A full understanding of our competition series, including rules, regulations, awards, records, schedule, and more. We recommend you read this from beginning to end so you are fully prepared to take the Challenge.
INDEX Advancing to the Finals Policy Age Consideration Policy Athlete Eligibility Requirements Awards Program Overview Baton Passing Zones / Overview Annual Events
Page 24-25
PPE Policy
Page 33-34 Page 2 Page 14 Page 27 Page 1 Page 4 Page 21-25 Page 22-25 Page 26 Page 26 Page 12 Page 5 Page 32 Page 3 Page 9-10 Page 13 Page 34 Page 3 Page 30 Page 27-28 Page 22-25
Page 14 Page 1 Page 2
Qualifying for Events Policy Ready to Compete Policy Record Holder Programs
Page 16-18 Page 11-12
Refund Policy
Regional Event Honors Definition
Baton Use Policy
Page 12 Page 33 Page 27 Page 4 Page 39 Page 33 Page 6 Page 13 Page 16 Page 29 Page 29 Page 14 Page 35 Page 2-3 Page 3 Page 3 Page 13 Page 2 Page 16 Page 1 Page 8-9 Page 31 Page 34 Page 20 Page 14 Page 34 Page 30 Page 39 Page 32 Page 31
Region(s) Overview
Boot Policy
Region Record Holder Program
Cancellation Policy Categories (Types)
Registration Fees Registration Policy
Class System Overview
Relay Category Overview Relay Category Penalties Relay Team Subcategories Rescue Randy Evolution Policy
Coat Policy
Coed Team Policy Course Officials Daily Event Schedule Delay of Sport Policy
Rookie Period
Run Order Policy
Delineator Policy Dispute Policy
SCBA Policy
Slot Determination Process Policy
Disqualifications (Course) Disqualification (All) Overview
Page 29-32
Special Attempt Run Policy
Starting Area Policy
Division Types
State Record Holder Program
Division Assignment Policy
Subcategories
Page 4-5 Page 9 Page 5 Page 29
Division Promotion & Relegation Policy
Tandem Category Overview Tandem Team Subcategories Turnout Gear Infraction Policy
Drone Policy
Eligibility Requirements
Equipment Malfunction Policy
Turnout Gear Policy
Page 33-34
Event Types
Turnout Gear Inspection Policy
Page 34 Page 34
Fire Department Showdown Overview
Trouser Policy Uniform Policy
Forcible Entry Evolution Policy
Page 33-34
General Rules & Policies
Page 14 & Page 29
Unsportsmanlike Behavior Policy U.S. National Record Holder Program Overall Event Honors Definition
Page 29
Glove Policy
Page 22-25
Hall of Fame Program
Page 1 Page 32 Page 14 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16
Hanging Out (restricted areas)
Victim Rescue Evolution Policy
Helmet Policy
Video Review Policy
High-Rise Hose Pack Evolution Policy
Video Use Policy
House of Grind Program
Videographer Policy Weather Delay Policy
Hose Advance Evolution Policy Hose Hoist Evolution Policy Individual Category Overview
World Record Holder Program
Page 22-25 Pages 9 & 10
Page 8 Page 5 Page 3 Page 34 Page 28 Page 37 Page 8 Page 6-7 Page 19-20
Youngest Member Policy
Individual Subcategories Injury Declaration Policy
Inspection (Turnout Gear) Policy Keiser Force Machine Evolution Policy
*Highlighted areas indicate new or updated information.
LION’s DEN Program
Logo and Name Use Policy
Maximum Time to Complete Course Minimum Number of Athletes Required
Mission of Challenge
Page 1 Page 15 Page 15 Page 6 Page 16 Page 37
On-Course Celebration Policy On-Course Coach Allowance Policy
Open Team Policy Opening Ceremony
Patch Program & Designs
Penalties (Course)
Page 29-32 Page 35-36
Penalties (All) Overview Photographer Policy
Page 15 Page 15
Photo Use Policy
Points Champion Program Overview
Page 18-19
MISSION OF THE CHALLENGE The mission of the SERVPRO® FCL and TFT® Series is three-fold: • Showcase the strength and readiness of the fire service. • Inspire the next generation of firefighters. • Promote the physical, mental, cardiac, and respiratory benefits that result from routine exercising, good nutritional habits, and job-based training regimens. ANNUAL EVENTS Our events are open to all firefighters, regardless of experience or physical preparedness, as outlined on page 2. Annually, the SERVPRO® FCL conducts nine (9) TFT® Firefighter Challenge Championship Series competition events in the United States from April 1 to October 31.
THE OFFICIAL RULES OF THE FIREFIGHTER CHALLENGE
Our events include:
FROM THE: FIREFIGHTER CHALLENGE LEAGUE THE ORIGINAL AND OFFICIAL GOVERNING BODY
Welcome to the TFT® Firefighter Challenge
Championship Series a sporting event of the SERVPRO® FCL
At our Regional Classic events, we recognize the top three (3) place finishers in two awards classes: “Regional Event Honors(s)” and “Overall Event Honors”. • Regional Event Honor(s): recognizing athletes who work/reside within the same region of the region designated event. All members of a Tan- dem or Relay team must be from the same region to be recognized with region specific honors. • Overall Event Honor(s): recognizing any athlete or team, regardless of where they live, participating in the event.
