1C.2 Required Events at Unicon
This discussion has an associated proposal. View Proposal Details here.Comments about this discussion:
Started
This section needs to be updated to be current with our current rulebook layout.
My suggestion below. I’ve made each bullet point to match the rulebook layout order.
1C.2 Required Events at Unicon
Unicon should include at least one event from each of the following event groups. Hosts are free to add events, age groups or variations that do not appear here, as long as there is no conflict with the existing rules. When in doubt contact the IUF Rules Committee.
• Track Racing: the required races from section 2D.5.
• Other Racing: Gliding/Coasting, Relay, specialty/novelty races; see chapter 3.
• Road Racing:; 10k, Marathon; see chapter 4.
• Muni: Cross Country, Orienteering, Uphill, Downhill, Cyclocross; see chapters 5 and 6.
• Freestyle events: Artistic, Standard Skill, X-Style; see chapters 7, 8, and 9.
• Urban: Flatland, Street, Trials, Jumps; see chapters 10, 11, 12, 13.
• Team Sports: Unicycle Hockey, Unicycle Basketball; see chapters 14 and 15.
• Non-competition events: workshops, judging training, fun games, sightseeing rides, muni rides.
Comment
Your suggested text is intended to bring this section in line with the current rulebook hierarchy. Therefore, the event groups are different than in the original.
But this leads to different requirements. E.g.in the original, if one novelty race is included, there is no requirement to have a Road race. In your new text OTOH, there must always be a Road race.
However, I have an overriding concern. Let me mention it here, at the risk of hijacking this discussion and lead it somewhere where you didn't intend it to go. If that is the case, it could be a separate discussion.
I think we should take the opportunity to modernise 1C.2. In my opinion, this text (both the old one and your suggestion) requires too few events at Unicon. Can anyone imagine a Unicon with a Street competition, but not any form of Trials or Jumps?
The title of this discussion is fine to cover this broader topic. A possible approach is to discuss what we think is realistic to require at minimum for any Unicon, and then build a brand new text from that.
Some smaller problems with the text, such as that the first sentence of 1C.2 and the first bullet are contradictory (sentence: at least one, vs Bullet: (all) the required races), would become irrelevant as we go.
Comment
I agree the update is necessary.
To modernize the text, I suggest simply removing the first sentence. Discipline specific sections should state the required events.
"Hosts are free to add events, age groups or variations that do not appear here, as long as there is no conflict with the existing rules. When in doubt contact the IUF Rules Committee.
• Track Racing: the required races from section 2D.5.
• Other Racing: Gliding/Coasting, Relay, specialty/novelty races; see chapter 3.
• Road Racing: 10k, Marathon; see chapter 4.
• Muni: Cross Country, Orienteering, Uphill, Downhill, Cyclocross; see chapters 5 and 6.
• Freestyle events: Artistic, Standard Skill, X-Style; see chapters 7, 8, and 9.
• Urban: Flatland, Street, Trials, Jumps; see chapters 10, 11, 12, 13.
• Team Sports: Unicycle Hockey, Unicycle Basketball; see chapters 14 and 15.
• Non-competition events: workshops, judging training, fun games, sightseeing rides, muni rides."
Comment
l agree with you but simply making everything mendatory seems pretty though for me. 2017 we had european championships in the Netherlands and also will have them there this year and they aren't able to run a Downhill Muni race cause of their lack of mountains still it's a great competition. In order not to exclude Hosts like them I would suggest something like:
"Unicon should include all the following listed events. If that's not possible the Host is allowed to exlude at maximum one event from each of the following event groups. Hosts are free to add events, age groups or variations that do not appear here, as long as there is no conflict with the existing rules. When in doubt contact the IUF Rules Committee.
• Track Racing: the required races from section 2D.5.
• Other Racing: Gliding/Coasting, Relay, specialty/novelty races; see chapter 3.
• Road Racing:; 10k, Marathon; see chapter 4.
• Muni: Cross Country, Orienteering, Uphill, Downhill, Cyclocross; see chapters 5 and 6.
• Freestyle events: Artistic, Standard Skill, X-Style; see chapters 7, 8, and 9.
• Urban: Flatland, Street, Trials, Jumps; see chapters 10, 11, 12, 13.
• Team Sports: Unicycle Hockey, Unicycle Basketball; see chapters 14 and 15.
Also suggested are Non-competition events like workshops, judging training, fun games, sightseeing rides, muni rides, etc."
Comment
I like where you're going with this, Lisa, but it is almost still too strict.
For muni, most competitions would exclude the orienteering race. This means they would need to provide all of the other ones. This would be challenging for places without good downhill.
Same for Freestyle, mot competitions would exclude Standard Skill. They now have to host X-Style even if there are few interested competitors.
