Proposal 81: Unify Routine Length [ Revision 1 ]
Committee: 6. FreestyleSubmitted on 2025-07-18
Status: Passed on August 03, 2025
Background
Routine length was defined long, long time ago (> 30 yrs) and still unchanged since then (excluding the reduction of group length). The original idea was to welcome new riders (first timers) with short routine length and give more experienced riders more time. Freestyle drastically changed since then, but this rule is still to be modernized. Now that we have plenty of experience with situations in which it went wrong, we can give it the update it needs.
The routine length rules are utterly complex and nowadays are considered harmful to riders as they even have routines with three different lengths within one season/year. Not only that, the relation of 4 minutes for one person in comparison to 5 minutes for 16 people stands in no healthy relationship. The problems continue: Around 10 yrs ago, in Germany “all” routines went “expert” and as such everybody above the age of 15 was forced to start with 4 minutes. We now clearly see, this is not in the favor of riders, quite the contrary. Not many routines (maybe only expert routines at Unicon) are able to use the 4 minutes effectively at all. The result is many trick-wise bloated or on the other end of the spectrum very bland routines. In both cases ruin the attractivity of our discipline. Events are stretched for no reasons while compromising by having less athletes to compete.
Proposal
OLD:
6B.8.1 Time Limits
Artistic Freestyle competitions use the time limits outlined below.
6B.8.1.1 Time Limits For Age Groups
Competition Age Time Limit
Individual
0-14 2 minutes
15+ 3 minutes
Jr. Expert 3 minutes
Expert 4 minutes
Pair
0-14 2 minutes
15+ 3 minutes
Jr. Expert 3 minutes
Expert 4 minutes
Small Group
Jr. Expert 4 minutes
Expert 5 minutes
Large Group
All 5 minutes
6B.8.1.2 Time Limits for Categories
Category Name Time Limit
Novice 2 minutes
Intermediate 3 minutes
Expert 4 minute
NEW:
### 6B.8.1 Time Limits
The maximum for routine lengths are:
- Individual: 3 min
- Pair: 3 min
- Group: 5 min
IUF Sanctioned & Endorsed events: Time limits are enforced.
Other events (eg. Newcomer Freestyle events that welcome first timers) can allow shorter durations to lower the entrance barrier for first timers. The maximum routine length must be announced with tender/bidding for each event.
Body
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References
Discussion
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Votes on this proposal:
10 out of 15 voting members have voted.
Agree: 7, Disagree: 2, Abstain: 1.