Our Guide to the Challenge will provide you with a comprehensive overview and understanding of this competition series, including eligibility requirements, turnout gear policy, course evolutions, general course rules, categories offered, program policies, award types, record holder programs, event schedule, and more. We recommend you read this from beginning to end so you are fully prepared to compete.
It is possible for a athlete or team to receive both Region and Overall Event honors at their designated regional classic event.
WWW.FIREFIGHTERCHALLENGE.COM
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QUALIFYING FOR EVENTS
The following outlines our qualification requirements for each event type:
Qualifying for All American Challenge & Training Camp Season Opener / Regional Classics Any firefighter can attend these events. At These events, our sport does offer an entry point for all first-time athletes to ensure they are properly aligned by performance, age, and gender. Qualifying for U.S. Nationals Competing in the U.S. National Championship is only possible if the athlete/ team competed at the All American Challenge Training Camp, Season Opener, or at one of the five (5) Regional Classic events. This ensures they are ready to compete on the national platform
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No exceptions to this rule
• Athletes that ran and successfully completed an Individual Category run at a qualifying event are eligible to compete in all categories. Athletes that only competed in a Tandem or Relay Category are only eligible to compete in these two categories. Qualifying for the World Championship Any firefighter from around the world can compete in this event because we offer four (4) days of highly competitive qualifying rounds to determine the small percentage of elite athletes and teams that will advance to the world title finale(s).
ELIGIBLE ATHLETES The TFT® Firefighter Challenge Championship Series is open to:
• career or volunteer firefighters (active or retired) ages 18+ that are employed by and/or are voluntary members of an organized fire department (i.e.: township, municipal, district, county, state, country, military, or industry) • licensed firefighters seeking employment • cadets • junior firefighters/explorers (ages 14-21) • accredited governmental or educational agencies with a fire service curriculum
At times, we do offer special events that allow non-firefighters to participate. Rules for these types of events will be customized for the type of event being offered. All rules and awards categories will be published with the event. DIVISIONS Our division, age and gender segmentation model align our sport with other professional sports that recognize the value and benefit of placing athletes with others based on their performance, age, and gender. athletes under the age of 40 (our largest body of athletes) are segmented into one of three (3) Divisions based on their Individual Category run time. • athletes over the age of 40 are automatically assigned to Division 1, and compete in their respective age/gender subcategory groups. 2 In our sport: •
Pro Level Placement Times
Challenger Level Placement Times
Next Gen Level Placement Times Male: 2:30.01 and over Female: 4:00.01 and over
Male: 1:50.00 and under Female: 3:00.00 and under
Male: 2:30.00 and under Female: 4:00.00 and under
Members of a Junior Firefighter or Fire Explorer program, between the ages 14-21, will be assigned in our Junior FF/Fire Explorer Division. Note: there is no division recognition in our tandem and relay categories due to the ever-changing combination of team members .
DIVISION ASSIGNMENTS
• a first-time athlete Under the Age of 40 that did not make the Individual Category finale at the season opener or regional event and would like a chance to improve their division placement. • an athlete requesting an extra run to attempt LION’S Den. Policy: • A Special Attempt Run requires an additional category registration fee be paid. • Run requests are on a first-come, first-served, basis and are not guaranteed since they are based on space availability. • A Special Attempt Run time is not factored into the results of the primary category finale event. • The run request should be submitted to the Timer as soon as possible so they can keep the athlete in mind if space becomes available. • Special Attempt Runs are not permitted at the annual U.S. and World Championship events . Rookie Period: After an athlete is initially placed into a division at their first event, they enter a rookie period until they complete four (4) full course runs. This period ensures accurate placement among similarly skilled athletes. Promotion During Rookie Period: If a rookie athlete qualifies for the Individual Category finale or is granted a Special Attempt Run during the finale, and their fastest run time warrants promotion, they will be reclassified into the appropriate division at their next event. Annual Promotions: Once the rookie period concludes, all future promotions are determined seasonally and announced during the off-season before the start of the new season. Relegation Policy: If an athlete fails to meet the minimum required course completion time for their current division across four (4) consecutive runs, they will be relegated to a more suitable division based on their performance. This reassignment will take effect at their next event. Athletes who have been relegated may be re-promoted if they achieve qualifying times in four (4) consecutive runs within the same season. World Challenge Policy : no promotions or relegations will occur at this event. Injury Declaration: When an athlete is recovering from injury, surgery, or illness they may declare this issue with the Registrar before the event begins. By making this declaration the competition runs will not be counted towards promotion or relegation. An injury declaration cannot last for more than one season. DIVISON PROMOTION & RELEGATION
Athletes under the age of 40, not yet assigned to a division, will be placed into the appropriate division at their first event based on their performance. Athletes over the age of 40, regardless of performance, are assigned to Division 1 in the appropriate age and gender group. Newly placed athletes, Under Age 40, will remain in a ‘rookie period’ until they have completed four (4) full course runs. Refer to the promotion and relegation section below for more details. The athlete’s ‘fastest’ run time during qualifying round(s) in the Individual category will determine the division for the remainder of the event. • If an athlete does not advance into the finale, they will remain in that division moving forward unless they request to do a Special Attempt Run during the finale. See below policy. Initial Assignment Policy: • • If an athlete does advance into the Individual Category finale or is allowed to run a Special Attempt Run during the finale, their overall fastest run time at the event will determine the division they will be assigned to at future events. • If an athlete experiences a DNF during their first run attempt, they will remain unassigned until they complete a full course run. World Challenge Policy: For this event only, all athletes under the age of 40 will start with a clean slate and any existing division placements will not apply. Division placement will be determined exclusively by each athlete’s fastest qualifying run during the qualifying rounds. To ensure fairness, no promotions or relegations will occur at this event. This approach is designed to foster transparency and equal opportunity, especially given the large number of athletes joining us from programs that do not use a division-based model. Special Attempt Run Policy: A Special Attempt Run is a dedicated race where an athlete is specifically trying to achieve a goal outside of placement for the event. This run is a special opportunity offered to select athletes in select situations. These ‘special’ runs have no bearing on the medal placement at the event. The following are eligible to request a Special Attempt Run:
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REGIONS The United States operations is divided into five (5) regions. U.S. athletes are placed into the region of their declared state of resi- dence. Military personnel will be placed into the region where their assigned base is located. Regardless of the assigned region, an athlete can compete in any regional event. International competitors can also compete in any event, except the annual U.S. Championship event STATES BY REGIONS
Alabama Florida Georgia Kentucky Mississippi
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nebraska
Arizona Arkansas Louisiana New Mexico Oklahoma Texas
Connecticut Delaware DC Maine Maryland
Alaska California Colorado Hawaii Idaho Montana
North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont
Nevada Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming
North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin
MAIN CATEGORIES AND SUBCATEGORIES
The TFT® Firefighter Challenge Championship Series offers six (6) exciting ‘Main Categories’ to compete in: • Individual • FD Showdown Team • FD Tandem Team • Hybrid Tandem Team • FD Relay Team • Hybrid Relay Team
Each main category offers a variety of age and gender ‘subcategories’ to choose from.
