4 Pad is Coming Next Year

[Fukuoka Kengo James]

Post in thread 'WCA 4- Pad Mode?'

Aug 24, 2026

But how to stop the timer with 4-pad with a blindfold on?

• Fukuoka Kengo James

• 

@Fukuoka Kengo James

Won’t you eventually build the muscle memory to know where to put your thumbs?

Specically for 3bld, it's gonna be harder for newer competitors to blind events to get into the events as with a blindfold, the difficulties to stop the timer in an unnatural position is disproportionally high than any other events.

Exception should be made to blind events.

 

[Fukuoka Kengo James]

Well said

 

[abunickabhi]

 

[Tabe]

The 4-pad team talked to world class 2x2 and 3BLD solvers. The 2x2 people were able to beat the WR single in 4-pad mode. The 3BLD people said the stops were no problem.

For blind stops, you have a few options:
- use your thumbs and be precise
- cup your hand slightly and use your palm to hit the sensors - yes, this is legal. You don't HAVE to use your thumbs to stop.
- drop the cube, lift your blindfold, stop the timer - yes, this is legal.

As for the physical limitations/accommodations thing - there are already regulations in place for this. Accommodations can be made. We already do this for deaf competitors who get visual signals or touched to be told 8 and 12-seconds.

As for the cost, yep, it stinks they're a bit more expensive. So skip buying one cube and buy a timer instead. There will almost certainly be knockoffs soon anyway.

This is a great change.

 

[Thomas.Caleb]

Will Speedstacks do 4pad for the g6 timer

 

[Martyt7777]

Will Speedstacks do 4pad for the g6 timer

We don’t know, since G6 isn’t announced yet.

 

[CubeWizard23]

For blind stops, you have a few options:
- cup your hand slightly and use your palm to hit the sensors - yes, this is legal. You don't HAVE to use your thumbs to stop.

In the discord I am part of (Midwest Cubing) the delegates are saying there has not been a ruling on cupping your hands to stop the timer. I'd be cautious practicing this way until there is clarity from the WCA on this.

 

[Smiley01Sun]

hot take here... This is the best thing ever. I feel like this has been coming on for years, and especially with solves more often using sliding, Its much needed. I already practice with 4pad sometimes lol

 

[That0newe1rdo]

hot take here... This is the best thing ever. I feel like this has been coming on for years, and especially with solves more often using sliding, Its much needed. I already practice with 4pad sometimes lol

this is colder then my room in a crisp January at 4 in the morning

seriously though i cant shut my window so its freezing in the middle of summer

anyway after previous discussions I like the idea of 4 pad but I hate that speedstacks made it cost like 40 gold doubloons