TOURNAMENT RULES

Amended July 21, 2007

Rule 1.  The local tournament committee shall be appointed by the local convention committee.  The Official Starter shall be an Ex-Officio Member of said tournament committee and shall have charge of drawing for position in the various events.

Rule 2.  The contest shall be open to companies and departments that are paid-up members of the Central New York Firemen’s Association, Inc.  A company or department from the town, village or city where the tournaments are held shall be allowed to take part in the contest if they do not violate Rule 10.

Rule 3.  The qualifications of a company or department entered for competition shall be determined by the Official Starter.  There may be more than one entry from a corporate member (department or company) if, before drawing for position, team rosters are submitted to the tournament secretary in triplicate and each extra team pays an amount equal to corporate members dues.  Drawing for position will be held at the captains meeting immediately preceding contests on Saturday morning.  There will be no entries after the drawing except for reasons suitable to the judges and the majority of team captains participating.

Rule 4.  There will be no contest unless two or more team complete.

Rule 5.  When drawing for place in contests is held, the contesting teams will run in the order as per number drawn.

Rule 6.  No contestant shall be allowed to compete in any contest unless they have been an active member in good standing of the company or department entered at least thirty (30) days prior to the tournament.

Rule 7.  Any company or department winning the overall point prize must be represented in the parade from start to finish or forfeit all prizes.

Rule 8.  All contestants shall wear satisfactory protective headgear from starting signal to completion in each contest.  Otherwise, they may be clothed as they see fit.

Rule 9.  No more than five (5) contestants shall be allowed on a team in each event.

Rule 10.  No team shall practice on the track where the tournament is to be held or with any equipment furnished by the tournament committee.  Trying couplings and equipment during set-up shall not be considered practicing on the tract.

Rule 11.  Every team competing shall be ready to start when called unless competing in another contest and shall be debarred if not ready.

Rule 12.  The local committee, in any race where hose is used, shall wet the hose and race course before running the first team.

Rule 13.  Each competing team shall break each coupling, drain each length of hose by rolling and re-couple all couplings hand-tight before making its run.  Rolled hose will be unrolled in such a way that the coupling will not be damaged or that it becomes a hazard to safety.

Rule 14.  In all wet contests, a target of not less than thirty (30) inches shall be used.

Rule 15A.  Any team, contestant, company, or department wetting the judges or displaying flagrant unsportsmanshiplike conduct will be disqualified from any prizes or winnings in these three contests.  The use of foul or profane language by any contestant may be considered unsportsmanlike conduct by the judges.

Rule 15B.  Any team leaving a charged line unattended or undermanned so that it becomes a hazard to safety, shall be disqualified from that event by the decision of the judges of that event.  When high hydrant pressure presents a hazard to safety, the nozzle man on 2inch contests will have backup as determined by the Official Starter.

Rule 16.  All protests must be submitting in writing within three (3) minutes of run that is being protested.  Protested forms must be obtained from the tournament secretary and accompanied with a fifteen dollar ($15) fee.  The protest will be turned over to the three judges, appointed by the Official Starter to act as general judges for the day.  The duties of the general judges will be to confer with the officials judging the contest in question and make a decision on whether protest is allowed or disallowed.  The general judge’s decision shall be final.  One team member from each team involved may be present during the ruling. If the protest is allowed, the fee will be returned, and time or rerun will be given.  If not allowed, fee will go to the Central New York Firemen’s Association to be used for hose team equipment.  The tournament secretary shall be responsible for recording the time of completion of each run.  This will determine the time of completion of run and the time protest is filed on that particular run, enforcing the three minutes rule on filing protests.  If a rerun is awarded, it shall be run at the end of the contest.

Rule 17.. In not contest shall any allowance be made for any accidents, mistakes or nonperformance of the full requirements, in every particular, except in an accident caused by outside interference or by breaking down of anything furnished by the tournament committee.  The team so hindered shall be permitted to rerun in regular drawn position.  In the Hose and Wye and the Ladder contests, a team is allowed one false start if no connections have been made.

Rule 18.  Except in the case of a rerun, no contestant shall be allowed to complete twice in any contest.  Runoff of ties shall not be considered part of the official contest.

Rule 19.  If two or more teams are tied for a prize-winning position, the prize money for that position and any lesser position involved shall be divided equally among the tying teams.

Rule 20.  No prizes shall be presented until approved by a majority of the judges.

Rule 21.  If the timer’s watches do not agree in any contest, the average time to the nearest 1/100^th second shall be taken as official time.

Rule 22. The decisions of the general judges on all matters are final.

Rule 23.  The tournament shall start promptly at the time designated by the tournament committee.  Notice of time shall be given at least thirty days in advance.

Rule 24.  After a team has completed its run in each contest, all couplings shall be connected and set tight.  Run shall be considered completed after judges have marked and checked all couplings.  Team Captains only may remain on the course after couplings have been checked.  There shall be no interference with judges from starting signal until they announce time of run.

