© Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 1 WSL RULE BOOK 2020 LAST UPDATED: December 1, 2020 Surfers may request, in writing from WSL, a copy of all changes from the prior version of the WSL Rule Book. World Surf League 147 Bay Street Santa Monica, CA, 90405 USA Phone: +1 (310) 450 1212 Email: [email protected] Hwww.worldsurfleague.comU All rights reserved. No part of this Rule Book may be reproduced in any form by any mechanical or electronic means, including information storage or retrieval systems without permission in writing from Association of Surfing Professionals LLC. World Surf League, WSL, ASP, It’s On, Dream Tour, Big Wave Tour Awards, CT, QS, AirTour, QS 5000 Tour, You Can’t Script This, Championship Tour, Qualification Series, and all associated logos are trademarks and service marks of Association of Surfing Professionals LLC or its subsidiaries. Modifications to this Rule Book will be enforceable upon publication on www.worldsurfleague.com. This Rule Book is the copyright of Association of Surfing Professionals LLC © Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 2 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR (CT) 9 1.01: Prize Money 9 1.02: Scheduling 9 1.03: Trials 9 1.04: Event related Activities 9 1.05: CT Rankings Points 9 1.06: Formats 9 1.07: CT Seeding Rules 11 1.08: Replacement 12 1.09: Qualification for following Men’s CT Season 13 1.10: Qualification for following Women’s CT Season 14 1.11: CT Surfers Rules 16 1.12: Wildcards 16 1.13: Defending Champions 17 1.14: Amateur Surfers 17 1.15: Non-Attendance in Events 17 1.16: CT Event Postponement and Cancellation 18 1.17: Failure to Compete 19 1.18: Pregnancy 19 1.19: Concussion 19 1.20: CT Fees 20 1.21: Non-WSL Events 20 1.22: Enclosed Official Areas 20 1.23: Security Passes / Accessible Areas 20 1.24: Surfer Retirement 20 1.25: WSL Limitation Liability 20 CHAPTER 2: QUALIFICATION SERIES AND CHALLENGER SERIES EVENTS 21 2.01: License Fees 21 2.02: Upgrading/Downgrading an Event 21 2.03: Cancellation of an Event 21 2.04: Change of Event Details 21 2.05: Prize Money Taxation 21 2.06: Prize Money 22 2.07: Scheduling 23 2.08: Formats 23 2.09: Trials & Other Events at QS/Challenger Series Events 27 2.10: QS: Challenger Series Rankings Points and Regional Ranking 28 2.11: Events Counting Towards Qualification 28 2.12: Injury or Pregnancy Rankings Adjustments 29 2.13: Qualification Series Fees 29 2.14: Entry Fees 30 2.15: Event Registration and Entry Procedure 30 2.16: Surfer Regional Status for Membership Purposes 31 2.17: Entry Confirmations 33 2.18: Entry Cancellation, Refunds and Medical Certificates 33 2.19: Selection of Entries 34 2.20: QS Surfer Seed Points 36 2.21: QS Seed Order 37 2.22: Defending Champions at QS/Challenger Series Events 37 © Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 3 2.23: Replacements 38 2.24: Failure to Compete 38 2.25: Pregnancy 39 2.26: Concussion 39 2.27: Non-Attendance in QS/Challenger Series Events Entered 39 2.28: Media Obligations by Surfers 39 2.29: General Rules for WSL Events 39 CHAPTER 3: SPECIALTY EVENT RULES 41 3.01: Applicable Rules 41 3.02: Licensing 41 3.03: Specialty Event Scheduling 41 3.04: Surfer Appearances 41 CHAPTER 4: LONGBOARD RULES 42 4.01: Licensing 42 4.02: Prize Money 42 4.03: Scheduling 42 4.04: Rankings Points 42 4.05: Qualification for the WLC 42 4.06: Event Formats 43 4.07: Entry Rules 43 4.08: Surfers Fee and Insurance 43 4.09: Seeding 43 4.10: LQS Ranking 44 4.11: Board Requirements 44 4.12: Judging Criteria for Longboard 44 4.13: Injury Ranking Compensation 44 4.13: Missing Heats / Non-Attendance / Failure to Compete 44 4.14: Media Obligations 44 CHAPTER 5: JUNIOR TOUR RULES 45 5.01: Age 45 5.02: Surfers Fee and Insurance 45 5.03: Entry Rules 45 5.04: World Junior Championship Prize Money breakdown 45 5.05: World Junior Ranking 45 5.06: Scheduling 45 5.07: World Junior Championship Following Year’s Qualification 45 5:08: WJC Seed Order 46 5.09: World Junior Championship Format 46 5.10: Qualification into QS / Challenger Event for the Following Year 46 5.11: JQS Events Prize Money and Points 47 5.12: JQS Ranking Points 47 5.13: Selection of Entries 47 5.14: JQS Seed Order 47 5.15: JQS Ranking 47 CHAPTER 6: MASTER TOUR RULES 48 6.01: Age 48 6.02: Prize Money 48 6.03: Selection of Invitees 48 6.04: Seed Order 48 6.05: Format 48 6.06: Scheduling 48 6.07: Invitation of Surfers 48 6.08: Events Counting towards Qualification 48 © Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 4 CHAPTER 7: BIG WAVE EVENTS 49 7.01: Scheduling 49 7.02: BW Event Announcement 49 7.03: Prerequisites to Compete 49 7.04: