SANCTIONED RACE PROCEDURES
AMENDED APRIL 2010
Based on the April 1993 version
of the "Sanctioned Race Procedures" of the International Sled Dog
Racing Association, Inc.
DEFINITIONS
ORGANIZATION: the organisation in
charge of running the event.
EVENT: a meeting of contestants
for the purpose of competing in one event, which may involve several, race
classes.
DRIVER: a person who drivers a
dog team entered in the race.
RACE: a competition in a
specified class and may be comprised of one or more heats.
HEAT: a completion of the
trail once.
SHALL: shall be construed as
being imperative.
MAY: shall be
construed as being permissive.
SHOULD: shall be construed as being
advisory.
NO-RIGHT-OF-WAY ZONE: that part of the trail where no team has
the right-of-way over another team.
RACE AREA: all designated parking areas,
spectator access areas, team holding areas, start/finish chutes, officiating
areas and the trail area.
RACE MARSHAL: the person who shall
have supreme authority at an event.
RACE PERSONNEL
1. The organisation shall staff the race area with a sufficient
number of qualified officials to assure a quality contest and safe conditions
for both teams and drivers.
2. Key officials shall be knowledgeable about their roles in the
race and be thoroughly familiar with the NZFSS Race Rules and the NZFSS
Sanctioned Race Procedures.
a. The Race
i. The Race Marshal’s license is valid for
three (3) years from the date of passing the examination
ii. However a Race Marshal that has officiated
at an NZFSS sanctioned event in the final year of their current license period,
their license will be automatically renewed to the end of the following year.
iii. Race Marshal’s currently licensed under the
provisions of 2.a.ii above may be required, at the discretion of the NZFSS
Executive Officers, to re-sit the Race Marshal examination.
b. The
NZFSS will supply all individuals who pass the NZFSS Race Marshal Examination
with a card as proof of passing.
3. The race-giving organisation shall have a veterinarian on
site or call at all sanctioned races/weight pulls.
4. If necessary to use inexperienced trail help, such persons
should be assigned to work with an experienced person.
5. Race personnel at the start/finish chutes and on the trail
shall:
a. Keep the start and finish areas clear of
non-authorised persons.
b. Keep spectators well back from the
trail.
c. Discourage pets in all of the race
areas.
i. Organisations should discourage
spectators from bringing pets to the race through the local news media several
times prior to the race.
PRE-RACE PROCEDURES
A. ELIGIBILITY - DRIVERS AND DOGS
1. Entries
a. An entry for the race shall be submitted
to the organisation before the event.
b. The deadlines for entries shall be
determined by the organisation.
i. The pre-race deadline shall not be
less than 14 days prior to the event and should not be more than 1 calendar
month prior to the event.
c.
The
race-giving organisation shall determine the amount of the entry fees.
2. Drivers
a. An entry may be rejected by the
organisation for cause, which includes but is not confined to:
i. Past conduct by the driver
considered by the organisation to be detrimental to the sport.
ii. Age restrictions
(a) Children under 16 years
i.
Where
the Race Giving Organisation has not offered the Junior Class the Junior
wishes to enter, the Junior may enter the Senior class, with a maximum number
of dogs as allowed under the Junior Age Restriction rules.
ii. Where the Race Giving
Organisation has offered the Junior Class the Junior wishes to enter, the
Junior must enter in the Junior Class, unless they are the only entrant, in
which case they shall be given the following options.
a. Run alone in the class they
entered.
b. Change to another Junior Class.
c. Enter the same class in the
Senior Division
iii. The
Race Giving Organisaton must have just cause for not accepting a junior entry
into an “adult” event under the above rules. Where an entry is accepted
in an “adult” event for a person under 16 years, an acknowledgement must be
made by the parent or guardian of the entrant, that the entrant is capable of
handling the dog/dog team entered, and will not cause any hazard to the other
entrants. The acknowledgement shall also
contain a disclaimer of liability to the organising body.
