ATMBC | Judging Criteria

Judging Categories

There are five categories:

• Difficulty of line
• Technique
• Control
• Fluidity
• Overall impression

Each judge will be responsible for judging overall impression and two other categories.
The remaining categories will be paired as follows:

• Difficulty of line and technique
• Control and fluidity

As there are five judges, three will judge difficulty of line and technique and two will judge control and fluidity.

The event course is broken up in to 12 sections, including 2 link sections (Link sections have a predetermined line score and they are judged on Technique, control and fluidity only).
Each section will be judged on the first four of the criteria with overall impression being scored by each judge at the completion of the riders run.

Specifics of categories

• Difficulty of line - Each rider chooses their own line and is awarded greater points for harder lines and fewer points for easier lines. Each section will have a minimum of three predetermined lines A, B, and C. of which A being the most difficult and C being the least. In each section A, B, and C will have set point values. Line X will represent alternative and unsuspected lines that the rider may choose. Line X could potentially be easier or harder and will be judged accordingly by the Line Judges.

NB: Link Sections are given a predetermined line value, therefore the line/technique judge does not have to judge the line, only the technique.

NB: This is the most important category, as difficulty of line determines the maximum score potential for all other categories. For example if a rider chooses line B that is worth 6 points, his maximum score for technique will be 8. This "2 point rule" ensures that a rider selecting an easy line can't score as highly in the other categories as a rider choosing the hardest line. Obviously if this system was not in place a rider could potentially take all the easy lines on the course thus giving him greater opportunity for dynamics and higher scores in all categories.

• Technique - This is the use of varied mountain bike skills in descending the course and riding built stunts and drops. Judges should not only be aware of techniques involved in handling all lines, but also familiar with the dynamic tricks etc. that we expect the riders to be doing as this is the nature of the event.

• Control - Riders must remain in control at all times, with any loss of control resulting in point deductions, a fall is the ultimate loss of control, however a skillful recovery will reduce the penalty.

• Fluidity - Constant direction towards a goal. This includes continuity, pace, and smooth transition (i.e. stopping, long unnecessary traverses and falls will result in lower scores).

• Overall impression - This gives the judges an opportunity to award points to riders that have been exceptional in their run, e.g. outstanding dynamics or aggressiveness. It also gives judges a chance to allocate fewer points to those riders they found to be disappointing in their run.

If there are any questions or feedback, e-mail the head judge Mike Shaw at
mike_shaw50@hotmail.com