AWSA: what is the procedure to get a new rule

[Bill22]

What is the process? How many steps are involved?

[kfennell]

Step One have an idea

Step Two get some support

Step Three write it all up very nicely

Step Four, Throw the paper you wrote it on in the lake because the stuffy rule makers won't change anything.

 

My experience was great, never even as much as a No or acknowledgement, in fact I believe my rule change proposal wasn't even voted on.

[disland]

Its easy, write it up and submit to your region rules committee chair. All the rules changes a reviewed and voted on at the national meeting in January I think. Now IWWF rule changes are much more complicated. I am not sure its even possible.

[ToddL]

Submit changes to the AWSA Rules committee officially by 31 Aug for consideration for the next calendar year's rule book.

 

The roster of rules committee members is located in this document and starts at the bottom of page 4 and continues on page 5:

https://www.usawaterski.org/pages/divisions/3event/AWSACommittees.pdf

 

 

Per the 2015 AWSA Rule Book:

1.08 Amendments to the Rules

The rules may be amended at any time by the Board of Directors, on its own

initiative or at the recommendation of the Rules Committee. Until such time as a new

edition of the rules is published, the current rules, as amended by the Board, remain

in effect. An individual may submit to the Rules Committee, prior to August 31, proposed rule changes, including new tricks, to be evaluated for the next year's rules.

 

 

I could not find a form for new rule proposals, but I thought that one existed. It is always best to cite the current rule by number etc., then propose your new wording or solution. Provide evidence that supports the need/benefit of the proposed change.

 

Unofficially, make a few calls to rules committee members, and to your regional officers, and any very vocal and dominant people who typically participate at your regional meetings. Discuss the need/benefits and clarify questions in advance. Further, if you can attend your regional mid-winter meeting, you can then promote the change.

[eleeski]

Here is a formal rules proposal from a couple of years ago. Nothing happened but this is the form needed. Delete my words,rule numbers and add your own language. Better yet, support this idea and add your own ideas as well.

 

AWSA Rules Amendment Request Form

In order to request that the rules be amended you must be a U.S. Citizen and a current member of USA Water Ski with AWSA listed as

your primary sports division. This form must be submitted in electronic format to the Chairman of the Rules Committee by August 31st

to be considered for the upcoming year.

Member Name: _Eric Lee_____________________________________

USAWS Member Number___200008363___________________________

Age Division_M5_______(ex. B1)

U.S. Citizen?_Y___ yes _____ no

AWSA primary sports division? _Y___yes ____no

Rule number to change?____11.12 _____ (ex. 1.08)

Suggested wording:

11.12 B) 1) A clearly recognizable trick shall be credited. Deductions for obvious form breaks shall be limited to 10% per form break.

11.12 E) replace “zero” with “a deduction”

11.12 H) “zero” with “a deduction”

11.12 I) replace “no credit” with “a deduction”

 

 

 

Reason: Regular trick judges are taught to recognize tricks. Regular judges make up the bulk of the judging at most tournaments so most scores are based on the recognition of tricks – not close scrutiny of credit/no credit. Thus it is reasonable to give 90% of the score based on identification of the trick. A 10% cut for a form break is quite reasonable and will improve consistency of scores.

 

 

Background: Trick judging is quite subjective. Unfortunately the subjectivity manifests in an all or nothing score. No other performance based sport gives all or nothing based on subjective assessment of form breaks. A deduction system is reasonable, workable and will enhance the consistency of judging and scoring. A sloppy SLO has much more spectator appeal than a perfectly executed surface O. Let’s remove the random inconsistency for the skiers, make the scoring match what the spectators see, encourage fun exciting tricks and make the skier’s display the focus of tricks – not the judge’s philosophy. Partial credit for tricks will solve the trick judging problem.

 

Eric

[Bill22]

@ToddL do you know if each rule change request gets sent to all the members of the Rules Committee. I'm wondering if the members have days/weeks/months to review each request before they vote on them?

[Bill22]

@eleeski I don't trick but I like your proposed request.

[ToddL]

@Bill22 I do not know.

[kfennell]

@Horton Sorry are you aware of a flood of approved rule change requests that we don't know about?

[ToddL]

FWIW, @MattL 's rule change request was the final push to get a change to allow B2 skiers to use the "junior" rope in class C. For the B2 skiers who have not yet hit a growth spurt, this was seriously needed. So, there's one.

 

Also, there is the recent Class C change on missed gates on the opener - if missed but all 6 ran, and if subsequent pass is correctly ran (good gates and all 6), then skier continues. Otherwise, score is 0 like before.

[Horton]

@kfennell

I believe a good arbiter should only consider the most pertinent proposals. On this website and in my previous occupation in a Fortune 10 company the greatest lesson I learned was to say "no" to most requests and to thoroughly scrutinize any requests that merited a maybe. This often made mid level managers angry and high level managers happy.

 

Change for the right reasons is good. Change for change or change for the interest of few individuals may not be good for the whole organization.

[Jody_Seal]

@Bill22

What is your rule request/change?

[Bill22]

@Jody_Seal I don't have a change request. I just want to understand the process.