(b) Shall be suitably publicised.
(c) NZFSS does not recognise races with sex
restrictions under the sanctioning procedures.
B. DOGS (Marking & Inspections)
1. Identification
a. The organisation shall require dogs to
be marked for identification in races of more than one heat.
i. Marking shall be done before the
first heat of the race in the holding area and/or a designated marking site.
ii. Marking shall not be done in the
starting chute.
iii. All dogs scheduled to race shall be
marked in a distinctive manner in order that they be readily identified.
(a) At the option of the organisation, dogs
not scheduled to race but being carried in the dog box, may be marked in such a
manner which would preclude them from being introduced to the team.
(b) Dogs dropped from the team marked to race
shall be re-marked in such a manner that they cannot be reintroduced to the
team in an ensuing heat.
iv. Marking materials may be determined by
the organisation.
(a) Material should be waterproof, non-toxic
and non-irritating.
(b) A colour that can be mistaken for blood
should be avoided.
(c) Marking should be visible but discreet.
(d) Marking should be on parts of the dog's
body where it cannot be licked.
v. A driver or handler may do the actual
marking in the presence and under the direction of the marking official.
2. Inspections
a. Dogs shall be checked for legitimate
markings before being allowed to leave the starting line in each heat of the
race.
b. Dogs may be required to stand for a
brief inspection at the end of the heat.
i. Post-heat inspections shall take
place at a reasonable distance beyond the finish line to leave a clear chute
for the following finishing team.
THE RACE TRAIL
A. COURSE
1. Layout
a. The trail shall be safe for dogs and
drivers as deemed by the Race Marshall and the weather conditions on the day.
b. The incoming trail should not cross the outgoing trail.
c. When the incoming trail joins the
outgoing trail, the two trails shall be as one and not separate until the
finish line is reached.
i.
Where
the outgoing trail is not safe as an incoming trail, the two trails may be
separate, provided a movable barrier is used at the point of departure from the
outgoing trail.
d. A trail layout which requires teams to
pass head-on should be avoided.
i. Where
it is impossible to avoid head-on passing completely, such section of the trail
should be kept as short as possible.
ii. Where a single out and back trail is
unavoidable, the trail shall have a large enough loop at the turn-around point
so a team can keep moving and does not have to stop to reverse its direction.
e. No trail should, at any time, pass a
designated vehicle parking area.
f. The trail should not go twice around
itself in the same direction either in whole or in part.
g. All trail sections shall be wide enough
to easily accommodate two (2) teams running abreast.
h. A "No-Right-Of-Way Zone" shall
commence within one kilometre (1/2 mile) from the finish line. The trail in this zone shall be no less than
3 meters (10 feet) wide.
2. Markers
a. The trail shall be indicated with
clearly visible official markers in sufficient numbers and in positions to
enable a driver to proceed with confidence.
b. An official marker should measure at
least 23cm (9 inches) diagonally and may be round, square, rectangular,
triangular.
c. An official marker may indicate the
race class.
d. A marker should be placed no less than
12 meters (40 feet) and no more than 21 meters (70 feet) before each major
intersection.
i. Marker should be positioned at least
1 meter (3 feet) above the surface of the trail itself, and the same distance
off the edge of the trail.
ii. A RED marker indicates a TURN at an
approaching intersection. A RIGHT turn
shall be indicated by a red marker on the RIGHT side of the trail. A LEFT turn shall be indicated by a red
marker on the left side of the trail.
iii. A BLUE marker means STRAIGHT AHEAD. Blue markers
should be placed on both sides of the outgoing trail at an intersection.
e. Blue markers should be placed at
reasonable intervals along a long stretch of otherwise unmarked trail.
f. A YELLOW marker indicates that caution
is advisable.
i. Yellow markers shall be placed
either before or at the spot requiring caution.
ii. Prior to the start of the race,
drivers shall be informed of the location of any caution area on the trail.
iii. The need for caution markers should be
avoided and used only if no alternative route is available.
g. The commencement of the
"No-Right-Of-Way Zone" shall be indicated by a green marker.
h. Distance markers may be placed along the
trail. They shall be white (black on
snow).
i. Stakes of any type may be used in
quantity to delineate the trail in a windblown area but they are not to be used
as a substitute for official trail markers.
j. Dye on the trail may be used as
additional marking but not as a substitute for official trail markers.
