Midwest Trials Association
Articles and Bylaws
Rules and Procedure Manual
Name: The name of the club shall be Midwest Trials Association and will be addressed MWTA. The club shall have perpetual existence. The club shall use the current Roberts Rules of Order for all its business meetings. The club, upon dissolution, shall wind up its affairs through its Steering Committee, liquidate any assets, pay all liabilities of the Club, and thereafter distribute its remaining assets to the American Motorcycle Association or the then existing national association operated exclusively for the sport of Observed Trials or motorcycling.
1. Association Structure
A. Purpose: The central purpose of the Midwest Trials Association is to provide competitive motorcycle observed trials events in our area and to unify the rules of these events. The club will hold training classes on the techniques of efficient, safe and sportsmanlike riding pertaining to the sport of Observed Trials.
B. Membership: An annual membership fee will be set by the MWT A members according to the needs of the association for the coming year. Membership in the association is open to any person who will participate in one or more trials, or shows an interest in the sport. Each member is entitled to a membership card, copy of the Trialsmaster Guideline Manual, Articles and Bylaws Manual, logo as determined by the steering committee, and is placed on the newsletter mailing list. Full membership entitles individuals to nominate to be nominated or to vote for members of the Steering Committee, and to participate in Association business. Junior members are not entitled to voting or nomination privileges. All full members (16 years or older) must pay full dues for membership.
60 year old members with 10 years of MWT A membership automatically become life members with no dues but full privileges and voting rights.
Junior members who are 15 years of age or under pay one half the dues required for the full members. Junior members wishing to attain full membership, by paying full dues, may do so and will acquire all rights of senior members. A $2.00 discount will be given to each additional member in a family. Dues are to run for the calendar year starting Jan. I. All MWT A dues are due on or before the first trials of the season. One mailer will be sent to each family.
C. Meetings of the membership: A quarterly Steering Committee meeting will be held on a day set by the committee. The Annual Business Meeting will be held in the month of January and includes a financial report, rule and procedures changes, election of officers and good of the order. A special meeting may be called by the Steering Committee to enact major changes or any club business.
2. Steering Committee:
The steering committee will consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Legal Officer, Training Officer and Public Relations Officer. The members of committee will hold office for terms of one year. They will be elected at the annual business meeting. Officers may succeed themselves. Steering Committee members can be removed from office by two thirds of the voting members present. Notice must be given to all members of the Steering Committee.
A. The Steering Committee as a whole:
1. Sets and organizes an annual calendar of events.
2. Assist trialsmaster.
3. Sets gate fees and entry fees for events.
4. Contributes to the smooth operation of the association and promotion of observed trials. To this purpose, the Committee is empowered, with a majority vote of the committee to make changes in the Association procedure that will improve the organization and further the goals of the MWT A.
5. Serves as a protest committee for the year.
6. Set a meeting date in July to choose the Ute Cup teams and NATC representative.
B. President:
1. Serves as referee of the Steering Committee with the final vote, if deadlocked, in settling protest or rule changes.
2. Presides over Association and Steering Committee meetings.
3. Performs public relations functions.
4. Coordinates and supports all Association events.
5. Appoints special ad-hoc committees.
C. Vice President:
1. Assumes president's duties in the absence of the president.
2. Assist other members of the committee with their duties.
3. Presides over ad hoc committees.
4. Assist tria1smaster.
D. Treasurer:
1. He is responsible for the association's finances.
2. Prepares and presents a financial report at the annual business meeting.
3. Pays and records bills of the MWT A.
E. Secretary:
1. Delegates responsibility for and assist in rider registration at each event.
2. Maintains club member's mailing list. .
3. Is responsible for recording class championship points and assigning rider numbers.
4. Take minutes at all association and Steering Committee meetings and records all proceedings and changes.
F. Legal Officers:
1. Prepares or has prepared rider release forms and other association documents.
2. Updates the association Rules and Procedure Manual as approved by the Steering Committee.
3. Enforces the rules and procedures at association meetings and events.
4. Check out loop and sections for safe and appropriate design prior to each event. Review sections for hazards to motorcycle and/or person and rideability with the authority to make changes as needed.
G. Training Officers:
1. Organizes and presides over association trials schools.
2. Appoints a coaching staff to assist in training riders and checkers.
3. Secures training equipment and material.
4. Inventory and purchase all trials marking material.
H. Public Relations Officer:
1. Committee chair of all public relations operations.
2. Maintains the Club Newsletter Mailing List.
3. Responsible for sending club newsletter to the appropriate people.
4. Responsible for articles being written for the news media, i.e. Trials Competition, Cycle News, Local newspaper and TV stations.
