disciplines and these
competitors will be ranked in descending order of the total points awarded and the
ranking published.

14.5 In exceptional circumstances:

A) the Jury President may:

1) suspend and resume, or abandon and restart any round of a competition (and in the

84
 14. YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

case of Speed competitions any stage of the Final round); or

2) cancel either the Semi-Final or Final rounds of a competition (and in the case of Speed
competitions any stage of the Final round).

B) the Technical Delegate may cancel the competition, and

in each case, such decision shall not be capable of Appeal.

14.6 The participation of all Team Members must be confirmed:

A) by the attendance of at least one Team Official (or one competitor if no Team Officials are
registered) at the competition venue; or

B) in exceptional circumstances only (e.g. strikes, traffic delay, etc.), by SMS or email to the
Technical Delegate,

in each case not later than the date(s) and time(s) specified on the information sheet published by
the IFSC. Any competitors not confirmed as participating will be deleted from the relevant Start
List.

Start Lists
14.7 A list of competitors registered within each Category will be published on the IFSC website not later
than the day following the Registration Date.

14.8 The starting order for each competition shall be determined as set out in the relevant section of
Part 2 to these Rules and Start Lists prepared:

A) for the Qualification round, at the Technical Meeting preceding the relevant competition and
following the confirmation of participation.

B) for each other round, immediately following publication of the Official Results for the
preceding round and the conclusion of any relevant appeals procedure,

and in each case published on the IFSC website, the official competition notice board; and copies
made available to Team Officials, the competition speaker and media.

14.9 Not used.

14.10 If a competitor fails to report to the Isolation Zone by the published closing time; or to the Call
Zone when called, the competitor will be marked on the Official Startling List for the relevant round
as “DNS”.

Results and rankings

14.11 All Official Results shall be prepared in a format as stipulated by the IFSC, published on the official
notice board, and copies made available to members of the team managers, the competition
speaker and media.

14.12 For each Category:

A) for each round:

85
 14. YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

1) Provisional Results should be displayed during the course of each round; and

2) Official Results approved in writing by the IFSC Judge will be published as soon as
possible following completion of the round.

B) following the completion of all rounds of the relevant competition, a General Result will be
published showing the final ranking and results within each round for all competitors, signed
by the IFSC Judge and the Jury President.

14.13 At the conclusion of each Youth World Championship:

A) the first 80 competitors in each Category shall be awarded ranking points as set out at Annex
3 (Cup Ranking Points) for the purpose of calculating a single National Team Ranking. Tied
competitors will be awarded the average of the points allocated for the tied rank positions,
rounded down to two (2) decimal places.
B) a National Team Ranking shall be calculated by adding the ranking points of the three (3) best
ranked individual team members in each Category, ranking teams in descending order of the
total number of ranking points accumulated.
Medals and prizes
14.14 At the conclusion of each competition within the Youth World Championship, medal ceremonies
will be held for each relevant Category:

A) all medal ceremonies will:

1) take place on the same day as the relevant final round; and

2) comply with the IOC protocol for such ceremonies,

at which:

B) Gold/Silver/Bronze medals shall be awarded to the competitors respectively ranked 1st, 2nd
and 3rd;

C) the competitors ranked 1st shall be awarded:

1) the title “Youth World Champion”; and

2) a competition trophy,

in exceptional circumstances, the Technical Delegate may authorise the participation of a

representative in lieu of the relevant competitor.
Anti-doping
14.15 The Event Organiser shall arrange for anti-doping tests:

A) to be carried out in compliance with the national regulations governing international sport in
their country, the World Anti-Doping Code, the IFSC Anti-Doping Policy and Procedure, and
IFSC Disciplinary Rules; and

B) to be administered as a minimum to the winners of at least six (6) of the Categories held.

86
87
 15. Not used

15. NOT USED

88
 16. NOT USED

16. NOT USED

89
 ANNEX 1 – Route Scoring Values

ANNEX 1 – ROUTE SCORING VALUES

Hold relative to Top Points

0 100

1 95

2 90

3 85

4 80

5 75

6 70

7 65

8 60

9 55

10 50

11 45

12 40

13 35

14 30

15 25

16 23

17 21

18 19

19 17

20 15

21 13

22 11

23 09

24 07

25 05

26 04

27 03

28 02

29 01

> 29 00

90
 ANNEX 2 – Not Used

ANNEX 2 – NOT USED

91
 ANNEX 3 – Cup Ranking Points

ANNEX 3 – CUP RANKING POINTS

Rank Points Rank Points Rank Points Rank Points
1st 1000 21st 145 41st 14 61st 4
2nd 805 22nd 130 42nd 13 62nd 4
3rd 690 23rd 120 43rd 12 63rd 4
4th 610 24th 105 44th 11 64th 3
5th 545 25th 95 45th 11 65th 3
6th 495 26th 84 46th 10 66th 3
7th 455 27th 73 47th 9 67th 3
8th 415 28th 63 48th 9 68th 3
9th 380 29th 56 49th 8 69th 2
10th 350 30th 48 50th 8 70th 2
11th 325 31st 42 51st 7 71st 2
12th 300 32nd 37 52nd 7 72nd 2
13th 280 33rd 33 53rd 7 73rd 2
14th 260 34th 30 54th 6 74th 2
15th 240 35th 27 55th 6 75th 1
16th 220 36th 24 56th 6 76th 1
17th 205 37th 21 57th 5 77th 1
18th 185 38th 19 58th 5 78th 1
19th 170 39th 17 59th 5 79th 1
20th 155 40th 15 60th 4 80th 1

92
 ANNEX 4 – Race/Lane Pairing (Speed)

ANNEX 4 – RACE/LANE PAIRING (SPEED)

16 starters

1/8 stage 1/4 stage 1/2 stage Final stage

A Qualifier #1 A Winner Race 1 A Winner Race 9 A Loser Race 13

1 9 13 15
B Qualifier #16 B Winner Race 2 B Winner Race 10 B Loser Race 14

A Qualifier #8 A Winner Race 3 A Winner Race 11 A Winner Race 13

2 10 14 16
B Qualifier #9 B Winner Race 4 B Winner Race 12 B Winner Race 14

A Qualifier #4 A Winner Race 5

3 11
B Qualifier #13 B Winner Race 6

A Qualifier #5 A Winner Race 7

4 12
B Qualifier #12 B Winner Race 8

A Qualifier #2
5
B Qualifier #15

A Qualifier #7
6
B Qualifier #10

A Qualifier #3
7
B Qualifier #14

A Qualifier #6
8
B Qualifier #11

8 starters
1/4 stage 1/2 stage Final stage

A Qualifier #1 A Winner Race 1 A Loser Race 5

1 5 7
B Qualifier #8 B Winner Race 2 B Loser Race 6

A Qualifier #4 A Winner Race 3 A Winner Race 5

2 6 8
B Qualifier #5 B Winner Race 4 B Winner Race 6

A Qualifier #2
3
B Qualifier #7

A Qualifier #3
4
B Qualifier #6

93
 ANNEX 4 – Race/Lane Pairing (Speed)

4 starters
1/2 stage Final stage

A Qualifier #1 A Loser Race 1

1 3
B Qualifier #4 B Loser Race 2

A Qualifier #2 A Winner Race 1

2 4
B Qualifier #3 B Winner Race 2

94
 ANNEX 5 – Not used

ANNEX 5 – NOT USED

95