One-Answer WCA Competition and Regulations Question Thread

[Jgldrums]

Indeed they are.

Fantastic!

 

[YouCubing]

Are stickerless cubes now allowed for WCA competitions?

Yes, I've used a stickerless cube in multiple events and haven't gotten any complaints about it.

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Yes, I've used a stickerless cube in multiple events and haven't gotten any complaints about it.

*suddenly realizes he doesn't have a stickerless cube anymore*
wut
*realizes that he has a white aolong with purple-scale stickers*
WUT!?

 

[AlphaSheep]

In FMC in a competition, it's obviously one hour for each attempt. What's the typical time given between each attempt for solution checking, breaks for the competitors etc? 15 minutes? 30 minutes?

 

[shadowslice e]

In FMC in a competition, it's obviously one hour for each attempt. What's the typical time given between each attempt for solution checking, breaks for the competitors etc? 15 minutes? 30 minutes?

Normally there is only ever 1 FMC attempt cause most comps don't have time for more.

 

[tseitsei]

In FMC in a competition, it's obviously one hour for each attempt. What's the typical time given between each attempt for solution checking, breaks for the competitors etc? 15 minutes? 30 minutes?

Normally (at least in our Finnish comps) the attempts are scattered along the whole competition.

For example 1st attempt in the morning 2nd after lunch and 3rd could be the last event of the day.

 

[Goosly]

Normally (at least in our Finnish comps) the attempts are scattered along the whole competition.

For example 1st attempt in the morning 2nd after lunch and 3rd could be the last event of the day.

+1. Don't do multiple rounds of FMC in a row. That would be exhausting for everyone competing in FMC and boring for everyone not competing in FMC.

 

[Ranzha]

In FMC in a competition, it's obviously one hour for each attempt. What's the typical time given between each attempt for solution checking, breaks for the competitors etc? 15 minutes? 30 minutes?

At Please Be Quiet 2015, we had roughly 15-minute breaks between attempts that seemed far too short. I'd think at least 30 minutes is the way to go, like it was for FMC USA. The only tough part about doing the whole mean in a row is that people get hungry.

 

[not_kevin]

In FMC in a competition, it's obviously one hour for each attempt. What's the typical time given between each attempt for solution checking, breaks for the competitors etc? 15 minutes? 30 minutes?

At Please Be Quiet 2015, we had roughly 15-minute breaks between attempts that seemed far too short. I'd think at least 30 minutes is the way to go, like it was for FMC USA. The only tough part about doing the whole mean in a row is that people get hungry.

+1. Don't do multiple rounds of FMC in a row. That would be exhausting for everyone competing in FMC and boring for everyone not competing in FMC.

I agree with Goosly here that multiple rounds of FMC in a row is generally not a good idea, if you have the ability to avoid it. FMC and big BLD are the most mentally draining events, and allowing competitors time to refresh their heads is very welcome. A common way to do things in a 2-day comp is to run attempt 1 day 1 first thing, attempt 2 day 1 last thing, and attempt 3 day 2 first thing - this way you basically have infinite time to grade all the attempts, and it spreads out the thinking as equally as you can do.

That being said, if you're doing a special event like PBQ or an FMC-only comp, I think 30 minutes is best. Having attended PBQ (where 15 minutes really was too short, I think - didn't allow competitors to really reset, and I felt pretty mentally rushed), FMC USA 2014 (where an hour basically just meant that we fluffed around doing nothing forever), and FMC USA 2015 (where the break was 30 minutes), 30 is the best so far - plus, it's a nice round number for scheduling with hour-long attempts

 

[AlphaSheep]

That being said, if you're doing a special event like PBQ or an FMC-only comp, I think 30 minutes is best. Having attended PBQ (where 15 minutes really was too short, I think - didn't allow competitors to really reset, and I felt pretty mentally rushed), FMC USA 2014 (where an hour basically just meant that we fluffed around doing nothing forever), and FMC USA 2015 (where the break was 30 minutes), 30 is the best so far - plus, it's a nice round number for scheduling with hour-long attempts

Thanks. This is basically what I wanted to hear. If we have an FMC mean, it will have to be at a small comp without any of the more popular events, so a kind of similar concept to PBQ. I don't see us fitting FMC into a conventional comp in Africa any time soon. But since there's only one person from Africa in the WCA database with an FMC mean, we'd really like to try fit 3 attempts into a comp to give a few more people the opportunity to get a mean.

 

[guysensei1]

Before the latest regs came out, I used to record my official solves with the back facing camera (the 'selfie' camera) of my phone. Now this is not allowed as I can see the screen. But if I taped a sheet of paper over the screen to block me from seeing it, would I be able to use it now? I plan to tape only the top so that the 'cover' can be lifted to check the camera angle.

 

[Dene]

Before the latest regs came out, I used to record my official solves with the back facing camera (the 'selfie' camera) of my phone. Now this is not allowed as I can see the screen. But if I taped a sheet of paper over the screen to block me from seeing it, would I be able to use it now? I plan to tape only the top so that the 'cover' can be lifted to check the camera angle.

It's fine as long as the screen isn't visible.

 

[the super cuber]

If a competitor does a round at a competitor, and after the competition it is found by reviewing the video that some scrambles of the solves in the round were from one group and some from another group, then what will happen?

 

[Cale S]

If a competitor does a round at a competitor, and after the competition it is found by reviewing the video that some scrambles of the solves in the round were from one group and some from another group, then what will happen?

This happened with Lucas Etter's 7.13 NAR average, and it was fine

 

[the super cuber]

This happened with Lucas Etter's 7.13 NAR average, and it was fine

Okay, thanks

 

[Dene]

If a competitor does a round at a competitor, and after the competition it is found by reviewing the video that some scrambles of the solves in the round were from one group and some from another group, then what will happen?

It depends on other circumstances. If you were a helper in the other group it would likely be DNFed. But in general there is no regulation against having scrambles from multiple groups, as long as we can be sure you didn't see the scrambles from other groups beforehand.

 

[Calamity Strike]

If you get a corner twist in a solve, is it legal to twist it back?

 

[Cale S]

If you get a corner twist in a solve, is it legal to twist it back?

5b3c) If the puzzle is unsolvable, and can be made solvable by rotating a single corner piece, the competitor may correct the corner piece by twisting it in place without disassembling the puzzle.

 

[Calamity Strike]

5b3c) If the puzzle is unsolvable, and can be made solvable by rotating a single corner piece, the competitor may correct the corner piece by twisting it in place without disassembling the puzzle.

Ok, thanks, i didn't think that would be legal.

 

[Kit Clement]

Ok, thanks, i didn't think that would be legal.

It's worth keeping 5b2 in mind though when you do this. For example, if you twist a corner that will later give you an OLL with just one twisted corner, you are likely giving yourself an advantage by twisting the corner and skipping OLL. The safest thing to do is as soon as you know a corner twisted is to twist that same corner back.