All About Red Bull X-Fighters

Created back in 2001, the Red Bull X-Fighters concept has grown to become the biggest and most respected freestyle motocross tour on the planet, featuring the world’s best riders throwing down mad tricks in stunning locations across the globe. The best FMX riders in the world are set to step it up once again and push the sport forward as they visit brand new locations and bring the sport of freestyle motocross to new countries around the globe.

The extended World Tour 2011 will kick off in Dubai (UAE) on 15 April. Events in Brasilia (28 May/BRA), Rome (25 June/ITA), Madrid (15 July/ESP) and Warsaw (6 August/POL) will follow, before the World Tour will stop in Australia for the first time in its ten-year history.

Already in 2001, the Red Bull X-Fighters set new standards on an international level. Since then, top stars in the scene have queued up for starting places at this event and rookies like Levis Sherwood were brought to light with the help of this series. Nate Adams (USA), Robbie Maddison (AUS), Andre Villa (NOR), Dany Torres (ESP), Levi Sherwood (NZL) and many more have fascinated hundreds of thousands of fans so far at large bullfighting arenas in Mexico (Mexico City) and Spain (Valencia and Madrid), at the Sphinx of Giza (EGY), the Red Square in Moscow (RUS) as well as in the Brazilian metropolis Rio de Janeiro (BRA) or in the Eternal City of Rome (ITA).

Red Bull X-Fighters Jams

While the international elite pushes the boundaries of modern freestyle motocross in some of the most spectacular locations on the planet at the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, local riders are hard at work bringing FMX to brand new countries with a series of Red Bull X-Fighters Jams. These events already have cult status in the cities they have visited, with top riders from the region joining some of the finest shooting stars from the international scene to put on an insane show in front of tens of thousands of people.

In 2010, the Red Bull X-Fighters Jams Tour rocked its way around the globe with the stops in Taipeh (TWN), Narva (EST), Lima (PER), Johannesburg (RSA),  Banja Luka, Dubai (UEA) and Canakkal (TUR) bringing whole city centres to a complete standstill as people clambered onto roofs and into trees to get a perfect view of the spectacular action. 
The biggest show in FMX history took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka with more then 200.000 spectators on side to see Daniel Bodin, Nick De Wit and a few other riders going crazy for a crowd that has never seen FMX before. 

This year will also see a series of Red Bull X-Fighters Jams take place. Indeed, in the past the Jams have often proved a stepping stone on the way to receiving a golden ticket to the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour and the chance to compete against international stars such as Nate Adams, Robbie Maddison and Mat Rebeaud. Keep your eyes out for a Jam near you!

Rules

Red Bull X-Fighters is a Professional Freestyle Motocross (FMX) tour, which can comprise all disciplines of FMX. These disciplines include, but are not limited to: Freestyle, Speed and Style, Step up, Quarterpipe, Parallel Freestyle. Unless outlined in competition documents, the typical Red Bull X-Fighters competition will be Freestyle only. Tour stops and their disciplines involved will be outlined on the X-Fighters web page www.redbullxfighters.com.

Participation in a Red Bull X-Fighters competition is by invitation only, based on past year’s results, selection by Ranking Committee and Wild Card. The official invitations with all of the relevant information (date and type of competition, venue address, deadlines, preliminary schedule) will be sent out within 6 weeks of the event date.

TRANSPARENCY THE NAME OF THE GAME FOR 2011 WORLD TOUR JUDGING

Following the closest ever season finale in 2010, the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour returns in 2011 to rock new locations with some brand new tricks. Tour Director Tes Sewell announced ahead of the coming season that one of the Tour’s main aims for this year would be to make the judging as transparent and understandable as possible so that every rider can understand why he received the score he did. Let us take you through the Red Bull X-Fighters Rules and Regulations 2011.

Section 1 – Tour

1.1 Field Sizes

The Field limit for an X-Fighters competition is 12 riders. At certain Tour stops riders may be invited to a pre-qualifier where the ‘open’ spots in the field of 12 will be filled. Red Bull X-Fighters rules apply for all pre-qualifier events.

Should one or more riders be injured during training or qualifying sessions and are unable to compete, the organization reserves the right to invite replacement riders into the competition.