Individual Category : Athletes competing in the Individual Category will do so in the subcategory of their current age.
FD Tandem Team Category : Teams must adhere to the following formation policies:
• Athletes competing in the FD Tandem Team ‘Under Age 40’ subcategory must both be under age 40. • Athletes competing in the FD Tandem Team ‘Open’ subcategory can be any age however only one (1) ‘Under Age 40’ athlete on the team is allowed. • Athletes competing in an age range subcategory must be within the designated age range to compete in a specific age group. For example, athletes in the 40–49 age category must be between the ages of 40 and 49 at the time of the event. Hybrid Tandem Team Category : Athletes competing in any of the Hybrid Tandem Team subcategories must select the age subcategory based on its youngest member. FD and Hybrid Relay Team Categories : Athletes competing in any of the FD and Hybrid Relay Team subcategories must select the age subcategory based on its youngest member.
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Youngest Member Policy : This rule does not apply to the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer program. Participants in the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer program are permitted to compete on adult teams, but adult teams are not allowed to compete in the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer division, as this would create an unfair advantage over authentic student participants. TEAM NAME POLICY: A FD Showdown, FD Tandem or FD Relay team must name the team using the legal name of the FD, i.e., City of Brilliant (AL) Fire Dept. If registering more than one team in the same subcategory, each team will begin with the same city department name followed by a unique identifier selected from our dropdown field, i.e., 1, Blue Team, A Team, etc. Class System: During our annual World Challenge event, all FD Showdown, FD Tandem, and FD Relay teams are segmented by either Municipal Department or National/International Department. See page 39 for more details. The following are the subcategories we offer except for our annual world challenge event where we further segment our age groups in the Individual and Tandem categories into five (5) year increments.
Indivdual Category Subcategories:
Fire Department Showdown Team Category Subcategories - All Male - All Female - Coed
Individual Category Subcategories - Overall Male - Overall Female
- Age 40-49 Male - Age 40-49 Female - Age 50-59 Male - Age 50-59 Female - Age 60-69 Male - Age 60-69 Female - Age 70-79 Male - Jr. FF/Explorer Male - Jr. FF/Explorer Female
- Under Age 40 – Division 1 Male - Under Age 40 – Division 1 Female - Under Age 40 – Division 2 Male - Under Age 40 – Division 2 Female - Under Age 40 – Division 3 Male - Under Age 40 – Division 3 Female - Age 18-29 Male - Age 18-29 Female - Age 30-39 Male - Age 30-39 Female
Tandem Team Category Subcategories:
Fire Department Tandem Team Subcategories - Under Age 40 Male
Hybrid Tandem Team Subcategories - Under Age 40 Male
- Junior FF/Explorer All Male - Junior FF/Explorer All Female - Junior FF/Explorer- Coed
- Age 60-69 Female - Age 60-69 Coed - Age 70-79 Male
- Under Age 40 Female - Under Age 40 Coed - Open Male - Open Female - Open Coed - Age 40-49 Male - Age 40-49 Female - Age 50+ Male - Age 50+ Female
- Under Age 40 Female - Under Age 40 Coed - Age 40-49 Male - Age 40-49 Female - Age 40-49 Coed - Age 50-59 Male - Age 50-59 Female
- Jr. FF/Explorer All Male - Jr. FF/Explorer All Female - Jr. FF/Explorer Coed
- Age 50-59 Coed - Age 60-69 Male
Relay Team Category Subcategories
Fire Department Relay Team Subcategories - Under Age 40 Male
Hybrid Relay Team Subcategories
- Under Age 40 Male - Under Age 40 Female - Under Age 40 Coed - Age 40-49 Male - Age 40-49 Female - Age 40-49 Coed - Age 50-59 Male - Age 50-59 Female
- Age 60-69 Female - Age 60-69 Coed - Age 70-79 Male
- Under Age 40 Female - Under Age 40 Coed - Age 40-49 Male - Age 40-49 Female - Age 40-49 Coed
- Jr. FF/Explorer All Male - Jr. FF/Explorer All Female - Jr. FF/Explorer Coed
- Junior FF/Explorer All Male - Junior FF/Explorer All Female - Junior FF/Explore Coed
- Age 50-59 Coed - Age 60-69 Male
Policy : If an eligible athlete or team is at an event and the minimum number of team requirements are not met, they will merge with another subcategory however their run will still be eligible to earn State, Region, U.S., or World Records in their actual age bracket category. 5
Top Fire Chief : If ‘the’ fire chief, absolute head of the department, would like to be considered for this special honor they must provide a letter from their superior to validate their position. The top 3 placeholders will be recognized in this special honor program.
