JUDGING GUIDELINES (GENERAL RULES)

TEAM DEFINITION:

Three linemen who rotate between events as climbers/groundmen. All climbers must be current journeymen linemen or have been otherwise classified as a journeyman lineman.

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, under normal working conditions, cause serious injury or death will constitute immediate disqualification. Any chief judge, with consensus of all event judges and/or the master judge, can disqualify a team for inappropriate conduct at any rodeo even, 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 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 team is 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.
14. Groundman not wearing work gloves.
15. Long sleeve shirts are required for all events. OSHA rules will apply. Journeymen 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. Shirt tails must be completely tucked into pants at the start of the event.
16. Rubber gloves ground to ground for all pole events.
17. All work gloves must be leather palms and inside fingers with a 4 inch cuff.
18. First Journeyman to climb pole does not carry handline.
19. Handline is dropped while both Journeyman are up the pole.
20. Groundman not tagging handline for Journeyman to climb pole.
21. During 5-minute set-up time, all climbing participants must inspect rubber gloves using the specified manufacturer field air test.
22. Exceeding the time limit between events.
23. Competitors are prohibited from using two primary devices.
24. Hot sticks used for all events must be a minimum of 8 feet long.
25. All climbers ascending the pole must carry a running hand line that is capable of performing hurtman rescue if necessary.

JUDGING GUIDELINES (GENERAL RULES)

IMPLEMENTATION OF FULL FALL ARREST

Due to the OSAH final rule effective April 1, 2015, the Tennessee Valley 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 positioning 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 the 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 team will be penalized by an additional 3 point deduction.
4. No team may appeal ruling on another team 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

1. Accidental contact with phases.
2. Working opposite phases.
3. Not using hand line or material bag for sending material up and down the pole.
4. Second Journeyman starts climbing before first Journeyman is buckled off.
5. Cutout and fall to ground.

Event rotation flow will be monitored and enforced. Teams 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 team names so that participants can be located more easily for enforcement.

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REVISED 2018