Rokkaku Rules

General Description: Individual or teams compete to “cut” or “ground” opposing kites. All contestants fly together. The winner is the last individual or team with a kite remaining in the contest.

Pilot’s Meeting: A briefing will be held before the competition to clarify rules, safety issues, and event procedures.

Field Boundaries: A flying field with a minimum size of 300 feet square and marked boundaries is recommended. Fliers must stay within the designated field while competing; if they do not, they will be considered to be eliminated from that heat of the competition.  Because of the danger of loose kites returning to earth, competition should not be conducted in an area where spectators or other kites are located downwind.

Judges: A Head Judge will apply rules, calculate points, and make all other on-field decisions as needed. Additional judges may be used.

Line Length: The Head Judge will determine and announce any limits on the length of flying line to be used.

Event Start: The Head Judge will determine whether the event will begin with a ground start or in the air. When a ground start is selected, each contestant will provide their own field crew.

A signal to begin competition will be given immediately following the launch. Kites should not engage until that time. During competition, contestants may move about the entire flying area while maneuvering their kites.

Grounding Opponents: Kites may be grounded by flying techniques which include cutting a flying line or bridle, tipping, or blocking their wind. To accomplish this, a contestant may maneuver their own kite or line to contact an opposing kite, line, or bridle.

Prohibited Behavior: Kites may not be grounded by intentional physical contact between contestants or between contestants and an opposing kite, line, or bridle.
Glass or coated line, metal, blades, or other devices deemed unsafe or not in the spirit of the competition are prohibited.

Safety Equipment:  All contestants are required to wear gloves and appropriate protective clothing and footwear.

Safe Practices: During an engagement, line or winders should not be left loose on the field and team members should remain close enough to minimize extended lines. Once grounded, fliers should take all appropriate steps to remove their kite and line from the field and not interrupt the continuing competition.

Safety Crew: A safety crew will be responsible for keeping the competition area free of spectators or other kites.  Safety crew members serving as kite retrievers will be located downwind. Spectators will be informed that trying to catch kites or line is dangerous.

Heats: Three heats or rounds of competition will be conducted with ten minutes of rest and repair time between heats. Contestants unable to launch at the end of the repair period will not participate in the next round.

These rules cover the Team Rokkaku Challenge run at the Smithsonian Kite Festival.  There is no individual competition at this Festival. 

A team will consist of a minimum of 4 persons: a pilot, a co-pilot, a kite retriever for retrieving any kite in the heat whose line is cut, and a score keeper.  Any team member can perform any function for any one heat but each team must have at least four members at all times.

1). A single line, six-sided Rokkaku with four or more bridle points is the only style of kite allowed. For individual competition the kite must be a minimum of three feet high. Minimum kite size for teams is five feet. There is no maximum size limit.

2). Kevlar, metal, or coated cutting line is prohibited. Kites may be flown on only one, single line. Line used must be of an appropriate type that can be cut. The Head Judge will have the authority to disallow any improper flying line or disqualify contestants using it.

3). The Head Judge may designate a maximum length of line for the competition. Such decisions shall be announced at the Pilot’s meeting.

4). Contestants launch on a signal given by the Head Judge. Kites that fail to launch within 30 seconds of that signal will be disqualified. Once kites have launched, the Head Judge will announce that the contest has begun and kites may engage.

5). Kites are eliminated when cut or grounded for any reason.  If a contestant touches his or her kite or kite bridle, the kite will be deemed to have touched the ground and thus eliminated from that heat of the competition. Kites may not re-enter the heat, even if they can be re-launched or if the cut line is “saved” by a contestant before it flies beyond the competition area.

6). Once grounded, fliers should take all appropriate steps to remove their kite and line from the field and not interrupt the continuing competition.

7). Contestants are required to compete. Following two warnings, fliers may be disqualified for not engaging in full combat.

8). Contestants who engage in intentional physical contact with opposing fliers, kites, or line will be immediate disqualified.

Scoring Method: Points are awarded to the final five kites. The last kite remaining in a heat will receive 6 points. The second, third, fourth, and fifth kites will receive 4, 3, 2, and 1 points respectively. One additional point will also be awarded to a contestant whenever they cut or down an opposing kite.

Score keepers will be assigned to each team to verify points. At the end of the heat, judges confer to calculate total points. If it is not clear which contestant is responsible for a point, no point will be issued. In situations where multiple kites are involved, the last kite to make contact receives the point.  In events with time limits, points remaining when time expires will be divided among remaining kites. In a single-round or multiple-round event, the flier or team with the highest point total is the winner.