Subcategories Definitions Overall: the overall fastest time regardless of age. Male and Female: the gender of the athlete as stated on birth certificate. Age Range: the age of an athlete that falls between two ages. Coed: a mix of male and female. (see below policy) Open: a mix of different age categories. Junior FF/EXP: a member of a junior firefighter/ fire explorer program between the ages of 14-21. Hybrid: a team comprised of athletes representing more than one fire department. Coed Team Policy All coed teams registering in a coed subcategory must be proportioned as outlined below: • Coed Tandem Teams: comprised of one male and one female. • Coed Relay Teams: can select formation options #’s 1, 2, or 3. • Coed FD Showdown Teams: can select formation options #’s 1 or 2.
Formation Option 1 : A three (3) person team: two (2) athletes of the same gender and one (1) athlete of the opposite gender.
Formation Option 2 : A four (4) person team: two (2) athletes of the same gender and two (2) athletes of the opposite gender.
Formation Option 3 : A five (5) person team: three (3) athletes of the same gender and two (2) athletes of the opposite gender.
• The Challenge does not guarantee that teams of the same formation will compete against one another, i.e.: a three (3) person team with two (2) males and one (1) female may go head-to-head with a four (4) person team with two (2) females and two (2) males. • All team members must perform at least one pass zone/leg as described on pages 11 -12. • Failure to comply with this policy will result in the team being ineligible to compete. • If a member of the team becomes injured during play, the team member now performing the injured members pass zone/leg must be of the same gender. Note: the injured athlete will remain benched for the duration of the category event. If a relay team is left with less than three (3) members the team will be disqualified . If a member of a tandem team must forfeit due to injury the team is disqualified . Open Team Policy Team members competing in our open Tandem subcategories can be of any age, allowing athletes of a wide range of ages to join forces to compete in this exciting subcategory, however only one (1) ‘Under Age 40’ athlete on the team is allowed. MINIMUM ATHLETE/TEAM REQUIREMENTS We require a minimum number of athletes and/or teams to be registered in a subcategory for it to be recognized . Special events like our All American Challenge & Training Camp will follow our regional event minimums.
INDIVIDUAL
FD SHOWDOWN
FD TANDEM HYBRID TANDEM
FD RELAY HYBRID RELAY
SEASON OPENER/ REGION EVENTS U.S. NATIONAL
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2
2
2
2
2
2 3
2 3
2 3
2 3
2 3
2 3
WORLD
Training for a full course run in our sport requires a significant commitment, and the following exceptions are currently in place for our female and older athletes competing at the All American Challenge & Training Camp, Season Opener, Regional and U.S. National events. This policy ensures these athletes and departments are not penalized while the number of athletes competing in these divisions and age subcategories continues to grow. Exceptions to this Policy
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SUBCATEGORIES
MINIMUM COMPETITOR/ TEAMS REQUIRED
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UNDER AGE 40 FEMALE: ALL DIVISIONS
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INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY: AGE 40-49 FEMALE INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY: AGE 50-59 FEMALE INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY: AGE 60-69 FEMALE INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY: AGE 70-79 MALE
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1
1
1
ALL FEMALE FD SHOWDOWN
1
ALL COED FD SHOWDOWN
World Challenge Exceptions: The minimum number of teams in the Age 50+ female and coed team categories are two teams. For Age 60+ male teams two teams .
Other Polices: Minimum Athlete Requirements
• Minimum Not Met: in the event the minimum number of athletes or teams are not met in a subcategory, they will be moved into the preceding ‘like’ age, FD or Hybrid subcategory. We do not merge FD or Hybrid subcategories together unless all teams approve . If the minimum requirement is still not met an exception will be made allowing the merged subcategories to go ahead and compete.
• Forfeiting: if an athlete elects not to run because they are merged into another subcategory, they can inform the Timer of their decision to forfeit the event.
• Junior Firefighter / Fire Explorer program (ages 14–21): if the minimums are not met the athlete/team will move ‘up’ into the like adult subcategory. • Record Holder Programs: in the event an athlete and/or team is moved into a lower or upper age subcategory, they are still eligible to earn State, Region, U.S., or World Records in their actual age bracket category.
• Single Competitor Rule: When an athlete is the only participant in their age group, they must: o Complete the full qualifying course within the official time limit o Repeat this performance during the final round o Only by meeting both conditions will they qualify to receive a medal.
