The Ark Valley Trials Association was formed in 1975 and is based in Wichita, Kansas. Membership is primarily from the South Central Kansas region. The original club consisted of approximately 20 members.  The club today has more than 30 members and at least 10 members who have been with the club for more than 20 years.  A significant number of members are nationally ranked and/or national champions!  

Ark Valley Trials Association

Rules and Regulations

January 2007 Revision

COMPETITION FORMAT:

When conditions and attendance allow the preferred format shall be to divide the classes into a morning / afternoon format as to allow maximum participation. When attendance or conditions dictate riding in groups the following rule applies.
-When riding in Groups and a section's severity or safety is questioned it can be changed by majority agreement among all the riders of the class affected.

NATC Rules for Scoring
Revised for AVTA club use.

The checking officials at each observed section must be stationed so the entire section is plainly visible.  When more than one observer is required, penalties will be called to the observer at the end of the section. To ensure consistency of scoring, observers shall not be changed during the event. The observer shall show a raised, balled fist and announce rider in a loud voice to authorize a rider to start riding the section. Scoring shall start when the front axle passes between the start markers and stop when the front axle passes between the end markers.

Any course official has the authority to close or revise a section or part of the loop for unforeseen reasons such as natural disasters or rider injury. In cases when part of the field has ridden a section before it has been closed or revised, scores for those rides must be deleted.

Scoring will be based on the FIM trials scoring system as follows:

ERRORS / PENALTY

1 Fault 1-Point

2 Faults 2-Points

More than 2-faults 3-Points

Failure 5-Points

Missing a section (no Punch) 10-Points

A. Fault Definitions:

1. Footing - any contact providing support between any part of the rider s body or machine (exception; tires, foot pegs or skid plate) with the ground or an obstacle (tree, rock, etc.). Footing can occur either inside or outside the boundary. For tires outside the boundary refer to B.15.

2. Foot rotation counts as one point.

3. Sliding a foot counts as three points

4. Both feet placed on the ground simultaneously counts as two points.

B. Failure Definitions:

1. The machine is moving backwards with or without the rider footing.

2. Any displacement of markers with the machine or rider, requiring that they be reset, i.e. breaking or knocking down. Touching a boundary is not a failure. The rider or machine must make direct contact with the marker.

3. The rider dismounts from the machine and has both feet on the ground on the same side of or behind the machine.

4. The rider does not have both hands on the handlebar when footing while stationary.

5. The rider receives outside assistance.

6. The rider or minder changes the condition of a section.

7. The rider begins a section attempt without the observer s acknowledgment.

8. The engine stops while footing or while any other part of the machine, except for the tires, is used for support, without forward motion.

9. The handlebar of the motorcycle touches the ground.

10. The motorcycle does a complete loop, crossing both its own tracks, with both wheels.

11. The rider fails to pass through all the gates for their class. (Missing a split)

12. The front wheel must precede the back wheel when passing through the gates.

13. The rider passes, in either direction through a gate of another class. That is, breaking the plane of a gate.

15. When a marker is passed by either tire on the out-of-bounds side of the marker with the tire on the ground. In the case of running over a taped boundary, there must be ground visible between the tape and the wheel and the wheel must be on the ground on the out-of-bounds side of the tape. A gate for a class other than your own constitutes a boundary .It is permitted to float one wheel over a marker, but not both wheels, i.e., jumping the bike over a boundary is a failure. The front axle must pass between the start gates and end gates. The front axle is only allowed to pass between the start gates once.

16. Only the greatest penalty, as defined above, shall be counted for the section. However, the following points may be added:

C. Other Penalties:

1. A rider may report to the observer and receive a five for that section, even though he does not attempt it.

2. Sections are to be ridden in designated order only. The penalty for missed sections or sections ridden out of order is ten (10) points per section. Any sections not punched are considered to be missed sections.

3. If blank or unmarked spaces on the scorecards exceed 10% of designated rides, the rider will be considered a non-finisher.

4. A rider waiting in line to enter a section must not leave their machine. If they do, they must go to the end of the line. Refusal to comply may be considered unsportsmanlike conduct.

5 Any section ridden more than once per loop will receive 10 points, in addition to their first attempt score.

6. Practice in any of the sections before or during the event will result in disqualification of the rider from the trial.

7. When a split start is employed, the rider must start and end each loop on their designated section, or be considered a non-finisher.

8. Unsportsmanlike conduct, offensive behavior or language, by a rider or minder, will result in a penalty of 5 to 25 points. The 5 to 25 point penalty can be given at the sole discretion of any observer or course official.

D. Protests:

1. If a rider is severely distracted, or if spectators or other riders in the section block his/her line, he/she may claim a balk. At the discretion of the section observer, a re-ride of the section may be permitted, but the re-ride will be the one to be counted.

2. It is the rider s responsibility to acknowledge their score and verify their scorecard is punched correctly at each section immediately upon completion of the attempt. Disagreement with the observer must be noted and settled, if possible, without inconveniencing or delaying other riders, while the situation is fresh in everyone s mind. Scoring protests will not be heard if the observer was not made aware of the conflict immediately after the section attempt.