5. Responsible for club advertisement, i.e. posters, ads, flyers and sponsorship.
3. Trialsmaster: The Steering Committee will approve a trialsmaster for each event. The Steering Committee may assign an assistant the help the trialsmaster serves as the Clerk of Course and the Referee for their event. He is responsible for following the Trialsmaster Guidelines Manual in setting up his event. He is responsible for removing all section and loop markers, and policing the trials area within two weeks after the event. Any location other than Rock Riders Quarry must be approved by the steering committee at the Annual Business Meeting, to have first pick of their previous event date.
4. Association Events:
A. Definition: Observed trials are conducted over a course consisting of observed sections. The object of the contest is for the competitor to ride his or her machine over the obstacles in the section while incurring the minimum number of penalty points. The Nebraska State Championship consists of a series of eleven to thirteen events held during each calendar year. The Junior Class will count best of 7 events for series points, 4 events must be rode to qualify for Junior year end awards. For all other class Championship Points calculation, two less than the total number events held during each year, will count for class championship points.
B. Rider requirements:
1. No formal requirements are required for the sport, as anyone who can ride a motorcycle will find a suitable class.
2. No rider except trialsmaster or legal officer may ride any marked section before the event
3. Helmets are required for all riders at MWTA events.
4. It is the rider's responsibility to see that his scorecard is properly marked and turned in on time. Lost scorecards will result in disqualification.
C. Machine requirements: Inspection of the machine on safety and noise related items may be part of the entry requirements. A faulted machine must be repaired of modified before it will be allowed to compete. All motorcycles are required to be fitted with adequate mufflers or silencers that emit a sound not to exceed 88 Db (A) measured at 50 feet or 108 Db (A) at 20 inches. It should be noted that the majority of factory muffled trials machines fall within these limits. Events are to be run without regard to engine displacement. All motorcycles must be rear wheel drive only.
D. Requirements of the course: The course may consist of any number of sections (10 are customary in MWT A events) laid out and connected with a loop. The course loop will be marked with ribbon or arrows. When there is a turn arrows must be marked. Caution areas or dangerous hazards must be marked by an "X" marker. Two way traffic on any part of the loop should be avoided and is not recommended.
E. The sections must be modified for Masters, Expert, Sr. Expert, Sr. Amateur, Intermediate, Amateur, Twin Shock, Novice, Womens and Jr. A & B classes. The sections should be made up of natural obstacles such as mud, rocks, water, uphills, downhills, off cambers and etc. Whenever possible, natural boundaries such as creek banks, large rocks, or trees should be used but when the section deviates non-natural boundaries, then tape should be used. Sections will have an ENTER card marking the section entrances and section number. The section begins with flags forming a gate. The sections progress through gates of one-meter minimum width, marked with colored ribbon. Where practical, the gates should be placed square to the path of the section and firmly attached to a stable object. A gate consisting of double flags, or finish cards marks the end of the section. When split sections are used (different lines for different classes) the splits must be clearly marked indicating the direction or line each class is to utilize. Colored ribbon or split cards will be utilized for this purpose. The split cards will be clearly marked for the intended class and will become the left or right boundary for that particular class. When the center split boundary is not common to all classes and a single marker is not sufficient to indicate that boundary, the use of a brightly colored ribbon shall be used as the split marker. Yellow or white is the common ribbon color for this purpose. No class may cross ribbon regardless if the ribbon is marked for your particular class. Markers should be below foot peg height or above handlebars to avoid the machine snagging the marker. It is of particular importance that start and end markers be placed upright rather than lying flat on the ground. Sections are to be separately numbered and to be ridden in designated order only. No sections may be ridden more than once per lap except by permission of the Clerk of Course. Practice in any of the marked sections before or during the event (except by the trialsmaster or legal officer) will result in exclusion of the rider from the trial. Riders may stop and inspect sections on foot prior to riding for score, providing their machine is parked off the course. The observed sections must not be so long or difficult that "bottlenecks" result and causes the time limit to be unfair. The sections must neither contain impossible turns, ascents, and descents nor be too hazardous. Sections should be test ridden to determine that layout, deterioration or weather will not render the section dangerous to rider or machine. Observed sections or parts of the loop that are found to be dangerous or cause other problems such as bottlenecks, may be closed during the event by the Clerk of Course or Legal Officer. In cases when part of the field have ridden a section before it has been closed, scores for those rides must be deleted. Continuous sections must be used judiciously, if at all, since they are an almost inevitable source of bottlenecks.