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MAXIMUM TIME TO COMPLETE THE COURSE The TFT® Firefighter Challenge Championship Series has a maximum time that athletes and teams must complete the challenge course in all categories. This policy is for the safety of the athletes. Athletes or Teams that exceed the allowed time will be disqualified . When disqualified, for purposes of safety, the athlete(s) must exit the course. EVENT INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY FIRST TIMER & DIVISION 3 INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY TANDEM CATEGORY RELAY CATEGORY (SEEDING ROUND TIME) SEASON OPENER 6:00.00 and under 7:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under REGION CLASSIC 6:00.00 and under 7:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under U.S. NATIONAL 6:00.00 and under 7:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under WORLD CHALLENGE 6:00.00 and under 7:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under 4:00.00 and under NOTE: Continued progression on the course must be achieved by all athletes. Officials have the authority to remove an athlete from the course when progression stops, a possible health crisis occurs, or at their sole discretion if becoming concerned about an athlete’s well-being. Penalty Assessment Policy: If a penalty is assessed during an athlete’s or team’s run, and it causes their time to exceed the maximum allowed, they will not be disqualified. The final time that includes the penalty will stand as recorded. INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY OVERVIEW In the Individual Category, an individual
athlete runs the entire Course in full turnout gear with SCBA while ‘on-air’ (health protocols permitting). Athletes will be placed into the appropriate division and subcategory based on their age, gender and run time. The Challenge provides athletes with a 3M™ Scott™ Fire & Safety issued SCBA and mask to use during the competition. This must be worn by all participants and cannot be substituted by the athlete (see mask exception under turnout gear regulations).
FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWDOWN CATEGORY OVERVIEW The FD Showdown Category recognizes departments with three (3) to five (5) members from their department competing in the Individual Category by adding together the run times of the three (3) fastest team members to create a total sum. The team with the fastest cumulative time wins. • This category offers three (3) subcategories: All Male, All Female and Coed. • Only one (1) subcategory per athlete can be selected. • All team members must be from the same Fire Department (same employer). • Teams and members must be declared before the Individual Category qualifying rounds begin. • A Fire Department can enter multiple teams so long as they each meet the minimum requirement of three (3) team members. • FD teams must name their team using the legal name of the FD, i.e., City of Brilliant (AL) Fire Dept. • If any team member has more than one (1) qualifying run their fastest time will be used. • If there are less than three (3) members that finish, i.e., due to disqualification, no-show, DNF, injury, etc. resulting in no time, then the team will not receive consideration.
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• At ALL events the winners of the FD Showdown will be determined at the conclusion of the qualifying rounds in the Individual Category. TANDEM CATEGORY OVERVIEW A Tandem team consists of two (2) athletes. Athletes run in full turnout gear wearing a 3M™ Scott™ Fire & Safety issued SCBA but no mask. This is an ‘off-air’ category. The Course is divided into two halves, and each athlete must complete one of the halves. The team time comprises the total elapsed time to complete the full course. • Athletes can choose between two (2) main Tandem Team Categories: Fire Department and Hybrid. Each category offers a series of age and gender subcategories. o Fire Department (FD) Team : two (2) athletes from the same department. o Hybrid Team : two (2) athletes from two (2) different departments. • FD teams must name their team using the legal name of the FD, i.e., City of Brilliant (AL) Fire Dept. • The Keiser® Force Machine is the transition point. The handoff of the baton can be made either before mounting the Force Machine or after the completion of the Keiser® evolution following the hammer being placed on the mat. • It is up to the athletes to determine who does which portion of the Course. • This is a one and done run event, meaning there are not additional runs. • Athletes may serve on more than one (1) team in the same subcategory at the season opener and regional events, however we do not guarantee rest or additional space between team runs! • Athletes competing in the U.S. National and World events may only compete on two (2) teams and that are in different subcategories unless league officials announce otherwise. • Athletes competing in the FD Tandem Team ‘Under Age 40’ subcategory must both be under age 40. • Athletes competing in the FD Tandem Team ‘Open’ subcategory can be any age however only one (1) ‘Under Age 40’ athlete on the team is allowed. • Athletes competing in the Hybrid Tandem Team Category must select the age subcategory based on its youngest member. Youngest Member Policy: This rule does not apply to the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer program. Participants in the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer program are permitted to compete on adult teams, but adult teams are not allowed to compete in the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer division, as this would create an unfair advantage over authentic student participants.
RELAY CATEGORY OVERVIEW
A Relay team consists of three (3) to five (5) members. Athletes run in full turnout gear wearing a 3M™ Scott™ Fire & Safety issued SCBA but no mask. This is an ‘off-air’ category. Each member of the team will complete one (1) or more legs of the course before handing a baton to another member. (see the Relay Baton Passing section on pages 9-10 for more details). • Athletes can choose between two (2) main Relay Team Categories: Fire Department and Hybrid. Each category offers a series of age and gender subcategories. o Fire Department (FD) Team : a group of thee (3) to five (5) athletes from the same department. o Hybrid Team : a group of thee (3) to five (5) athletes from • FD teams must name their team using the legal name of the FD, i.e., City of Brilliant (AL) Fire Dept.
Policy Exception: a fire department team that has only three (3) or four (4) male members and one (1) female member at an event may join to form an FD All-Male subcategory team to allow all members an opportu- nity to compete
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Relay Category Overview • Athletes may serve on more than one (1) team in the same subcategory at the season opener and regional event; however, we do not guarantee rest or additional space between team runs!
• If an athlete is serving on more than one (1) team and both teams end up having to compete against each other, the athlete must let the Timer know which team he/she will be removing themselves from.
• Athletes competing in the U.S. National and World events may only compete on two (2) teams and that are in different subcategories unless league officals announce otherwise.