3. No person may protest another rider’s score.

4. A Protest Jury, consisting of the Event Referee, an AVTA officer and a third member designated by the Referee, shall act on all written protests and rules infractions.

5. These Protests must be in writing.

6. Only the rider can protest their own penalty.

7. Protests must be filed with the Referee as soon as practical but not later than 30 minutes after the results have been posted. The Referee shall render all decisions on protests as soon as possible but no decision shall be made before all the pertinent observers have been interviewed. If it is not possible for the Referee to decide the protest immediately, the Referee may permit the rider and motorcycle to compete under protest, but any trophy the rider may win will be withheld pending the decision on the protest. Once made, a protest cannot be withdrawn without the permission of the Referee.

8. Event results will become official only after the organizer has had time to check results for incorrect calculations.

E. Ties:

1. In case of ties, including time penalty, the rider with the lowest number of points on observation will win. If still tied, the competitor with the most cleans, and then ones, twos or threes will win. If still tied, then the system of farthest cleans; ones, twos, or threes will be used. If still tied, the rider with the fastest overall time will win. At the discretion of the Trails Master a ride off of an upper class section maybe used as a tie breaker.

F. Time Limit:

1. The time limit for all events will be determined by the event official based on attendance and course length.  Penalty points will be added for arrival at the finish check after scheduled time at the rate of 0.5 points per minute. Any rider turning in his scorecard later than 30 minutes after his/her scheduled time shall be disqualified.

2. Official time must be kept by a digital clock, so that a rider s finish time includes all of the finishing minute.  The riders finishing times shall be marked on their scorecards by an official at the final time control. To obtain the final score, points lost on time and points lost on observation are added.

OFFICIALS:

The trialsmaster is in charge of the course and the sections.  If problem areas are found the trialsmaster has absolute power over the sections, course and time limit and may delay the start of the meet until all necessary changes are made.

SECTIONS: 

A minimum of 3 sections will be provided for Beginner, Junior and Women’s classes.  A minimum of 6 sections will be provided for all other classes.  Minimum width of the sections shall be three feet.  Sections should be not dangerous or include impossible obstacles, based on the average skill level of the class intended.  The trialsmaster must prove each section rideable or seek approval of the class riders.

SUPPLEMENT: 

Spectators or judges are not allowed to ride sections during the event. Beginner and Novice sections are to be free from dangerous obstacles or surroundings in case of loss of control.

The trailsmaster shall be consulted if clarification of markers or splits is desired.  In the event a trailsmaster does not exist, the clerk of the course (highest ranking club official available that day) should be consulted for clarification of the intent of the split or marker.  

CLASSES:

Beginner – Open to entrants 12 years of age or under and riders who have never competed in a higher class, exceptions will be made if the rider may have ridden novice class when no beginner class was offered.

Women – Open to all Women.

Novice, Amateur, Intermediate, Expert and Master – Open to all ages, any rider may enter provided he has never competed in a class higher than the one he enters at an AVTA event.  If a rider fails to place 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd in a class for one year that rider may move to the next lower class.  The executive board may make exceptions if petitioned by the rider.

Senior Amateur and Senior Expert – Open to all riders over the age of 35.

Senior Amateur, Senior expert and Master – These classes are to be considered voluntary, that is to say that a rider cannot be forced to ride one of these classes due to a points situation.

ADVANCEMENT:

1^st Place – 30 points

2^nd Place – 20 points

3^rd Place – 10 points

Points will be accrued January through December, riders must move to the next higher class in January when points are accumulated as follows:

Beginner – When one 1^st place trophy is won if the rider is over 12 years old, if the rider is the only competitor the trophy does not count towards advancement.

Novice – 100 points and one class win.

Amateur – 200 points and two class wins. 

Intermediate – 300 points and five class wins.

Expert -  None

MEMBERSHIP:

1.      A majority vote of the membership committee is required to accept an applicant into membership.

2.      Applicant must be at least 18 years old or have signature of parent or guardian on application.

3.    A benefit of Membership is a subscription to the Trials Competition paper. In order to maintain this subscription the Membership dues of $30 must be paid to the treasurer prior to or during the club meeting following the May event.

4.      If applicant is denied membership the applicant can be recommended for candidate membership.

5.       A majority vote of the committee is required to be accepted into candidate membership.

CANDIDATE MEMBERSHIP:

Candidate membership privileges are defined as follows;

1.    A person must be a Candidate Member for 6 months, during which time support of club functions is required. After this time a Candidate will be reviewed for Full Membership. If approved, Full Membership dues are payable at the next Membership renewal. If not approved a further review will occur after 6 months.

2.    Candidate Membership status can be revoked by a majority vote of the Committee for infractions of the rules, unsportsmanlike conduct or other conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the club.

CANDIDATE MEMBERS:

1.      Do not enjoy all the rights and privileges of members in good standing.

2.      Do not receive subscription to Trials Competition newspaper from
the AVTA.

3.  Must pay a non-refundable one time fee equal to the current
membership dues.

4.      Are entitled to ride AVTA events at member entry fee levels.

5.      Are required to judge when assigned.

State Championship Rules

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