JUDGING GUIDELINES (GENERAL RULES)

APPRENTICE QUALIFICATIONS/TOP-OUT GUIDELINES:

An apprentice is defined by their status effective on the date of the Rodeo. Individuals who have achieved journeyman status may not later compete as an apprentice, regardless of their classification with their current employer. If the winning apprentice from the Tennessee Valley Lineman Rodeo is not eligible to compete as an apprentice in the APPA or International Lineworker Rodeo, the entry fees and stipend will go to the next winning apprentice who is eligible to compete.

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL QUALIFICATIONS:

To compete as a Senior Individual, participants must be a journeyman lineman age 45 or above effective on the date of the Rodeo.

JOURNEYMAN INDIVIDUAL QUALIFICATIONS:

To compete as a Journeyman Individual, participants must be a journeyman lineman not competing with a team. Any exceptions arising from extenuating circumstances must be approved by the executive committee.  Any exceptions arising from extenuating circumstances must be approved by the executive committee.

Judging will be based upon safety procedures, work practices, neatness and ability, equipment handling and timely completion of each event, (however, time will only be used in case of a tie). Any mistake made that would cause serious injury or death under normal working conditions will constitute immediate disqualification. Any chief judge, with consensus of all event judges and/or the master judge, can disqualify an individual for inappropriate conduct at any rodeo event, including the awards banquet. Disqualified competitors must leave the rodeo grounds immediately and may not participate in any other rodeo-related activity for the remainder of the rodeo. Competitors that have been disqualified will forfeit any scores prior to the disqualifying event. A letter documenting the conditions that warranted disqualification will be sent to the competitor’s employer. Depending on the severity of the transgression, permanent disqualification from the Tennessee Valley Lineman Rodeo (TVLR) may be enforced as determined by the TVLR Board of Directors.

Participants will have five minutes prior to each event to ask questions and layout tools. Questions will not be permitted during judging. Each event is worth 100 total points.

All safety rules are to be observed during ALL of the events.
INFRACTIONS – 2 POINT DEDUCTION

1. Hard hats must be worn properly during all events
2. Safety glasses are required for all events.
3. No rubber on reach, fall or slip.
4. Dropping tools.
5. Loss of control – failure to maintain three points of contact with pole.
6. Hot-dogging.
7. No hand line operation while climbing
8. Misuse of tools – all blades must be covered and knives closed while not in use.
9. Misuse of rubber.
10. Twisted hand line operation.
11. Standard, approved lineman belt, climbers, and safety must be in good, safe working condition.
12. Poor housekeeping.
13. Exceeding the mean time to complete an event, except for hurtman rescue. The mean time is based on the times from previous rodeos; the mean is the dividing line at which half of the participants are faster and half are slower in completing the event.
14. Long sleeve shirts are required for all events. OSHA rules will apply. Participants should know what to use and what to wear. If shirt has buttons on the sleeves, they must be buttoned. Sleeves cannot be pushed or rolled up.
15. All work gloves must be leather palms and inside fingers with a 4 inch cuff.
16. During 5-minute set-up time, all climbing participants must inspect rubber gloves using the specified manufacturer field air test.
17. All climbers ascending the pole must carry a running hand line that is capable of performing Hurtman Rescue if necessary.
18. Exceeding the time limit between events.
19. Competitors are prohibited from using two primary devices.
20. Hot sticks used for all events must be a minimum of 8 feet long.

IMPLEMENTATION OF FULL FALL ARREST

Due to the OSHA final rule effective April 1, 2015, the Tennessee Valley Lineman Rodeo will require the mandatory use of personal fall protection for all climbing events. Fall protection systems shall be supplied by the competitor and be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications along with the use of a secondary work positing strap or lanyard while transitioning around attachments on the pole. After transition around attachments competitors must go back into fall arrest.  Secondary safety to be used only for the purpose of transitioning around attachments.

Judging Guidelines

Judging will be based on the following:

1. The fall arrest system is being used in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.
2. The climber keeps the fall arrest system adjusted properly at all times.
3. The climber fails to go back into fall arrest after transitioning around attachments.
4. All cutouts will be judged the same as in the general rules (i.e. loss of control and fall to the ground).

NOTE: All infractions will be a two point deduction with the exception to a fall to the ground which will be assessed as a ten point deduction.

APPEAL PROCESS – 5 POINT TOTAL DEDUCTION

1. There will be no penalty for appeal to the Event Judge.
2. There will be a 2-point deduction for appeal to the Chief Judge.
3. If an appeal of the Chief Judge’s decision is made to the Master Judge and the ruling is not overturned, the individual will be penalized by an additional 3-point deduction.
4. No individual may appeal ruling on another individual’s score.

NOTE: All participants will be required to sign their scoresheet indicating agreement with the final score. Once a participant signs the scoresheet and leaves an event, that score is FINAL and ineligible for appeal.

10 POINT DEDUCTION

Event rotation flow will be monitored and enforced. Individuals will have 45 minutes between events and will have to check in with the event judges when they arrive at the event. Event rotation schedules will be distributed with registration packets. Score sheets will include a check-in/check-out time. Judges will also have a schedule with check-in/check-out times as well as individual names so that participants can be located more easily for enforcement.

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Revised 2018