• Youngest Team Member Dictates Subcategory: The subcategory selected by the team must be the age category of its youngest member with the exception of the policy below. Youngest Member Policy: this rule does not apply to the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer program. Participants in the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer program are permitted to compete on adult teams, but adult teams are not allowed to compete in the Jr. Firefighter / Explorer division, as this would create an unfair advantage over authentic student participants. • Relay substitutions due to injury, transfers, illness, and shift changes are not permitted after the original team runs. A team may reduce the number of its members so long as the minimum remains at three (3). All members of a team must run each time the team runs. A member cannot sit out for one run, or they will be ineligible to advance. They must complete one leg during play. Relay Category Format Update – Effective 2026 With the continued growth of the sport and the expansion of relay subcategories, the former bracket-based format became operationally unmanageable and could not be supported by a consistent software solution. The new precision-based progression model provides a scalable, software-driven system that eliminates manual pairing and bracketing, ensures fair and consistent advancement, and allows any licensed event to operate the relay category accurately and efficiently.
COMPETITION STRUCTURE Round 1 – Pairing Round
• All registered relay teams, regardless of subcategory, are randomly paired by the timing system. • Each team runs the course to establish the baseline for pairing teams with similar speeds in Round 2. Round 2 – Performance Round • Teams race against the team with the closest Round 1 time, regardless of subcategory. • Round 1 time + Round 2 time = cumulative time.
Advancement Criteria After Round 2 • If a subcategory has four (4) or fewer teams, they will skip Round 3 and advance directly to Round 4 (Podium Round). • If a subcategory has five (5) or more teams, they will proceed to Round 3 to determine which four (4) fastest teams advance to Round 4.
Round 3 – Knockout Round (Only for 5+ Team Subcategories) • Teams are paired by closest cumulative times, regardless of subcategory.
• The four (4) teams with the fastest cumulative times in each subcategory advance to Round 4. • This is not a win or lose race — advancement is still based on cumulative time to this point.
Round 4 – Podium Round • The final four (4) teams in each subcategory race for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. • Pairings in this round match teams from the ‘same subcategory’ based on closest times. • Final podium placements are determined by each team’s total cumulative time from all rounds, not just this race .
Policies:
Pairing for Fairness: Teams are always matched with the team whose time is closest to theirs.
Disqualifications: A DQ in any round removes the team from further participation.
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Not an Elimination Bracket: Teams do not advance by beating another team. Progression is determined solely by speed and cumulative time.
Additional:
Region Title/Placeholder Determination: To identify regional winners and placeholders in the Relay Category at each region’s designated Regional Classic under the cumulative time advancement model: • Regional placements (1st, 2nd, 3rd) are awarded based on how far each team progresses within the cumulative time format, defined by the round in which their cumulative time no longer qualifies them to advance. • If multiple teams from the same region finish their competition in the same round, their cumulative time at the point of
elimination will be used to rank them. The faster cumulative time earns the higher placement. • A disqualification at any point removes the team from regional placement eligibility.
How Regional Placement Works (Example for Clarity) Regional winners are determined by the round in which a team’s cumulative time stops qualifying them to advance — not by “winning” or “losing” a race. This means: • A team that reaches Round 4 (Podium Round) always ranks above a team that only reached Round 3. • A team that reaches Round 3 always ranks above a team that only reached Round 2. • If two teams from the same region exit in the same round, the team with the faster cumulative time at that point earns the higher placement. World Challenge Model/Policy: the World Challenge includes a multi-day qualifying phase designed to give every team the opportunity to earn a position in Saturday’s Championship Finals. • Qualifying runs are conducted as individual team time trials and are separate from the cumulative time model used during Saturday competition. • Teams may complete qualifying runs at any time during the designated four day qualifying period. There is no limit to the number of attempts a team may make (must pay for each attempt). • For each team, the single fastest officially recorded time from the qualifying period will be used to determine advancement into the available Saturday championship slots. • At the conclusion of the qualifying period, the fastest teams—up to the number of available championship slots in each subcategory—will advance to Saturday. These teams will enter the Championship Finals as equal competitors, beginning with no cumulative time. • Teams begin the standard four round cumulative time relay model used for determining final placements .
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BATON PASSING OVERVIEW Our Relay Team Category differs from our other categories where our athletes must complete a full evolution as described on pages 30-32. Instead of evolutions, this event observes seven (7) defined course legs. It also includes five (5) designated baton passing zones and six (6) baton handoff points within the passing zones. This twist allows teams to strategically plan to their advantage. Each team member must complete a minimum of one (1) leg. Not more than six (6) baton handoffs can occur. 1st - Baton Passing Zone •
Baton Handoff 1: At the top of the tower, following the de- posit of the high-rise hose pack into the box, a legal handoff takes place when both athletes’ feet are on the top platform. This concludes Leg 1. • The athlete receiving the Baton must have one (1) hand on the top rail of the tower with the thumb visible to the official, i.e., facing the backside of the tower. • The athlete must not grasp the hoisting rope or release the rail until receiving the Baton. • Incidental contact while holding the top rail is not a penalty. • Baton Handoff 2: A second handoff at the top of the tower may occur after the second athlete has completed the hoist evolution. This exchange must take place with all parties on the top deck. The handoff must be completed before the athlete receiving the baton leaves the top platform. This concludes Leg 2. • Baton Handoff 3: After the last step exiting the tower and before mounting the Keiser® Force Machine. Ex: if the athlete performing the forcible entry evolution is not the individual descending the tower, the exchange must be made before mounting the Keiser® Force Machine. This conclude Leg 3. 2nd - Baton Passing Zone TOWER RULE: All athletes on the tower must immediately vacate the tower after they have completed their leg their leg and after the Athletes who runs down is passed by. This is an insurance policy! Anyone violating this policy will be issued a 2-second penalty .
