INTERNATIONAL RULES OF COMPETITION (Accepted in 27. April 2004 by IBTA)

1. Throwing equipment

In men's series the official throwing equipment is a rubber boot of the size 43, left or right foot boot, of which the strap in the top of the leg has been removed. The weight of the boot may be 1 kg (880 - 1050 g) and the height up to 44 cm (measured from the heel up to the top rim of the leg).

In women's series the official throwing equipment is a rubber boot of the size 38, left or right foot boot, of which the strap in the top of the leg has been removed. The weight of the boot may be 0.7 kg (630 - 750 g) and the height up to 37 cm (measured from the heel up to the top rim of the leg).

Young people (11-16 years of age) throw with a boot of the size 38. Children of the age of 10 and younger throw with a boot of the size 33, the height of which is 27.5 cm and the weight 450 g.

The boot used in competition may not be altered in any way. In competition, at least two pairs of men's and women's boots must be available. In qualifications for the  the World Championship, each qualifying group must have at least two pairs of men's and women's boots available.

The boots used in competition have to be numbered. Prior to the competition the technical supervisor must check the boots to be used.

The government approves of the throwing equipments and supporting equipments annually. All the official throwing equipments must be available in all international competitions.

In the year 2004 the accepted throwing equipments are Sulman, Kuru and Kontio.

  2. Throwing sector and throwing area

The throwing sector must be marked according to the attached diagram. The boot must be thrown from the throwing area, which is four metres wide and at least 20 metres long. The approach run limit must be marked either with tape or with chalk. The throw must take off from the throwing area, which is five metres long and four metres wide seen from the throwing line. The thrower must stay within the throwing area until the throw has been officially approved.

The throwing area must be even. Only the supervisors and the thrower may be within the throwing area during the throw. For throwers awaiting their turn there must be a marked area separated with line, the scope of which is three meters on both sides of the approach run limit and the length of which is 20 metres.

The throwing sector must have horizontal lines at 20, 30, 40 and 50 metres.

3. Throwing style and throwing time

The throwing style and the grip of the boot are free, but the leg of the boot must be straight when the boot is in the air (for example, the leg of the boot may not be rolled on top of the foot of the boot).

In qualifications and final competitions, the throw may be performed freely within 30 seconds. The clock will be started when the flag official lifts up the white flag, which means that all equipment need not be on the spot. (However, the field officials must be ready, and the flag official must check that they are ready.) The thrower has the right to wait for the boot that was used in the previous throw.

4. Supporting equipment

The use of gloves are allowed when throwing. In sport generally used sprays and waxes are allowed to improve the grip. The thrower is allowed to put them only to the hand, not to the boot. The use of resin products are forbidden.

5. The acceptable throw

The throw can be accepted if the boot falls on the sector line or in the area within the lines. Each throw must be measured immediately from the closest landing mark made by the boot to the measuring point. The throw will be negligible (not accepted) if the thrower touches the throwing line with any part of his/her body, or steps over the line. The length of the throw will be measured to the nearest one centimetre. In case of a National Record or World Record throw, the throw will be remeasured to the measuring point. In official competitions the organizers must have a measure that is 100 metres long.

6. Throwing order

The order in which the competitors perform their throw is to be determined by drawing lots. In final competitions the throws will be performed in reversed order based on the results (i.e. the best throws last).

7. Competitors

When the number of competitors exceeds 12, each competitor is entitled to perform 3 throws. Of them the 12 best throwers are entitled to 3 more throws. If several throwers share the same result on the twelfth place, all of them are entitled to continue. In final results, if results are even the next best results will determine the placings.

National Championships and World Championships

In two-day competitions ( World Championships), the 25 best throwers after three throwing rounds may continue in the next day finals. The final comprises of six rounds, and the twelve best throwers are entitled to continue on to the three last rounds.

In the World Championships at least one thrower from every nation gets to the final.

In the team competitions the qualifying rounds are thrown separately, and the eight best teams are qualified to continue in the finals, comprising of 3 rounds. The final round begins at zero situation.

Only results from the open series are acceptable in team competition.

In personal competition the qualifying requirement will be announced by the competition management one hour before the start of the qualifying rounds.

The throwers participating in team and personal competition must represent the same community in both competitions.

The rules of two-day competition apply in a three-day competition, too.

8. Team

In men's and women's team competition the participants are three pre-nominated throwers, whose best result from the three first rounds applies as result in the team competition.

Entries for the team competition must be supplied by the deadline announced by the organizers.

9. Interruption of competition

After interruption of the competition due to a force majeure reason (heavy rain, thunderstorm etc.), the competition is resumed by starting again from the beginning of the interrupted round. However, the results of the interrupted round can be recorded to statistics.