F. Time Limits: A time limit for each rider to complete the course should be set. There is no mechanism for extended time once the event has started. Any rider turning in his or her scorecard after his or her scheduled time shall be disqualified. Start times will be set by the Trialsmaster or Steering Committee and listed in the Supplementary Rules and Regulations as well as being announced at the riders meeting.
G. Scoring: The checking officials at each observed section must be stationed so the entire section is plainly visible. If the character of the section is such that more than one observer is required, penalties will be called to be changed during the event. Scoring shall start when the front axle passes the start markers and stops when the front axle passes the end markers (front axle in, front axle out). Punch-type or write in scorecards will be carried by the competitor. A rider shall be penalized only for the error he commits which carried the greatest number of the penalty points. That is, penalties in any given observed section shall not be cumulative except for the first three dabs. To obtain the final score, points lost on observation are added. Scoring will be based on the Stop with Penalty Rules System.
ERROR PENALTY
Clean 0
Footing once 1
Footing twice 2
Footing more than twice 3
Moving backwards (while footing) 5
Failure 5
Definitions:
Clean- no error to incur penalty points. Footing- any intentional contact between the riders foot (or any other part of his body) and a supporting surface or object. Foot rotation- counts as one point. Sliding- a foot counts as three points. Both feet placed on the ground simultaneously counts as two points. 2. Failures: Out of Bounds- competitors may ride where they choose, where boundaries are not marked or stated, but may not cross their own tracks. Line of intent- either tire deviation from the line of intent or other boundaries between gates are specifically enforced. Deviation of half the distance between the two markers is considered line of intent. Whena gate is passed by either tire touching the ground on the out-of-bounds side of the marker. In the case of running over a flag or taped boundary, there must be ground visible between the tape and wheel and the wheel must be on the ground on the out-of-bounds side of the tape. The machine ceases to move (while footing) in a forward direction relative to the section flow. The club will utilize a three-second stop with penalty dab rule. A rider may dab any length of time, or until another rider within their respective class starts an audible three-second count to warn the rider. The stopped rider must raise their foot or move forward to section flow within the three-second timeline or it is considered a failure. No rearward motion (while footing), which flows against, the natura1 flow of the section will be allowed. A bike with a dead engine that is pushed out of the section without stopping, is not considered to be a failure. Any displacement of markers with the machine requiring that they be reset, i.e. breaking or knocking down. Touching a boundary is not a disturbance. Dismounting -both feet on the same side of the motorcycle (involving footing) is a failure.
A rider may report to the observer and receive a five for that section even though they do not attempt it. If a rider misses a section or does not report to the observer, then they receive a 10 for that section. A rider will not alter the section while walking it, i.e. moving rocks, making a path with feet, etc. The penalty for a rider altering the section at any time other than during the scored ride is a five for that ride. Unsportsmanlike conduct or offensive behavior can result in a penalty or 25 or 100 points. The 25-point penalty can be given at the written report must be filled with the Clerk of the Courses for the 100- point infraction.
H. Protest: If a rider is severely distracted or spectators or other riders in the section block his line, they may claim a balk. At the discretion of the section observer, a re-ride of the section may be permitted. If the rider accepts the re-ride the score from the re-ride will count even if it is greater than the original score. It is the rider's responsibility to acknowledge his score on each section immediately upon competition of the attempt. Disagreements with the observer must be noted immediately, while the situation is fresh in everyone's mind, and settled, if possible, without inconveniencing or delaying other riders. Scoring protests will not be heard if the observer was not made aware of the conflict immediately after the section attempt. Riders may not protest another rider's score. Any rider may protest to the Clerk of the Course regarding any matter relating to he event. Protest must be filed with the Clerk of Courses not later than 15 minutes after the finish time. The Clerk of Course shall render all decisions on protest as soon as possible. Appeal of the protest decision may be made to the Steering Committee within 10 minutes of the Clerk of the Course decision.