Top Rail
Top Plaform
Keiser® Force Machine
3rd - Baton Passing Zone
• Baton Handoff 4: Only after stepping off the Keiser® Force Machine and placing the hammer onto the mat (fully releasing the hand from the hammer), can the baton be passed anywhere between the Keiser® Force Machine and the first turn marked by a solid line near the target system. • The individual performing the activity on the forcible entry evolution must pick up and hand the Baton to the next athlete. This concludes Leg 4.
Hammer Mats
4th - Baton Passing Zone
• Baton Handoff 5: Before the line at the last delineator, the receiving athlete’s feet must not contact the line or the ground past the line until the handoff is made. • No contact with the nozzle or attack line is permitted until the athlete is in possession of the Baton. This concludes Leg 5.
Last Delineator
Hose Nozzle
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• Baton Handoff 6: The athlete must penetrate the swinging saloon doors with the nozzle, strike the target and then fully shut off the nozzle before the baton can be passed. The nozzle must then be placed onto the padded system. This concludes Leg 6. • The nozzleman is the only individual that may shut down the nozzle. • The athlete running leg 7 cannot touch the manikin until they are in possession of the Baton. • The athlete crosses the finish line maintaining possession of the Baton at all times. This concludes Leg 7. Pass Zone 5 RELAY CATEGORY PENALTIES The following infractions are in addition to the general course infractions found on pages 29-32. Rescue Manikin Target
• Any early exchange of the baton or touching any tool or prop including hose hoist rope, forcible entry hammer, nozzle, manikin, before it is permissible as described in the section above, will result in a 2-second penalty . • If both athletes do not have both feet on the top platform before the Baton pass takes place, it will result in a 2-second penalty . • If the athlete receiving the Baton on the top platform does not have one hand on the top rail of the tower with the thumb visible to the official, it will result in a 2-second penalty . • If the athlete grasps the hoisting rope or releases the rail before receiving the Baton, it will result in a 2-second penalty . • Athletes on the tower fail to immediately vacate the tower after they complete their leg will result in a 2-second penalty. • No assistance can be rendered to a team member by any other member of the same team. This will result in immediate Disqualification . (i.e., if a member completing a task drops the Baton, they alone must be the one to pick it up). • A Baton falling down the stairs and not leaving the tower must be retrieved by the person who dropped it or be Disqualified . If any object should fall off the tower (i.e., the Baton, donut, or high-rise pack), the team will be Disqualified . • If any teammate crosses the course delineator, intentionally or unintentionally, and causes interference to the athlete in the opposing lane, an immediate Disqualification will occur. • Any intentional contact that materially affects the opposing athlete will be cause for Disqualification . • The fouled team, at their election, will be allowed a second run. The second run time will be the time of record. • If more than 5 members of a team enter the course, it will result in Disqualification .
USE OF BATON General rules of the baton include: •
It is the responsibility of the athletes, when applicable, to grab a Baton at the starting area before entering the course. Batons are provided by the Challenge. Starting the event Tandem or Relay event without a Baton will result in a Disqualification . • A Baton may be used by an athlete, if needed, to assist them in the Victim Rescue evolution. Athletes electing to do so MUST be in possession of the Baton throughout their run. • At no time is placing the Baton in the mouth allowed. Violators will be Disqualified . • The Baton must be in possession of the team member when running during a tandem or relay category run. The Baton passing must be hand-to-hand, and a clear transfer must occur. There can be no forward progression without possession of the Baton or a Disqualification will occur.. • No hands should be over the baton or touching the baton until the evolution is completed at which time the baton transfer from athlete to athlete can occur. Touching or shadowing the baton prior to a clear hand off will result in a Disqualification due to a perceived lack of possession. • Athletes may elect to put the Baton down while completing the evolution, but the same athlete must pick up the Baton before advancing or passing it to the next team member. Failure to comply will result in Disqualification . • Loss of control of the Baton (such as forgetting to pick it up) will stop the team’s forward progress until the member dropping the Baton regains possession. The member who dropped the Baton cannot move forward and complete the evolution until they have regained possession. Failure to comply will result in Disqualification .
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RUN ORDER A Run Order will be provided the night before a category is scheduled to run and will include the estimated run time for each athlete’s race. We reserve the right to revise the run and category order at an event after it has been published due to cancellations and other contributing factors, however the original published lane assignments will remain the same unless the affected athlete agrees to change lanes. Lanes are assigned by the timing system and have no competitive advantage. Both lanes are measured, certified, and operated to identical standards. Lane assignment is neutral and does not reflect performance, ranking, or seeding. • If you are not present for your race you will be disqualified . • Lane assignments are not subject to change based upon preference or request. • Lane Assignments: • If an athlete becomes unable to compete after the Finals Start Order has been published, and provides enough notice of this to our timer, the timer will either offer the relinquished position and lane assignment to the next eligible athlete in that sub- category or will consider combining other single races to create Pairs of Two. Pairing Process: Individual Category Qualifying Rounds: athletes may be placed in paired heats for scheduling efficiency; however, these pairings are not guaranteed to be competitive or based on matching run times, age, or gender. • First-time athletes, or those who last competed before our current timing technology existed, may have their heat placement determined at the discretion of the timer. These athletes usually run during our AM hours. Individual Category Finals: athletes are paired with the competitor whose run time is closest to theirs, regardless of age, gender, or subcategory. This ensures each athlete races alongside someone with a comparable pace, promoting focus, intensity, and peak performance. Tandem Finals: tandem teams are paired with the team from the same subcategory whose run time is closest to theirs. Tandems do not use cumulative times; pairing is based solely on the most recent official run time. Relay Finals (Round 4 – Podium Round): relay teams are paired with the team from the same subcategory whose cumulative time is closest to theirs. This maintains fair, apples‑to‑apples competition while still ensuring closely matched, competitive races.