1.2: Point System

The following points are awarded for the finishing positions at the termination of an X-Fighters event, regardless of the discipline(s) held:

1st place100 pts
2nd place 80 pts
3rd place 65 pts
4th place 55 pts
5th place 45 pts
6th place 35 pts
7th place 30 pts
8th place 25 pts
9th place 20 pts
10th place 15 pts
11th place 10 pts
12th place 5 pts

An updated Tour ranking list will be distributed at the completion of each Red Bull X-Fighters competition and will be posted online at www.redbullxfighters.com

1.3: Rider Selection

Beginning in Dubai (UAE) and continuing throughout the 2011 Red Bull X-Fighters Tour, riders will be selected to compete in the following categories:

Permanent

Top 6 from 2010 – Riders finishing 1 through 6 in the 2010 Red Bull X-Fighters Tour will be awarded a permanent spot on the Tour. These 6 riders will be invited to compete in all 2011 Tour events

Open

The Open category will be divided into 2 sub categories:

1.Wild Cards
2.Tour Selections

Wild Cards – 2 Wild Cards will be selected, by the organizing committee, for each Tour stop

Tour Selections – 4 or more other riders will be selected by the 2011 Tour Rider Selection Committee to compete in each Tour stop. The Dubai selections will be based on the list from the 2011 Ranking Selection Committee.

Open rider guarantees

Beginning in Dubai there will be up to 4 spots for Open riders to gain a guaranteed spot in the following Tour event. If an Open rider is ranked in the 2011 Tour Top 6 at the end of any Tour stop, they will be automatically invited to the next Red Bull X-Fighters event*

*Note: There are a maximum of four (4) spots available for Open rider guarantees in the Tour Top 6.

1.4: Throw Out

The Throw Out rule applies to all riders who compete in all Tour competitions prior to the Final stop. The lowest single Tour stop score will be thrown out and the remaining stops will be totaled to give an adjusted points score prior to the start of the Final competition. This rule shall only apply if the Tour numbers more than 3 total stops. If a rider misses one stop (other than the Final), then that one stop will count as the Throw Out

Example: 2011 Tour is 6 stops. If a rider competes in all 5 stops before the Final then the best 4 results will count and that points total will be ‘reset’ before the Final. Points awarded from the Final competition are added to the points total from the best 4 results and that will be the rider’s Tour points total.

1.5: Prize Money

A schedule for prize money will be distributed no less than 8 weeks prior to the start of each event.

Section 2 – Events

2.1: Event Format

Red Bull X-Fighters events will typically be held over a 3-day period:

Day 1 – Rider Briefing and Training
Day 2 – Training and Qualifying
Day 3 – Training and Competition

*Red Bull X-Fighters events usually will be held over 2 days. In certain circumstances a Red Bull X-Fighters event could be compacted into one single day comprising all elements of training, qualifying and competition.

2.2: Qualifying

Qualifying

The start list for qualifying sessions will be organized by reverse order of Tour ranking (highest ranked rider will ride last). In the event that more than one rider does not have a tour rank, then those riders will be assessed a start order by random draw, where the first rider drawn will be the first to ride and each successive un-ranked rider will start in order until all un-ranked riders have started. At this point the Tour ranked riders will begin their reverse-order starts. Should 2 riders have the same amount of Tour Points then the higher rank will be given to the rider with the higher finish in the most recent competition.

*At the first Tour stop the rankings from the previous year will be utilized.

There will be 2 qualifying runs of 90 seconds each. All 12 riders will ride Run 1 and then all 12 riders will ride Run 2 in their start order. Start order will be the same for both runs.

Any rider who misses a qualifying session will be scored in the last place position. Should more than one rider miss the qualifying session then Tour rank will determine placing, with the lowest ranked rider being scored as the last place. Should no Tour rank exist, then a draw will take place to establish rank for the purpose of qualifying.

Any rider who for legitimate mechanical or medical reasons misses his start time in a qualifying session may be placed into the field before the end of each qualifying run. If all first runs are complete then the rider will only be given one run of qualifying. If the last rider in the field has completed his second qualifying run and more than 2 minutes have elapsed, then this will be considered as a missed qualifying session.

A qualifying session can be considered complete when at least 1 full run is completed by all riders (except where a rider is unable to start for medical or mechanical reasons). If a qualifying session is halted for any reason (e.g. weather), runs can be restarted, at a later time, where qualifying was postponed. If qualifying is cancelled and one full run has not been completed, then all results will be voided and qualifying positions will revert to Tour ranking plus ranking awarded by Competition Committee (where required). If a rider does not have a prior Tour ranking then the Committee will perform a random draw in which case the first drawn rider will be assessed the highest non-ranked position and the second drawn rider the next highest non-ranked position. This process will continue until all non-ranked riders have been drawn.

