Timed races without a timer?

[Wes Eastridge]

Does anyone know of, or have ideas for, slalom races without a true timing system?

How about for duals?

[Paul Price]

We have done races without timing - it's easy.

The rules - cones up to say 5 - no penalty - then dq.

The start 'racers ready - 5 second warning...... go'

This ensures a fair start.

The finish - first across the line - video camera at the finish line for close replays.

And the problem of bracketing is solved by a double elimination system.
All names go into a hat. You have to lose twice to go out. So the fastest 2 racers could meet in the 1st round but the loser can go thru the losers bracket to meet the fastest in the final.

We used this at folly beach and eastbourne in the UK. Not having to worry about timing problems or cone counts makes the racing flow!!!

[Paul Price]

I have been asked about the no-timing equipment races.

Its true the last few races using timing equipment (and the technical problems) have taken all day - double elimination is flowing with lots of race experience - important for newer racers

You may have to do a best of 3 for equally matched racers.

Also, by creating a pool of racers you get a winner and a lot of races, meaning more races for people who have travelled far. See notes below:

Here are some links which are useful:

http://jsoo.home.mindspring.com/articles/formats/

http://www.crowsdarts.com/brackets/tourn.html

http://www.foosballheaven.com/misc/foosbrackets.html

http://www.ton80.com/tools/brackets.html

http://www.playpool.com/download.php?op ... load&cid=1


Round-Robin/Double Elimination vs. Strictly Double Elimination

In an attempt to create both an easier situation for the racers and hopefully give the participants more total race time, the pure double-elimination bracket style has been scrapped for a round- robin/double-elimination pool system this year at the Hyde Park skateboard races. For those that don't know, double elimination is a system where racers are either placed randomly or seeded into a bracket system. The first entry in the bracket will race the second entry; the third entry will race the fourth, and so on. The losers of this first round of competition will be sent to their own little bracket system called, appropriately, the loser's bracket, while the winners move along in the main bracket, which is known as the winner's bracket. Once you are in the loser's bracket, you cannot risk losing a second time or else you will be knocked out of the competition.

This created situations where competitors who may have traveled hundreds of miles just to race, found themselves going home after racing two people.

Round-robin on the other hand, while not without its own controversy (no system is 100% foolproof, especially in round-robin where ties aren't just likely, they are expected), is much more racer friendly. Competitors are seeded into pools of players (four or eight) who race. When everyone is done, the wins/losses are counted and the top two racers move onto a "winner's" pool, where a double-elimination bracket style is played out until the last racer is left standing. This situation makes the preliminary stage of the competion much easier to manage and allows even the worst racer to face off against nine other people.