COURSE OFFICIALS, OFFICIATING AND DISPUTES Course Officials
A Course Official serves as the referee of the Challenge. During an event there are a minimum of three (3) on-field and two (2) off-field to maintain standards of play and to ensure that all rules are observed. An Official can be identified by the black and white striped shirts they are wearing. At each event, one Course Official will serve as the Chief Course Official (responsibilities are outlined in this guide). On-field Officials, at a minimum, are stationed on the course at: • Starter Line • Red Lane • Blue Lane The number of officials stationed on the course may be increased at times and at the discretion of the Chief Course Official. Officials utilize a stopwatch during competition as a backup tool to capture race times in the event of a timer system failure.
Off-field Officials utilize the multi-camera broadcast system to assist the on-field crew by identifying clear and obvious infractions not caught during live play. When such an infraction is reported, the Chief Course Official may, at their discretion, initiate a video review. If the infraction is verified upon review, it will be called accordingly. The use of video review is intended to enhance officiating accuracy but does not guarantee the identification of all infractions. Missed infractions, whether on-field or off-field, do not constitute grounds for protest or reversal of results. All officiating decisions, including those involving video review, are final and binding.
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Disputes and Video Review The Chief Course Official, receiving counsel from other Officials, will resolve all disputes regarding penalties. • Disputes must be pointed out after the athlete or team’s race has ended and before the next race ends . • The athlete and/or team receiving the infraction can request an Official Review if they feel the call was incorrect, however must be certain it was an error or risk being penalized as outlined below. • An Official can request a review to confirm the final run time when a close finish occurs, or to review a possible infraction not seen by the on-course Officials. • Only disputes where the outcome of a review would have a direct, competitive impact on the race will be reviewed. These reviews must take place before the next race ends! No exceptions! Race outcomes will not be reversed past this point. • All video footage (if available) captured by the contracted production team will be analyzed from more than one angle to assist with making the final call. Video captured via cell phone and by other means of recording will not be considered. • The video review process operates under the fundamental assumption that the ruling on the course is correct. The Chief Course Official may reverse a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces him/her beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect. Without such indisputable video evidence, the official must allow the ruling to stand. • If an Official Review request in the Individual and Tandem Categories does not reverse the penalty on the course, the athlete and/or team requesting the review will have a 10-second penalty assessed. This is to ensure the sport is not unnecessarily delayed by frivolous requests. • Official Review requests are not permitted in the Relay Category since every infraction called during the running of this category will be automatically reviewed to ensure accuracy. • The Chief Course Official will take no more than two (2) minutes to review a general infraction call and up to five (5) minutes to review a time dispute. This prevents unnecessary delays from occurring when the final decision has been made based on the video evidence, if applicable. • If a question or dispute occurs over an athlete’s published final run time or penalty it should be reported to the Chief Course Official and not the timers. Direct dialogue with the timer tent to dispute a final run time or penalty is prohibited. A 5-second penalty will be assessed if a violation occurs . Calling Penalties and Disqualifications Whenever a Course Official encounters a penalty, it’s their responsibility to raise the correct penalty flag so everyone can see it. Flag colors indicate the type of penalty - Yellow: Penalty on Course, Red: Disqualification. The Course Official will also verbally inform the athlete/team on the course of the type of penalty received. Timers The timers are contracted specialists that manage our timing software, clock systems, transponders, and anything else relevant to the on-course technology. The timer should be left alone to prevent distractions that take them away from monitoring the multiple systems they’ve been contracted to manage. Unless otherwise stated in this Guide, please see a Course Official or FCL Team Member if you have schedule related questions and/or concerns. It is the responsibility of the athlete to be at the staging area when it is their time to enter the course. Athletes MUST be in the staging area and ready to compete when the preceding participant is at the start line. Individuals or teams not ready for the start signal will be disqualified . NO HANGING OUT in the Ready Tent / Staging Area! Due to safety and insurance protocols, only the athletes and teams up next are allowed in this space. No other person should be ‘hanging out’ in this roped off area to have conversations, take photos, etc. Everyone other than the athlete or team preparing to enter the course next should stay at least 20 feet away from the Ready Tent, Staging Area, and Course Entry area. A verbal warning for the first offense will be issued by a Course Official. A second warning will result in a 5-second penalty . Age Consideration For placing an athlete into an age-based subcategory, their age at the time of an event will be used. In the event the athlete has a birthday during the event, their age on the first day of the event will be used for the duration of the event. One Run Equals One Category/Subcategory An athlete cannot place and/or be recognized in more than one category and/or subcategory ‘per run’ except when vying for FD Showdown honors. GENERAL RULES Ready to Compete: Prepared at Staging Area
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