Prize Money 49 7.05: BW Competition Area 50 7.06: Non-Attendance in BW Events 50 7.07: Pregnancy 50 7.08: Concussion 50 7.09: Security Passes / Accessible Areas 51 7.10: WSL Limitation of Liability 51 7.11: Format: Jaws BW Event 51 7.12: Specific Heat Rules for Jaws BW Event 52 7.13: Judging Criteria for the Jaws BW Event 52 7.14: Jaws BW Wave Tabulation 52 7.15: Ties 52 7.16: Jaws BW Interference Rules 53 7.17: Surfer Responsibilities 53 7.18: Format: Nazaré BW Event 53 7.19: Heats 53 53 7.20: Wave Count 54 7.21: Priority 54 7.22: Priority Penalty 55 7.23: Judging criteria for the Nazaré BW Event 55 7.24: Nazaré BW Wave Tabulation 55 7.25: Ties 56 7.26: Additional Award 56 7.27: PWC and Team Responsibilities 56 CHAPTER 8: WAVE SYSTEM (“WS”) EVENT RULES 57 CHAPTER 9: AIRTOUR RULES 58 9.01: Invitation of Surfers 58 9.02: Scoring 58 9.03: Format 58 9.04: Ties 58 9.05: Scheduling 59 9.06: Judging Panel Composition 59 9.07: Judging Criteria 59 9.08: Priority and Interference 59 CHAPTER 10: COMPETITION RULES 60 10.01: The “Call” 60 10.02: Heat Times 60 10.03: Heat Start & Finish 61 10.04 Heat Interruptions 62 10.05: Wave Tabulation 63 10.06: Ties 63 10.07: Protests 63 10.08: Announcements 64 10.09: Surfer Cady Rules 64 10.10: Electronic Coaching 65 10.11: Approved Equipment 65 10.12: Failure to Compete 65 10.13: Competition Attire 65 10.14: Additional Event Obligations 66 © Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 5 10.15: Water Photographers 67 10.16: Double Banks 67 10.17: Time Extensions to Non-CT Events 67 10.18: Non-CT Event Cancellation or Postponement (other than due to Force Majeure or Lack of Competitive Surf) 67 10.19: Non-CT Event Cancellation or Postponement Due to Force Majeure or lack of Competitive Surf 67 10.20 Death or Disablement of a Surfer at an Event 68 CHAPTER 11: PRIORITY RULES & INTERFERENCE 69 11.01: Application of Priority Rules & Interference 69 11.02: Overlapping Heats 69 11.03: Right of Way in Non-Priority Situations 69 11.04: Point Break 70 11.05: Reef or Beach Break – One Peak Situation 70 11.06: Reef or Beach Break – Multiple Peak Situations 70 11.07: “Snaking” 70 11.08: Paddling Interference 71 11.09: Right of Way using the Priority System 71 11.10: General Priority 72 11.11: “Blocking Rule” in Non-Priority Situations 72 11.12: Excessive Hassling in Non-Priority situations 72 11.13: “Blocking Rule” in Priority Situations 72 11.14: Two (2)-Surfer Heat Priority 74 11.15: Three (3)-Surfer Heat Priority 74 11.16: Four (4)-Surfer Heat Priority 74 11.17: Interference Penalty 75 11.18: Excessive Hassling in Priority situations 76 11.19: Using Priority 76 11.20: Serious Unsportsmanlike Interference 76 CHAPTER 12: PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (PWC) GUIDELINES 77 12.01: Use of PWC 77 12.02: Guidelines for PWC Use 77 12.03: Qualified Pilots 77 12.04: Priority 78 12.05: Head Judge Authority with respect to PWC 78 12.06: General 78 CHAPTER 13: JUDGING 79 13.01: Selection of Judges 79 13.02: Judging Panel Composition 80 13.03: Split Panels 80 13.04: Wave-Scoring Scale 80 13.05: Judging Criteria (not relevant to Chapter 4 – Longboard and Chapter 7 – Big Wave Events) 80 13.06: General Judging Rules 81 13.07: Judging Fees/Overtime 81 13.08: Judging for Non-Event Activities 81 13.09: WSL Computer Scoring System 81 CHAPTER 14: WSL CONDUCT POLICY 82 14.01: Introduction 82 14.02: Sportsmanlike Conduct 82 14.03: Additional Standards of Conduct 82 14.04: Damage to Surfing’s Image 83 14:05: Official WSL Equipment and Surfboards 83 © Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 6 14.06: Gambling, Inappropriate Financial Interest or Relationship, and Bribery 83 14.07: Best Efforts 85 14.08: Verbal Assault 85 14.09: Physical Assault and Mutual Combat 85 14.10: Discrimination, Sexual Harassment or Abuse 86 14.11: Other Miscellaneous Violations and Penalties 86 14.12: Disqualification during an Event 89 14.13: Monetary Fines 89 14.14: Review of Violations and Imposition of Discipline 90 14.15: Appeals of Disciplinary Actions made by the WSL Discipline Director 90 APPENDIX A - MENS AND WOMEN’S CT PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWNS 92 APPENDIX B - RANKING POINTS 93 APPENDIX C – 2020 QS AND CHALLENGER PRIZE MONEY 98 APPENDIX D - DEFINITIONS 103 APPENDIX E – WSL REGIONAL OFFICES 110 © Copyright 2020 Association of Surfing Professionals LLC Page 7 PREFACE This edition of this Rule Book contains all current rules governing the CT, QS, Challenger, Specialty Events, Longboard Tour, Junior Tour, Masters Tour, Big Wave Events, Wave System Events and Airtour that are in effect for the 2021 Surfing Season.