Battle Rules

1/What is Freestyle Slalom ?
Freestyle slalom consists in skating through different cone courses, which number of cones and distance vary, doing different tricks. The skater chooses tricks he wants to do but time is limited. A jury evaluates and compares each skater's performance to make a ranking. Skaters may use inline skates or quad skates.

2/Battle concept
Several skaters skate together in groups. Each skater have to do better than the others of the group to qualify for next rounds and to reach the final with the best skaters.

3 /Distance between cones
There may be 1 to 5 different cone courses depending on organisation's wishes. Distance between cones can be 50cm, 80cm or 120cm (This distance is calculated from centre of the cone to center of next cone). On a same line, distance between cones is the same. The amount of cones per line can change depending the place available and wishes of the organisation. This amount should be between 10 & 30 cones. At least one line has to be composed by minimum 10 cones with a 80cm space between them. For example, if you use 3 lines, the size can be 80cm x 10 cones, 80cm x 20 cones & 50cm x cones & you will need 45 cones or for example, 80cm x 20 cones, 120cm x 20 cones 50cm x 20 cones. If you use only one line of cones, distance will be 80cm x 10 to 30 cones.

4/Size of cones
The usual size of cones is 8cm wide, 8-10cm high. They may be cones or cups.
4/ Competition Area
The lenght of the competition area has to be at least 16m long (répartition : 8m for minimum 10 cones separated by 80cm, 4m on each side to take speed) ; the width should be minimum 4m (2m for judges & 4m for skaters) There is no maximum size for the area, but the judges should always have a good view of the competitors and the whole area.
As much as possible, the 50cm course is the closest from the judge table and the 120cm course is the opposite from judge table. The judge table is centered regarding the cone courses or in an angle of the competition area.
(Outdoor, don't place the judges in front of the sun (umbrella) ; this issue can also happen indoor with large windows.
Depending on the place and size of the event (public & competitors) it can be necessary to built an area and limit its access to «competitors only » area. (fences, tube, wood base, ... those can be use for advertisment)

5/Competition
During Battle Freestyle slalom competition, skaters will be placed in "Battle groups". Each battle group is composed by 2 to 4 skaters (a group may be composed by 5 riders exceptionnally).
Each competitor has to go one by one to do his tricks and combos. Each skater has 30 seconds to perform each of his runs (chronometer starts when the skater pass the first cone ).
The time of each group is in between 5 and 15 minutes depending on the number of skaters in the group and the number of runs.
The quantity of runs per competitor is from 2 to 4, + evntually 1 last trick (see « last trick » explanation below).
In each battle group, skaters will have the same amount of runs and everyone will have equal chances to do the best posible.
Skaters will be judged on different criterias : Technique, style, originality... after each battle group, each judge has to make a ranking of the skaters of this group, then all judges compare their ranking with other judge's rankings, and deliberate all together to determinate who will qualify for the next round.
In the Battle system, competitors are free to do the tricks they want on the course they want, they don't have to use each slalom course available if they don't want to. They don't have to go through all cones of a same line.
There is no compulsory trick to do or compulsory trick families, neither minimum of cones to be passed to validate each trick.
However, competitors can show their polyvalence using different tricks repertories and using different courses.
If a skater makes mistakes during his run, for example doing very difficult trick, he can start again and again in the same run until the end of his 30sec. run.
During each run, a competitor can use as much courses as he wants during the time of his run.
To go for another run, each competitor has to wait than other skaters of the group have done the same amount of runs and the green light from the speaker.

Training :
Before each Battle group, skater of the group can practice on the competition area, the warm-up time can be from 4 to 10 minutes depending on the number of skaters in the group. During training session, the speaker introduces each skater of the group.
During training sessions, skaters can train all at the same time but respecting each other.
The skaters of the next group can start to warm-up as soon as the previous group is finished, when the judges are delibarating.


A/Composition of groups
Groups are composed depending on attending competitors and their latest wssa ranking. From this ranking, competitors are ranked following this procedure (Examples) :
Example with 24 to 32 or more skaters :
Exemple with 6 groups : (Starting from 24, it would be easier to make 8 groups of 3 skaters)

B/Non-ranked competitors
If in the list of competitors, there are non-ranked competitors, they will be added at the end of the list randomly.
The organisation comittee of the competition, can, if there are too many participants, and with the agreement of the judge team, organise a one or several rounds of qualifications battles for non-ranked competitors or with the weakest ranking. The winners of this qualification tournament are then aded to the final list to be added in the groups.

4/Judges

1/Table Judges :
-The ideal number of judges is 3, with a main judge (center judge) who is designated by the judge team according to his experience.
There may be only 2 judges, depending on the importance of the competition (0T+ & 1 T+) (See competition calendar)
Each judge evaluates each skater of the battle group depending on different criterias like technique, style, new tricks, quantity of tricks, speed and quality of execution, ...After each group, they make a ranking of the skaters of this group and deliberate to decide who will be qualified for the next round.
Each judge evaluate each skater of the battle group following this method : He writes down maximum of the tricks done by the skater as a reminder. The most difficult tricks have necessary to be wrote down. He can choose his own method (for example ++ or --) to specify the particularities of the realisation of the tricks (mastering, easyness, speed,..).
Judges can also use « arguments » like polyvalence to separate two skaters : example : if a skater do always same type of tricks and that another is less good on this kind of tricks but shows his technique on other types of elements, the judges may give an advantage to the one who does different tricks.

2/ Speaker :
A speaker is essential for any Battle competition.
The speaker has a very important function in the competition. He manages the time of the runs and of the groups.
He introduces each competitor and put life into the battles.
He manages the start of each competitor.
He informs each competitor on the time left in his run.
He calls next battle group and invite them to warm-up on the competition area as soon as the previous group is done.
He is always linked to the judge table to forward the informations to the public and competitors.
He announces the qualified skaters for the next round after each group.
He can comment what the skaters do to « explain » to the public, put life into the battles and look for cheers of the public.
He can support the skaters but has to stay equal not to influence the judges on one skater especially.

3/ Cone boys/girls :
At least one cone boy is needed for the good progress of the competition. The ideal number is 2. They have to take the cones hit or moved and put them back on the marks. They do it only when the skater left the line where the cones have been kicked down. They have to be very fast and precise and never stand between judges and competitors, not to trouble them.

4/ DJ :
He has to manage the music and maintain the intensity and prevent skaters to skate without music (between two musics).
He is able to accelerate rythm when the skater is in a too slow musical phase.
He is able to slow down the rythm when the skater is too slow.

5/Judgement
In a Battle group, each skater has several runs, each run is evaluated by the judges who write down what competitors do, to compare with other skaters of the group. At the end of the time for the group, the judges set up a ranking considerating what each skater has done in term of quantity and in term of quality, and comparing each skater between them. They deliberate together about the results and annouce those results before the beginning of the nest group. If the judges cannot separate 2 skaters, they can ask them to perform a last run each.

Original: http://worldslalomseries.com/battle.htm