10. Records

The Boot Throwing Association accepts and records to statistics the following results thrown in competitions of the official Association competition schedule:

Men: In class C, result 30 m; B, result 37 m; class A, result 44 m and Champion Class result 50 m. 
Women: In class C, result 20 m; class B, result 27 m; class A, result 34 m and Champion Class result 40 m. In team competitions, only the result thrown by the representatives of the same club is acceptable as record. The National Boot Throwing Association   accepts the national records. The International Boot Throwing Association accepts World Records.

11. Repetition throw

The throw may be repeated if the boot hits an official within the sector lines.

12. Technical supervisor

The Board of the Association nominates an official Technical Supervisor for each competition included in the official competition schedule. The Supervisor may not be a member of the organizing club. The Supervisor must be a member of the Association and his name must be given to the organizing club two weeks prior to the competition. The Supervisor's duties include supervising that the competition is performed according to competition rules and regulations, and inspecting the competition equipment. The supervisors and deputy supervisors o World Championships are nominated by the Board in its January meeting.

The Technical Supervisor may participate in the competition.

13. Junior series

The junior series are: girls and boys of the ages of 10, 12, 14, 16 and 20. For instance if the thrower's 10th birthday occurs during the present year, he/she will participate in the series for 10-year-olds.

14. Veteran and senior series

The senior series is for men and women of the ages 45-54. The veteran series are for ages 55 - 64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75+. If the thrower's 45th birthday occurs during the present year, he or she may participate in the senior series.

15. Transfers between clubs

In case the thrower transfers from one club to another, the transfer announcement must be made in writing to the National Boot Throwing Association by December 31.

16. Protests

Any thrower who wishes to protest against these rules in competition, must submit the protest in writing to the competition organizers within 30 minutes of the end of the competition. The protest fee is 40 €. lf the protest is rejected, the organizer will account the sum to the National Boot Throwing Association.

17. The official clock

An official clock indicating seconds must be present at the throwing venue in the following competitions: World Championships and World Cups.

18. Code of conduct

The members of the National Boot Throwing Association, both clubs and individuals, are obliged to manifest good sportsmanship and they must follow the applying rules and regulations.

19. Training throws

Prior to the beginning of a series the competitors have to be allowed to perform training throws from the throwing area for approximately 10 minutes. Thereafter the throwing area is to be prepared for competition.

20. The use of fourth competitor in a team

ln competitions with separate opening competitions and final competitions the team may change one thrower due to injury or other force majeure reason. The new thrower may not participate in any team in the opening competition and he/she must be a member of the team's club. Authorization to use a fourth competitor must be obtained from the Jury.

21. Transfer of throwing sector

The Jury of the Competition must authorise an eventual transfer of the throwing sector.

22. Jury of the Competition

All competitions must have a Jury of the Competition. The Jury consists of the Manager of the Competition and two technical supervisors appointed by the Association.

23. Antidoping regulations

In order to be able to participate in the competition the athletes must obey the rules of the National Antidoping Commission and the International Boot Throwing Association. All the athletes, coaches and officials have to learn the rules and regulations of the antidoping. The information of the antidoping regulations can be found from the National Antidoping Commission. Unless the International Boot Throwing Association has decided for a more strict penalty, the minimum penalties for doping violations are:

1. Temporary suspension (mainly two years from the first doping violation).

2. Lifetime suspension.

3. A warning, based on the National Antidoping Comissions statement.

24. General regulations

The principles of fairplay spirit are to be followed in the Boot Throwing competitions.  

RULES OF THE WORLD CUP

World Cup has 12 competitions: World Championships, Five competitions in Finland, three in Sweden, two in Estonia and one in Russia. Series are open series for men, open series for women, teams and men 45, women 45, men 55, women 55, men 65, women 65, men 70 and women 70.

In every competition 15 best throwers get points according the following table.

1.    30 points
2.    24 points
3.    20 points
4.    18 points
5.    16 points
6.    14 points
7.    12 points
8.    10 points
9.      8 points
10.    6 points
11.    5 points
12.    4 points
13.    3 points
14.    2 points
15.    1 points                                  

Individual and team competitions seven competitions are counted to the final points. The one that gets most points is the winner. Final points are taken into account if the thrower has participated in at least five competitions. For race between squads, the open series, teams and men 45 and women 45 are taken into account. Every World Cups organizer-squads participate in the competition payments by 70 €/squad.

RULES OF THE NATIONAL CUP

Series are mens open series, womens open series, teams, mens series 45,55,65 and womens series 45,55,65. Every competitions 15 best get points according the following table.

1. 30 points  
2. 24 points
3. 20 points
4. 18 points
5. 16 points
6. 14 points
7. 12 points
8. 10 points
9.   8 points
10. 6 points
11. 5 points
12. 4 points
13. 3 points
14. 2 points
15. 1 point