Comment
I think for road racing, it should be changed to: Two races, at least one of these a fixed-distance race; see Chapter 4
Comment
The original idea behind requiring just one event out of each of the disciplines is really just a minimum requirement.
Really, a Unicon host wants to have a great event with a lot of competitions, many people, etc. And the IUF liaison also wants this. Instead of making requirements that might be unreasonable, why not have a little trust?
Comment
I like the idea of the minimum requirement. However, this also comes back to the discussion that I started earlier about host selection criteria. I think offering events for many disciplines would be a very important factor for host selection.
As there won't be a section about selection criteria, maybe we can add a sentence that says that "ideally all events will be offered"?
Comment
"Ideally all events will be offered" is maybe true. But it's also a big call and not realistic, while it seems to convey "we are only really satisfied when all possible events are offered". Somehow such a sentence in the Rulebook should be weaker than that, I think.
Comment
Two things are important here: the IUF board is the one that makes the decision about where Unicon will be hosted, and the IUF Board also has the ability to allow for necessary deviations from the Rulebook if they are petitioned. Thus we can go two ways. We can "require" all of the events we think that Unicon should have and then the IUF Board can adjust if a particular year cannot fulfill this, OR we can have a lesser requirement alongside a recommendation to include other events as well.
Comment
I agree to the authority of the IUF Board. Of the two options, I prefer the first. Which leaves open the question which events we want to require (subject to changes agreed with IUF Board for any particular Unicon).
Comment
I also prefer the first option.
Comment
Scott,
For your first option, what are your suggested events?
Comment
My suggested text (note that there is a pending change in the Street committee about the required event, hence the brackets in my text below).
The following events are required at Unicon. Hosts are free to add events or variations that do not appear here, as long as there is no conflict with existing rules. If hosts are unable or unwilling to include any of these events, they must petition the IUF Board according to their Host Agreement and section 1A.1.1.
Required events:
• Track (Racing & Other events): the required races from section 2D.5, coasting, relay, see chapter 3.
• Road Racing: at least two races, see specific requirements in chapter 4.
• Muni: Cross Country, Uphill, Downhill, Cyclocross; see chapters 5 and 6.
• Freestyle events: Artistic, X-Style; see chapters 7, 8, and 9.
• Urban: Flatland, [Slopestyle] Street, Trials, all Jumps events; see chapters 10, 11, 12, 13.
• Team Sports: Unicycle Hockey, Unicycle Basketball; see chapters 14 and 15.
• Non-competition events: workshops, judging training,
Recommended additional events:
• Track (Racing & Other events): Slow Races/Balance [Renaming in progress], Downhill gliding
• Road Racing: a third event
• Team Sports: Unicycle Hockey B Tournament, Unicycle Basketball B Tournament
• Additional novel or experimental events
• Non-competition events: additional workshops, fun games, social events, sightseeing rides, muni rides.
Comment
I realized that in my suggestion, I did not clarify which Artistic Freestyle events are required. This should be updated to require Individual, Pairs, Small Group, Large Group Freestyle.
Comment
This could perhaps just be written as "all Artistic Freestyle events" similar to Jumps.
Comment
Even though there is only one type of X-Style event (and so the interpretation "All X-Style events" is not possible, I think it is better to change
"All Artistic, X-Style;"
to
"All Artistic Freestyle events, X-Style;"
Or, to keep with current terms:
"All Freestyle: Artistic events and Freestyle: X-Style" (although it doesn't read well).
Comment
Maybe it might just be easier to list them out. Then readers do not need to find the list elsewhere.
Comment
I prefer listing them out.
Comment
I have only now noticed that the new rule for the Track (Racing & Other events) will still refer to another rule (2D.5) - for all other events the disciplines are explicitly listed, which makes it easier get an overview and leads to the fact that the rules cannot be inconsistent. Why not listing all the Track (Racing & Other events) as well and deleting 2D.5? I think that would make things easier.
Comment
I agree.
Comment
Can we specify in the first bullet that the required Relay is 4x100m? This is by far the most common unicycling variant.
The current rules do not specifically prescribe the number of riders or the distance that each one rides - they only say "Usually 4 x 100m or 4 x 400m like in athletics".
Comment
I maintain that it is not sufficient to require relay without specifiying 4x100m. If relay is required by 1C.2 and the host organises 4x400m but not 4x100m, I think that many competitors are not going to be happy.
Comment
Just to be clear on the above: I think 4x100m Relay (and not just "Relay") must be in the list of required events, while the other possible Relay distance (i.e., 4x400m) is not required and also not in the Recommended list, but obviously still possible.
Another comment: the reference to "Track (Racing & Other events)" should be edited to "Track (Racing & Technical Disciplines)", on the condition that pending changes in the structure of the current chapters 2 and 3 are agreed upon.