WCA 4- Pad Mode?

[CubeWizard23]

Is there any path forward for WCA to officially move to 4-pad mode? Seems from Monkey League and PSL that it removes any doubt about sliding. Obviously this would create a new "era" of cubing records, but regulation changes happen in other sports too, and if you're not sliding the timing difference between 2 and 4 pad mode is negligible at most.

Thoughts?

Mods, feel free to delete if this has already been discussed, I haven't seen any discussion about it though.

 

[bcube]

Seems [...] it removes any doubt about sliding.

And karate chop stops, and stopping the timer while holding the cube, and other issues WSSA faced in the past.

Thoughts?

Good luck trying to fix the fairness issues with WCA officials these days (by "these days" I mean a time period from 2024 till today).

I haven't seen any discussion about it though.

Last time I got laughed at.

 

[1x1 wr holder!]

Is there any path forward for WCA to officially move to 4-pad mode? Seems from Monkey League and PSL that it removes any doubt about sliding. Obviously this would create a new "era" of cubing records, but regulation changes happen in other sports too, and if you're not sliding the timing difference between 2 and 4 pad mode is negligible at most.

Thoughts?

Mods, feel free to delete if this has already been discussed, I haven't seen any discussion about it though.

If they want to transition over, they just need to set a future date for when the rules will be enacted so people can have time to practice at home. Also at comps for a few months they should let people get used to it for 10 minutes during like the new competitor turtorial.

 

[speedsolvetheory]

I think it would be a nice change of pace for the WCA. It would make most foreign timers besides the Speedstack timers pointless, so there might be some backlash for those people. I understand that Speedstack is the only approved timer, but still.

 

[cuberbutnotacuberV2]

I remember there was a lot of discourse when the G5 was first introduced, back then people thought that using the 4-pad system would cause a significant rise in times (me included). However, back then we didn't know just how fast we could possibly go with improper timer starts (sliding), especially in events such as 2x2 where a tenth of a second may or may not decide a WR. In lieu of recent records, controversies, etc, I think the 4-pad system would be a major step towards fairness and lead to renewed competitiveness, especially in faster events, since it would not only negate whatever advantage sliding may give in a solve, it will also have next to no impact on a normal solve since, as you have mentioned, it's a negligible advantage for non-sliders.

Implementing such a change, however, would probably take some time and extensive discussion, but I assume most of the cubing community wouldn't have a major issue with this.

 

[cuberbutnotacuberV2]

I think it would be a nice change of pace for the WCA. It would make most foreign timers besides the Speedstack timers pointless, so there might be some backlash for those people. I understand that Speedstack is the only approved timer, but still.

I agree, however the finger placement is almost identical. I tried to emulate it on my QiYi timer, and it felt (almost) exactly the same.

 

[icedcool55]

they also might have to reset all WRs which would be annoying. Thats what they did with sport stacking. All WRs would be new.

also certain events it wouldn't matter I'm mainly thinking big blind and multi where stackmat isn't even always used anyway. But also 6x6 and 7x7 and 3 bld.

But I'm thinking 4 pad for 3x3, 2x2, prya, skewb, clock make sense all other events eh except maybe squan for the fast people. idk.

 

[Jameson Carmody]

This aged well

 

[abunickabhi]

Finallyyyyy

 

[Michael Wimberly]

No more sprint event world records
I'm not really the biggest fan of this as a sprint event main, but I do think that with all the sliding that's been going on it's probably the only thing to do.

 

[Martyt7777]

No more sprint event world records
I'm not really the biggest fan of this as a sprint event main, but I do think that with all the sliding that's been going on it's probably the only thing to do.

There will still be 4-pad world records tho, and also top competitors said that they will expect the 2-pad times to be broken by 4-pad times

 

[Powstick]

 

[Fukuoka Kengo James]

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

 

[xyzzy]

Hi hi, continue discussion regarding the change in the newer thread:

Thread '4 Pad is Coming Next Year'

Aug 23, 2026

Adoption of 4-Pad Timing (August 2026) | World Cube Association

The World Cube Association governs competitions for mechanical puzzles that are operated by twisting groups of pieces, commonly known as 'twisty puzzles'. The most famous of these puzzles is the Rubik's Cube, invented by professor Rubik from Hungary. A selection of these puzzles are chosen as...

www.worldcubeassociation.org

• CubeWizard23
• Replies: 68
• Forum: WCA Regulations

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