Qualifying Results

The results of each qualifying run will be displayed in the riders’ area at the completion of each round. Official results will be distributed after completion of Qualifying Session. Qualifying is ranked according to the riders best run score, where the highest rider’s score will be ranked as #1.

Time Out rule (Qualifying)

If a rider has a legitimate mechanical or medical issue after given clearance to enter course to begin a run or after clock has started in run, the rider must claim a Time Out by forming a “T” with both hands. At this point, a countdown clock will be started and the rider will have 2 minutes to return to the course to start or complete the run. If the clock has already started, then the time will be reset to the moment when the Time Out was claimed and the rider will be given the remaining time in his run (Clock starts when the rider takes his first hit, or when the 2 minute Time Out clock expires).

Time Out can only be used once for each Qualifying Session and once for each Competition

If, in the opinion of the Head Judge, the reason for claiming Time Out is not legitimate, the rider will be disqualified and scored a zero for that run by all judges.

Number Plates (Qualifying)

Before a rider enters the course with his bike, the Red Bull X-Fighters number plate must be affixed to the bike. Specific rules pertaining to the position and look of the number plate must be observed. These rules will be outlined in each rider contract.

2.3: Competition

Competition Format

Round 1

The top 6 ranked riders will sit out Round 1 and all other riders will compete in reverse ranking order. Each rider will take one run on the course with a predetermined time limit (typically 90 seconds). At the completion of each riders run, the judges will award a score. When all riders in this round have completed a scored run, the top 2 scored riders will be advanced through to Round 2 where the highest scored Round 1 rider will be awarded the #7 seed and the second highest scored Round 1 rider will be awarded the #8 seed.

Remaining Round 1 riders will be eliminated from competition. All eliminated riders will be ranked according to Round 1 scores.

Round 2

Head to Head competition

Note: In all head-to-head competition, eliminated riders for each round will be ranked according to their qualifying position.

Start order

Heat 1. # 5 vs #4
Heat 2. #6 vs #3
Heat 3. #7 vs #2
Heat 4. #8 vs #1

The 2nd round is an elimination round for the top 8 seeded riders. Each rider takes his own run (90 sec time per rider), one after the other, not at the same time. The lower seeded rider in each pair will ride first. Time will start when the rider takes his first jump. After each run, the rider goes a pre-designated position to watch his replays on the big screen. The second rider in the pair, who is not riding, will wait at the Hot Spot, remove his helmet and watch the other rider’s run. After the second rider’s run, both wait at a pre-designated position for the judges’ decision of whom of the two is in the Semi Final round.

Semi Finals – 4 Riders

4 riders are qualified in pairs for the semi Final. Winner of Heat 1 faces winner of Heat 4, winner of Heat 2 faces winner of Heat 3. Each rider takes his own run (90 sec. time per rider). The lower seeded rider in each pair will ride first. Time will start when the rider takes his first jump. After each run, the rider goes a pre-designated position to watch his replays on the big screen. The second rider in the pair, who is not riding, will wait at the Hot Spot, remove his helmet and watch the other rider’s run. After the second rider’s run, both wait at a pre-designated position for the judges’ decision of whom of the two is in the Final round.

Third Place run-off

The 2 losers of Semi Final competition will meet in a Head to Head Third Place run-off. Each rider takes his own run (90 sec. time per rider). The lower seeded rider in the pair will ride first. Time will start when the rider takes his first jump. After each run, the rider goes a pre-designated position to watch his replays on the big screen. The second rider in the pair, who is not riding, will wait at the Hot Spot, remove his helmet and watch the other rider’s run. After the second rider’s run, both wait at a pre-designated position for the judges’ decision of whom of the two will be awarded Third place.

Note: In the event that a Third Place run-off can not be held due to time constraints, Third place will be awarded to the highest qualified loser from the Semi Finals.

Final

The 2 winners of Semi Final competition will meet in a Head to Head run-off. Each rider takes his own run (90 sec. time per rider). The lower seeded rider in the pair will ride first. Time will start when the rider takes his first jump. After each run, the rider goes a pre-designated position to watch his replays on the big screen. The second rider in the pair, who is not riding, will wait at the Hot Spot, remove his helmet and watch the other rider’s run. After the second rider’s run, both wait at a pre-designated position for the judges’ decision of whom of the two will be celebrated as the winner of Red Bull X-Fighters competition.