Rule 25.  Point scoring for overall trophy shall be 5 for 1^st, 4 for 2^nd, 3 for 3^rd, 2 for 4^th and 1 for 5^th.  In the event of a tie for place, points for that place and next lower place shall be added and averaged.  Each team shall receive average points.  In the event of tie for overall points, each team shall receive leg on trophy.

Rule 26.  All contests to use same equipment.  It shall be the decision of the judges involved on equipment that breaks down after contests have started.  No contestant’s hands shall touch any equipment prior to the starting signal.  All snap and link connections are barred in these contests.  No kinking by any means or device of any kind may be used.  No contestants shall in anyway apply lubricants, tamper with or alter any equipment furnished by the tournament committee.

Rule 27.  Any contestant receiving an injury of any type shall report the injury to the tournament committee or the Official Starter.

OFFICIALS

Rule 1.  In the contest, there shall be one (1) starter, two (2) timers.  Starter shall time set-up.  Timers shall record a time in each contest completed.  The selection of judges shall be under the jurisdiction of the Official Starter.

Rule 2.  There shall be one (1) Tournament Secretary to be appointed by the Official Starter, who shall make a record of all races, recording all finishes of all teams and their times so that a record may be kept thereof.  He may appoint any assistant he may need to cover all events.

Rule 3.  Extra Judges may be used to watch for rule violations at the discretion of the Official Starter.

PENALTIES.

1.  A penalty of one second per each full turn on couplings not set hand-tight.
2. Any unconnected couplings or cross threads shall disqualify the team in the event they are competing in.
3. Any team tampering with any connection after targets have been hit will be disqualified.
4. If a contestant loses his headgear and he take any action toward completing the contest before replacing it, the team shall be disqualified in that event.

CONTESTS AND RULES

HOSE AND WYE CONTEST

1.  Each team shall be allowed four (4) minutes to drain hose, lay out equipment and be on the starting line ready to run.  Time to start when judge signals the course is clear.

2. Three (3) Fifty (50) foot lengths of two (2) inch hose shall be coupled and laid in a straight line flat on the running course.  Open female coupling shall be at hydrant line on mark in center of course.  Hose may be folded at hydrant line.

3.  Hydrant wrench, female swivel end wye and two straight-type nozzles to be placed on starting line twenty-five (25) feet from hydrant.

4. At starting signal, contestants shall carry hydrant wrench, wye and nozzles, couple hose to hydrant, break hose and put in wye at first coupling, couple two lengths to wye and put on nozzle

5 Time to be taken from starting signal to when each individual stream has made a direct hit on a separate target 125 feet from hydrant with a solid stream of water.

LADDER CLIMBING CONTEST

1.  Each team shall be allowed four (4) minutes to drain hose, lay out equipment and be on the start line ready to run.  Time to start when judge signals the course is clear.

2.  Three (3), fifty (50) foot lengths of one (1) inch hose shall be coupled with each open end on hydrant line, together with hydrant wrench, shutoff nozzle and sixteen (16) foot, one piece, straight side rail ladder centered lengthwise on line with top toward target.

3.  Open couplings may be any position on hydrant line and hose shall be within boundary of course between hydrant line, ladder arch and sidelines, which will be no more than twenty-four (24) feet wide.

4.  Starting line will be three (3) feet behind hydrant line.  Horizontal bar of arch to be approximately twelve (12) feet above ground line and shall have safety stop two (2) feet each side of center and extending at least one (1) inches out from bar.

5.  At starting signal, contestants will couple hose to hydrant, attach nozzle, set (not throw)  ladder against arch 125 feet from hydrant and climb same.  Ladder shall be set in safe position with the tip of each side rail over the horizontal bar of the arch and between safety stops.  Shutoff nozzle to remain closed until tip is placed between ladder side rails higher that the arch.

6.  Time to be taken from starting signal to when solid stream of water makes a direct hit on the target twenty-five (25) feet beyond arch.

STRAIGHT LAY CONTEST

1.  Each team shall be allowed four (4) minutes to drain hoses, position and set up hoses, hydrant wrench and nozzle on hydrant line and be on start line ready to run.

2.  Three (3) lengths of 2 ½ inch hose rolled, donut roll allowed, with brass on hydrant line.  Straight type nozzle, standing up or lying down, on hydrant line.  Hydrant wrench is placed on hydrant line also.

3.   Five (5) participants start on starting line twenty-five (25) feet from hydrant.

4.  At start signal participants proceed to hydrant line.  Participants may have one foot on, not over, starting line at the start of event.

5.  Participants shall remove hydrant cap and hook hose to hydrant.

6.  Advance hoses and nozzle towards target.  Open hydrant, pass water through hoses and direct water at target located 175 feet from hydrant in the center of course.

7.  Time will be taken from starting signal and stops when a solid stream of water make a solid hit on the target.

8.  All couplings and nozzle will be tight.  A one (1) second penalty will be assessed for each loose turn.