Tips for organising a small school competition

[CoderGuru]

I was thinking of organising a small causal cubing competition in my school. I will probably do a section for years 7 - 9 and years 10 - 13, with Im guessing 10 people in each category. I have some questions and some ideas(i will appreciate if these can be ‘validated’)

ideas:
- 2x2 and 3x3
- don’t use all wca regulations, and due to school budget timers and mats and all that will be hard to acquire, therefore just have the judge start and stop a stopwatch, including one for inspection (use a handheld one for inspection, and a phone/iPad for timing)
- have a way to create a video for the final (i can bring a stackmat in for the final, which I can make connect to A black screen with just a timer I can make (by adapting SpeedTimer), and edit a video)

questions:
- any other events?
- which regulations are not to miss
- any other things I’m missing (definitely am)

thanks

 

[Mastermind2368]

nstead of the judge timing the competitors, it might be a better idea to download an app that simulates the functionality of a stackmat. If the judge has to start/stop the timer, it probably wouldn't be as accurate.

Make sure that the competitors all use the same scrambles per heat. Additionally, I'd say make sure that you have something to use as cube covers.

 

[CoderGuru]

nstead of the judge timing the competitors, it might be a better idea to download an app that simulates the functionality of a stackmat. If the judge has to start/stop the timer, it probably wouldn't be as accurate.

Make sure that the competitors all use the same scrambles per heat. Additionally, I'd say make sure that you have something to use as cube covers.

Thanks, forgot about the covers and app option. what is the better option, Mo2, or Mo3?

 

[Arcanist]

Thanks, forgot about the covers and app option. what is the better option, Mo2, or Mo3?

Ao5?

 

[OtaMota]

Thanks, forgot about the covers and app option. what is the better option, Mo2, or Mo3?

You can do Mo3. Or maybe best of 3 could be another option.

 

[Mastermind2368]

If you have the time, Ao5 is best in my opinion, especially for 2x2. Beyond that, Mo3 is better than Mo2.

 

[OtaMota]

If you have the time, Ao5 is best in my opinion, especially for 2x2. Beyond that, Mo3 is better than Mo2.

Only problem I have with Ao5 is that the truncated mean could be confusing. Maybe Mo5 would be less confusing, but if the goal is to introduce them to the concept of WCA comps, then Ao5 could be could if they will understand it.

 

[CoderGuru]

If you have the time, Ao5 is best in my opinion, especially for 2x2. Beyond that, Mo3 is better than Mo2.

Time is the issue, I will probably stick with Mo3 then

 

[CoderGuru]

Anyone have any ideas of rules people will try/accidentally break?

 

[Discomantis]

Anyone have any ideas of rules people will try/accidentally break?

You should make sure they know the rules on inspection time.

 

[CoderGuru]

You should make sure they know the rules on inspection time.

Oh yeah. 15 seconds, and then +2 up to 17 and a DNF after.

i will probably educate a judging panel of like 4 people who can relay the specifics to competitors, but will probably get a document out anyway.

This is kind of nice tho

 

[OldSwiss]

How many solving Stations do you plan?

If your school has tablets for class use, you could probably use these with cstimer.
If not you could still contact your WCA Delegate and ask if they could borrow you some mats and timers for an inofficial event.

I would stick as close to the WCA Regualtions as possible. Why make up new rules if everything already exists.
15 seconds inspection, AO5...
I don't think that the concept of AO5 is very hard to understand if you explain it.

But maybe it would be good to have some judges with a separate instruction before.

 

[CoderGuru]

How many solving Stations do you plan?

If your school has tablets for class use, you could probably use these with cstimer.
If not you could still contact your WCA Delegate and ask if they could borrow you some mats and timers for an inofficial event.

I would stick as close to the WCA Regualtions as possible. Why make up new rules if everything already exists.
15 seconds inspection, AO5...
I don't think that the concept of AO5 is very hard to understand if you explain it.

But maybe it would be good to have some judges with a separate instruction before.

Yeah. I can see about contacting a delegate, seems like a decent idea. I will code my own screen with numbers on it that can be used with spacebar/touch (adaptation of SpeedTimer). I am using Mo3 for the sake of saving time, the sessions will happen over a couple days, probably One age group on one day and another age group on another, with top 3/5 doing a final that has a montage video published.
how long do You reckon a mo3 will take, for everything EXCEPT the solve time? (I might just have the judge get the cube scrambled while the contestant sits there, so one contestant can just finish and leave)

 

[Garf]

Be Elon Musk and buy several stack mat timers so that timing is close to legit as possible.

 

[CoderGuru]

Be Elon Musk and buy several stack mat timers so that timing is close to legit as possible.

1. My parents will see the money and go hell naw
2. My school is broke and the second they see money is involved they will cancel everything
3. I already asked some local delegates if I could borrow some
4. Yes I understood you were kinda joking

 

[Garf]

1. My parents will see the money and go hell naw
2. My school is broke and the second they see money is involved they will cancel everything
3. I already asked some local delegates if I could borrow some
4. Yes I understood you were kinda joking

That’s smart, borrowing stackmats.

 

[CoderGuru]

That’s smart, borrowing stackmats.

There might be a struggle when it comes to actually getting them from him (if I tell my dad about this he’ll get mad at me for not revising for my exams in this time) so a phone might have to be the final plan.

also credit to @OldSwiss for the idea

How many solving Stations do you plan?

If your school has tablets for class use, you could probably use these with cstimer.
If not you could still contact your WCA Delegate and ask if they could borrow you some mats and timers for an inofficial event.

 

[GAN Lover]

It was an disaster for me.
1 timer, no judges, no time, sub 120 classmates, DNF averages, bad cubes, don’t have cube, too much events, take more than 1 week, self-made scoresheets, and I’m the only organizer.
Good luck lol

 

[GAN Lover]

I was thinking of organising a small causal cubing competition in my school. I will probably do a section for years 7 - 9 and years 10 - 13, with Im guessing 10 people in each category. I have some questions and some ideas(i will appreciate if these can be ‘validated’)

ideas:
- 2x2 and 3x3
- don’t use all wca regulations, and due to school budget timers and mats and all that will be hard to acquire, therefore just have the judge start and stop a stopwatch, including one for inspection (use a handheld one for inspection, and a phone/iPad for timing)
- have a way to create a video for the final (i can bring a stackmat in for the final, which I can make connect to A black screen with just a timer I can make (by adapting SpeedTimer), and edit a video)

questions:
- any other events?
- which regulations are not to miss
- any other things I’m missing (definitely am)

thanks

Hide your cubing stuff when teachers come near

 

[CoderGuru]

It was an disaster for me.
1 timer, no judges, no time, sub 120 classmates, DNF averages, bad cubes, don’t have cube, too much events, take more than 1 week, self-made scoresheets, and I’m the only organizer.
Good luck lol

Don’t worry I have nice teachers and nice friends who will hopefully give me a hand