Time Out Rule (Competition)

If a rider has a legitimate mechanical or medical issue after given clearance to enter course to begin a run or after clock has started in run, the rider must claim a Time Out by forming a “T” with both hands. At this point, a countdown clock will be started and the rider will have 2 minutes to return to the course to start or complete the run. If the clock has already started, then the time will be reset to the moment when the Time Out was claimed and the rider will be given the remaining time in his run (Clock starts when the rider takes his first hit, or when the 2 minute Time Out clock expires).

Time Out can only be used once for each Qualifying Session and Competition

If, in the opinion of the Head Judge, the reason for claiming Time Out is not legitimate, the rider will be disqualified and scored a zero for that run by all judges.

Number Plates (Competition)

Before a rider enters the course with his bike, the Red Bull X-Fighters number plate must be affixed to the bike. Specific rules pertaining to the position and look of the number plate must be observed. These rules will be outlined in each rider contract.

Section 3 – Judging

3.1: Judges

There will be 2 separate judging systems for X-Fighters competition:

Judging in all rounds will consist of 5 judges, each one judging different criteria.

Judge 1:    Variety
Judge 2:     Challenge and Execution
Judge 3:     Style
Judge 4:    Use of Course
Judge 5:    Show and Spectator Reaction

Qualifying and Round 1

Qualifying judging panel comprises 5 judges, plus one Head Judge. These judges will award each rider a score from 1-100 points. Final score will be from a total of 500 points.

Round 1 to Final – Head to Head competition

Each judge will award each of the paired riders a score on a scale of 1-100 points. The rider in the pair with the highest score from a single judge will win that judge’s vote. The rider who gets 3 or more judges’ votes out of 5 will win the match-up.

The Head Judge is solely responsible for indicating when time expires on a run. If, in the mind of the Head Judge, a rider is considered to be ‘on approach’ to a jump when the time clock reaches zero, then that jump (or series of jumps in a double-double or 6-pack) will count in the rider’s final score.

The Head Judge will also have the ability to change any single score or group of scores and makes the final decision in any tie-breaker situations. 

Section 4 – Event notes

4.1: Time Limit

A time limit may be imposed at the start of each competition run, where a run-down timer will be started when the rider is released to enter the course. This limit will be shown on the run-down clocks. At the expiration of this time the official run time will start, unless the rider has already hit the first take off and started the clock.

The time limit (if required) will be set and announced at the Rider Briefing, prior to qualification.

4.2: Flags

In each run of Qualifying and Competition flags will be used to indicate key timing. At 15 seconds left in the run, a yellow flag will be waved. At the expiration of time a second flag (typically Red or Chequered) will be waved. These flags are to be used as guidelines only and do not supercede the official timing on the run-down clock.

Red Flag

When a red flag is displayed in practice sessions a rider must safely come to a stop then cautiously return to the course entry, where he will be advised by officials to continue the run or exit the course. Failure to obey a red flag may result in a penalty, including, but not limited to: Loss off training time, loss of qualifying position or disqualification.

4.3: Event Cancellation

In the event that a competition is cancelled, the results from the last complete round (including qualification) will be considered the Final results from that Tour stop. Points and prize money will be awarded according to this result. If no rounds were completed and therefore there were no results, the points and prize money will not be awarded for this stop.

4.4: Competition Committee

At each stop of the Tour a Competition Committee will be formed, comprising (but not limited to) the Sport Director, Chief of Course, Head Judge and Head of Medical. This committee will be responsible for all rules reviews, course changes and decisions on medical clearances.

4.5: Rider Representative

At each stop of the Tour a Rider Representative will be appointed as a liaison between the riders and the Competition Committee. This rider will be selected by ballot at the rider briefing. A rider may not serve as rider representative for 2 consecutive events, but may serve more than once per season.

4.6: Tour Ties

In the event of a Tour points tie(s), The highest number of first place finishes during the season will break the tie. In the event a tie still exists, the highest number of second place finishes will break the tie. This process will continue until all finish places have been exhausted. Should a tie still exist, the highest finishing position at the event at which the tie(s) was created, or, if the former does not apply, the highest finishing position at the last Red Bull X-Fighters event the concerned riders attended, will break the tie(s).

4.7 Format Changes

At certain Tour stops adjustments to competition formats and judging criteria may be instituted. In this case a Rule Addendum will be issued for this Tour stop.