3. Packing
a. The trail should be packed in a manner
that the dogs' feet do not punch through the trail surface.
4. Trail Check
a. The trail shall be checked by the
Trail Boss, or trail crew members under his supervision, to make sure that all
the markers are in place, cross trails made by overland snow vehicle drivers
not associated with the race are blocked or obliterated, that all trail
officials are at their stations, etc, prior to each heat of each class.
5. Start and Finish Line Chutes
a. Holding chutes may be used.
b. The start and finish lines shall be
clearly indicated by:
i. Coloured line.
ii. Flag on both sides of the line,
opposite each other.
iii. Banner over the line.
c. The finish line may be different than
and separate from the start line.
d. The start chute.
i. Shall be wide enough to provide
ample room for the team(s) and its handlers, minimum 3 meters (10 feet) per
chute.
ii. Should be delineated along both sides
with a barrier that will keep it clear of all persons not associated with the
outgoing team.
e. The far end of the chute shall be
clearly indicated with a flag or marker different from those used to indicate
trail direction or caution.
f. The finish chute should be clearly
delineated with a barrier along both sides so that a lead dog can tell from a
distance where it must go and so that unauthorised persons can be kept well
clear of the finish area.
g. The passageway between the finish line
and the vehicle parking area should be delineated with barriers to keep
unauthorised persons out and back from the route for as long a distance as is
necessary and to give the teams a clear passage beyond the finish line.
h. Where the organisation elects to use a
dual start:
i. The chute for each team shall be at
least 10 feet (3 meters) wide.
A
barrier shall be erected to separate the teams and shall extend for a distance
of no less than 100 yards (90 meters) from the start line. This barrier shall not be a hazard to
outgoing or incoming teams.
i. If the chute is longer than 40 metres
there will be a marker at the 40 metre mark.
RACE DAY PROCEDURES
A. GENERAL
1. The
Race
B. STARTING INTERVALS
1. Starting intervals shall be 15 seconds
(Single Dog Class only), 30 seconds, (all classes) one or two minutes (rig/sled
classes only).
a. Duel start intervals shall be as above.
C. FINISH TIMES
1. A team's time should be announced as
soon after its finish as its time is computed.
a. Such announcements shall be considered
unofficial until such time that they have been posted following the race.
2. All provisional times should be
prominently posted as soon as they are available, by the Official Timers, and
within two hours after the race heat has concluded.
a. Positions may be subject to change due
to disqualification.
D. DOG COUNT IN THE CHUTES
1. The number of dogs in each team shall be
recorded by an official at the start of each heat.
2. The number of dogs returning in each
team shall be recorded by an official at the end of each heat.
a.
Teams
leaving the starting line must return to the finish line with the same number
of dogs, either in the team or in the basket on the sled/rig.
b.
The
Race Marshall shall obtain the name of any dog bagged during the race, and note
that name on the official records of the race.
3. Drivers may voluntarily drop dogs
between heats, subject to the minimum allowed in the concerned class.
a. Dogs dropped from the team shall be
marked by the marking official to preclude its reintroduction to the team.
E. CHECK FOR MANDATORY EQUIPMENT
1. The Race Marshal or his representative
shall inspect teams' sleds/rigs for the following mandatory equipment:
a. a basket/platform capable of carrying
any dog on your team.
b. an adequate brake and, for sleds only,
brushbow and snowhook.
c. a dog bag capable of holding securely
or covering a dog in place on the sled/rig.