I. Ties: In case of the ties, the rider with the lowest number of points on observation will win. If still tied, the competitor with the most cleans, then ones, twos or threes will win. If still tied, then the system of farthest cleans, ones, twos, or threes will be used. If still tied, then the riders will have a sudden death ride off starting at section one. In case of a tie in championship points from those events being counted then add one event until the tie is broken. If still tied then the rider having competed in the most events wins. If still tied the rider placing higher in the first event of the year will prevail. Championship points will be awarded by the following system:
1 = 15 11 = .9
2 = 12 12 = .8
3 = 10 13 = .7
4 = 8 14 = .6
5 = 6 15 = .5
6 = 5 16 = .4
7 = 4 17 = .3
8 = 3 18 = .2
9 = 2 19 = .1
10 = 1 20 = .09
Event medals are awarded as follows:
1-3riders = 1 medal
4-5 = 2
6-9 = 3
10-16 = 5
17-20 = 6
J. Supplementary Regulations: Supplementary Regulations are special rules or requirements that will be in force for an event. The governing rules and the supplementary regulations together inform the rider of everything they need to know to compete. Riders meetings may be used to transmit the information contained in the supplementary regulations. The number of observed section and laps and the start time must be announced in the supplementary regulations. These rules and regulations will be set by the Steering Committee or the Clerk of Course.
K. Officials: The Clerk of the Course is in charge of the course and the sections. It is their responsibility and authority to interpret the governing rules. The Legal Officer may inspect the course prior to the event. If problem areas are found, the officer has absolute power over the sections, course and time limit, to delay the start of the meet, until all necessary changes are made. The Protest Jury for each event is first the Clerk or the Course and then the Steering Committee, and will act on all appeals.
L. Rider Classification: The following classes (in order of difficulty) shall be established:
Junior A&B: Riders under the age of 13 years at the time of the first club event for the particular year.
Women: Will ride Novice line.
Twin Shock: Any rider on a twin shock motorcycle
Novice: Inexperienced and beginning motorcycle riders
Amateur: Experienced trials riders
Senior Amateur: Experienced trials riders over 40 years of age
Intermediate: Experienced and consistent trials riders
Expert: Trials riders on level of National Championship Support Class
Senior Expert: Trials riders on level of National Championship Support Class over 40 years old.
Master: Trials riders on level of National Champ Class
Riders may ride in any class they choose and may jump classes up and down but will only receive series points for the class, which they are riding for that event. The Steering Committee has the option of eradicating series from a rider who they feel should be in a more advanced class.
Exhibition Riders: Any individual rider may choose to ride as an "Exhibition Rider" at any particular event. The exhibition rider will waive medals and series points and ride for score only.
M. Awards:
1. Overall awards for each class are to be given at the Cornhusker Cup. Awards are to be designated by the Steering Committee.
2. Special Awards: Special Awards are to be given at the end of the year. They may be withheld in funds are inadequate.
a. Class Championships: At the conclusion of each year the MWT A class championship awards will be presented to the top percentage of riders in each class. Points will be awarded to each rider for the best rides in the class. Refer to 4. Association Events for number of rides counted. Points will be awarded for the actual finish position.
b. Top Rider Award: The Top Rider Award is to be a traveling award, which will go to the top rider in the Master class only. All points for this award must be obtained in the Master class.
c. Most Improved Rider: The out-going Steering Committee will determine the rider to receive this award. Any number of factors may be used to determine the most improved rider. The award cannot be given to one of the Class Champions. The Most Improved Rider Award can only be received once per member.
d. At the conclusion of each series, the trialsmaster will each receive an engraved mug.
N. Trialsmaster dates will be registered at the Annual Business Meeting. Trialsmaster from the previous year will have first choice and any open dates with more than one trialsmaster request will be decided by a drawing.
M. These Articles and Bylaws or Rules and Procedures Manual are susceptible to change by the majority vote of the MWTA membership present.
O. Supplemental Rules:
1. Club Dues $25.00
2. Entry fees Members $10.00
Non-members $15.00
Bicycle $5.00
Junior $5.00
3. Event Sign Up
Single day events 10:30am
Two day events
Sunday 9:30 am
Saturday 9:30 am
Event Riders Meeting
Single day events 11:00am
Oct Two day events
Saturday 9:50 am
Sunday 9:50 am
Event Start Times
Single day events 11:00am
Oct Two day events
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am classes
1:30 pm classes
4. MWTA will utilize checkers at the October two day event. All MWT A club riders who ride the October two day are required to check or perform club duties or ride exhibition only.
5. National money will be paid to the top three club riders in each years series. Riders must ride minimum of five nationals to be eligible. First finishing rider: $150.00 Second and third $75.00. Ute Cup entries paid by MWTA.
Updated 2006
Legal Officer Jesse Wessels
Personal Secretary Sydni Wessels
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