The Ark Valley Trials Association was formed in 1973 and is based in Wichita, Kansas. We celebrate 50 years of Observed Trials in 2023! Membership is primarily from the South Central Kansas region. The original club consisted of approximately 20 members.  The club today has more than 40 active 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 are/or have been national champions!  

Rules and Regulations

September 2023 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.

Terminology:

Clean - No error to incur penalty points. The rider receives a score of zero (desirable).

Footing / Dab - Any intentional contact between the rider's foot (or any other part of the body) and a supporting surface or object. (example: A situation in which some part of the body comes in contact with an object (i.e. tree, rock) and assists the rider in maintaining balance shall be considered a Dab.  Brushing against an object is not considered a dab.) 

Splits/Markers - A split or marker within a section identifies the intended route for only the class specified with the split/marker.  Failure to comply with a split or marker will result in a five point penalty.  Splits or markers are intended to increase the difficulty of the section in order to provide sufficient challenges for a variety of skill levels; sections should be set up with this in mind.  You only pay attention to your class splits, however, dislodging of ANY split marker to the extent that it has to be reset will be scored as a FIVE.  If there are no splits for your class you can ride anywhere within the boundaries of the section.

Colored splits are used to help clarify the specific class lines.

RED = Amateur or Expert

BLACK = Rookie or Master

GREEN = Advanced Amateur or Advanced Intermediate

BLUE = Novice or Intermediate

NATC Rules for Scoring
Revised for AVTA club use - September 2023

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. ***If a rider enters the section without the observer's acknowledgement then the rider is disqualified and five (5) points are awarded.

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 rear wheel.

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

5. The rider receives deliberate 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 motorcycle, except for the tires, is used for support, without forward motion.  The motorcycle must be moving forward while footing with a dead engine to avoid a 5-point score.

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.

14. Either tire passes on the out-of-bounds side of the Section boundary with the tire on the ground. In the case of running over a taped boundary, for a failure to occur there must be ground visible between the tape and the tire and the tire must be on the ground on the out-of-bounds side of the tape. It is permitted to float one wheel over a marker, but not both tires.  Jumping the motorcycle over a boundary is a failure.

15. The front axle does not pass through the start and end gates, and all other gates for the class. 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 (see section C. Other Penalties).

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.  *(When riding in groups a majority vote can override this rule)

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.  *(This rule can be flexed if time or weather are affecting the outcome of the event)

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.  Should a re-ride be granted the section shall be observed from the point of obstruction onwards and any points lost prior to the point of the obstruction of the original attempt will stand.

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 Trials Master, an AVTA officer and a third member designated by the Trials Master, 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 Trials Master as soon as practical but not later than 30 minutes after the results have been posted. The Trials Master 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 Trials Master to decide the protest immediately, the Trials Master 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 Trials Master.

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, at the discretion of the Trails Master, a ride off of an upper class section maybe used as a tie breaker or if determination of the first point taken can be made then that may be used to break the tie.

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 at the rate of 0.5 points per minute for score cards turned in after the time limit expires. Any rider turning in his scorecard later than 15 minutes after his/her scheduled time shall be disqualified.

2. Official time must be kept by a clock visible to the riders.  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 Trials Master is in charge of the course and the sections.  If problem areas are found the Trials Master 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 6 sections will be provided for noted 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 Trials Master must prove each section is 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 Trials Master shall be consulted if clarification of markers or splits is desired.  In the event a Trials Master is not appointed, the position is delegated to the highest ranking AVTA club officer present at the event.

Eligible club members in good standing may ride one day in AVTA hosted National 2-day events and serve the other day as checker.  To ride both days of an AVTA hosted National 2-day event the member must seek a suitable club member to serve as their substitute.  Approval of the substitute must come from the event's designated Checker Leader.

In preparation for an AVTA hosted National 2-day event, the club will meet twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in the preceding months prior to the hosted National 2-day event.

 CLASSES:

Cadet - Open to entrants under the age of 12 on small wheeled motorcycles. 

Rookie/Beginner - Open to 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.

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.

Advanced Amateur, Advanced Intermediate 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.