Safety and Sportsmanship: Safety should be considered the primary concern.
The head judge will assign safety marshals who will be responsible for keeping the flying area free of spectators and other kites. The head judge may stop the competition if there are any safety issues.

Contestants shall conduct themselves in a safe and sportsmanlike manner. They shall not disrupt competition in any way, intentionally or unintentionally threaten the safety of other contestants or spectators, or seek to influence the judges.

Contestants acting in an unsafe or disruptive manner shall be disqualified by the Event Coordinator or Head Judge.

Wind Rule and Line Length: The head judge shall have the authority to suspend or cancel heats, rounds or entire events based on wind conditions and safety considerations.

Maximum line length may be increased or decreased by the Head Judge depending on wind and flying conditions. Field boundaries and safety considerations will reflect line lengths being used.

All contestants will begin the contest under the same line restrictions. Maximum line length or launching line length will not be changed in mid-contest. Line lengths may, however, be changed between “levels” in those events where match winners advance.

Pilot’s Meeting: A “preflight” or “pilot’s” meeting will be held before each contest. Fliers, judges, and field crew should attend.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide contestant flying order (if not previously made available), allow fliers to ask for clarification of rules, scoring, or judging, and announce any last minute change. The Head Judge will review event rules, determine maximum line lengths to be used, review safety issues, and announce the launching process (pilot-launched or assisted launch). If an assisted launch is used, the amount of line used for the launch will also be announced.

Staging: Contestants are responsible for being on the field at the appropriate time. This requires more attention when fliers compete in a particular order, advance through levels, or are divided into heats.

Fliers are responsible for notifying the Head Judge or Field Director if they have a conflict and are unable to compete as scheduled. An effort will be made to reschedule fliers and accommodate conflicts, so long as the overall event is not delayed. Fliers who are not available and ready when it is their turn to compete will be disqualified.

Protests: A flier who believes that they have been improperly treated, for whatever reason, may file a formal protest. Protests must be filed, in writing, with the Head Judge promptly following the incident.

Protests shall be as specific as possible and must be filed in a manner which is not disruptive to any competition in progress. The Head Judge shall review the relevant information, make a final decision, and communicate that decision to the person or persons filing the protest within a reasonable period of time.

Fliers: It is the responsibility of all contestants to be familiar with the event rules, to attend the Pilot’s Meeting to learn of any changes, to be aware of the flying order, and to be on the flying field when it is their turn to compete.

Fliers are responsible for their own equipment, for providing a field crew, and for removing loose line and equipment from the field immediately after their performance.
Most important, fliers are responsible for acting and performing in a way which does not threaten the safety of other fliers or spectators.

Judges: It is the responsibility of all judges to be familiar with the event rules, to attend the Pilot’s Meeting to learn of any changes, and to fairly score all contests.
Judges must be on the field and prepared to score an event when scheduled. Unnecessary delays are inappropriate.

The Head Judge will coordinate all judges, contest staff and safety crew, will manage the safe, smooth, and efficient operation of the event, and will rule on any protests.

Field Director: The Field Director reports to the Head Judge and is in charge of all activity on the competition field. They are responsible for field layout, direct the safety crew, maintain contestant order, inform fliers when judges are ready for them to compete, and keep time when necessary for a particular event.

A Field Director may be supported by a Pit Boss who directs competitors on and off the competition field.

Safety Crew: The Safety Crew report to the Field Director or Head Judge. They are responsible for the safety of fliers, judges, and spectators.  Safety Crew assist with field layout, keep spectators and non-competing kites off the competition field, retrieve kites if their lines are cut, and warn competitors who are flying improperly.

Field Crew:  One member of the field crew will be provided by each team of contestants.

One of more individuals may be permitted on the field to assist with launches or re-launches depending on the type of event or decision of the Head Judge. Crew members are responsible for assisting with the safe and smooth operation of a contest and should stay clear of any kites or lines that are engaged in active competition.

Announcer: One or more people may be serving as public address announcers. The announcer's function is to keep spectators informed about what is happening and to coordinate cassette tapes for those events requiring music.  The announcer does not judge an event. While the announcer may be used to call competitors to the field, reporting on time is the sole responsibility of each flier.

For more information call 202-633-3030 or email Jon Burkhardt, Mike VanMeers, or Bevan Brown