2. Any person with a disability may apply
to the NZFSS for dispensation on equipment to allow them to compete in any
sanctioned event. Dispensation is at the
discretion of the NZFSS Officers.
F. USING "RABBITS"
1. No "Rabbit" may be used,
whether to scent the trail or for any other purpose.
POST-HEAT PROCEDURES
A. TIME QUALIFICATIONS
1. An organisation intending to use the
1.25 or 1.50 time qualifying factors shall announce which factor is to be used
and on which classes prior to entry and on the official entry blank.
a. Disqualification of team drivers not
meeting the time qualification, shall be included in the listing of posted
times at the end of the concerned heat with the exception of the final heat.
B. MEDICAL INSPECTIONS (WHEN RACE VETERINARIANS ARE PRESENT)
1. Race Veterinarians shall inspect teams
and dogs as requested by the Race Marshal and shall inspect all dogs crossing
the finish line in the basket of the sled
2. Race Veterinarians may conduct
inspections of any or all teams and dogs.
3. Race veterinarians shall report their
medical findings to the Race Marshal.
4. A team shall not be left standing
waiting for a vet check, immediately after they come over the finish line, this
will be done at or within a reasonable time after the race.
C. DRUG TESTING
1. An organisation intending to test for
illegal use of drugs, shall notify contestants prior to entry and on the
official entry blank.
2. It is recommended that the organisation
use the NZFSS Drug Testing Procedures
3. Where an organisation requires dogs to
be submitted to autopsy, such autopsy shall be performed by a mutually
acceptable, qualified veterinarian and such dogs shall continue to remain the
property of the team driver or owner.
D. DISQUALIFICATIONS
1. Infraction of any of the NZFSS Rules
shall be cause for disqualification or a warning after a hearing.
2. In the event of an alleged infraction,
the driver may request a hearing and it shall be granted by the Race Marshal
within one (1) hour of race finish.
3. Decisions shall be announced as promptly
as is practical but no later than two (2) hours prior to the start of any
ensuing heat.
4. In the case of drug testing, the above
schedule does not apply.
5. Disqualified teams and drivers shall not
be allowed to start in any ensuing heat.
6. Any disciplinary action following the
final heat of the race shall be acted upon prior to the awards ceremony.
7. The decisions of the Race Marshal shall
be final.
E. POST-HEAT CANCELLATION
1. A heat which has already been run may be
declared null and void if, in the judgement of the Race Marshal, competition
was significantly affected by unusual circumstances.
2. When a heat has been declared null and
void,
a. drivers in that heat shall be notified
as soon as possible.
b. that heat shall not be re-run.
3. If there was a regularly scheduled
subsequent heat,
a. starting order for the next heat shall
remain the same as for the null and void heat.
c.
the null and void heat shall be
considered as not having been run in determining which dogs may run.
A. INQUIRIES BY ORGANIZATIONS
1. Prior to making application for the
NZFSS sanctioning of a race, a representative of the organisation with any
questions should contact the NZFSS Executive Office.
2. If after making application, an
organisation wishes a clarification of the rules and procedures governing
sanctioned events, a representative should contact the NZFSS Executive Office.
3. Once the event is in progress, the
organisation working within the framework of the NZFSS Rules and Sanctioning
Procedures shall govern the event.
4. All applications for sanctioned events
shall be forwarded to the NZFSS Executive Office no later than the 31st
December the previous year.
ADDITIONAL RULES
A. Race-giving organisations may impose additional rules to meet
requirements unique to local conditions.
1. In NZFSS Sanctioned events, additional
rules shall be within the spirit of NZFSS rules and the intent of them shall
not be altered.
2. Additional rules shall be submitted to
the NZFSS Sanctioning Officer at least thirty (30) days prior to the event
being publicised.
3. Additional rules must be approved by the
NZFSS Executive and shall be notified with the race entry details.