Team Racing Rules 2008

Team Composition:

1. Each team should consist of at least 4 but no more than 8 members, with at least one team member from each of the four age class groups;
2. Teams may add new racers, up to a maximum of 8 active racers, at any point during the season;
3. Age classes will be grouped in accordance with USSA National/Regional groupings – Group A = classes 1 – 4 men; Group B = classes 5 – 7 men; Group C = all women; Group D = classes 8 and above men;
4. The number of Group A, B, C, and D racers on a team is not limited (i.e., teams may choose to have an equal number of racers from each group, or may choose to have more of one group and fewer of other groups – A balanced complement of racers from each group will yield a more competitive team);
5. Teams must register their roster with the New England Masters Team Program Commissioner or delegate (Fred Dieffenbach or Steve Foley) prior to scoring team points;
6. A racer may be active on only one roster at a time;
7. Teams must register new racers with the New England Masters Team Program Commissioner or delegate (Fred Dieffenbach or Steve Foley) before a new racer may score points for their team;
8. Team members may be deactivated and may be replaced if they sustain a season ending injury. Replacement racers must be registered with the New England Masters Team Program Commissioner or delegate (Fred Dieffenbach or Steve Foley) prior to scoring points for a team.

Events:

1. For the 2007 – 2008 season, all scored Sise Cup Events starting with the Ragged Mountain Slalom will be counted as New England Masters team races unless otherwise designated (the December 2007 Killington Slalom will NOT be a team event);
2. A teams’ best 9 team scores will count toward the final season-long team score;
3. The team racing season will conclude with the final Sise Cup race (for the 2007 - 2008 season, this will be the March 1);
4. Combined races ARE scored as team events.

Scoring:

1. Race scoring will be based on a modified high-school scoring system with the fastest racers earning the fewest points;
2. A racers “points” are determined by comparing the results of all active team competitors within each “Group” from first to last;
3. A team’s race score will be the sum of the points contributed by a teams’ fastest group A racer, fastest group B racer, fastest group C racer, and fastest group D racer;
4. Teams that do not have a finisher from one or more of the four racer groups, or that do not enter a racer in one or more of the four race groups will receive the equivalent point value of the slowest team racer from their respective “Group” plus 1;
5. Only racers associated with teams will be factored into age group placing;
6. All team racers will earn points, even if their points do not count toward a team’s race score (i.e., no racers are dropped);
7. The team with the fewest race points will win the team competition for that race;
8. Season scoring will be the same as the modified world cup scoring system used to determine the overall standings for the New England Masters Sise Cup;
9. The winner of each team race competition will earn the maximum number of world cup race points, with each subsequent team place receiving the number of points commensurate with their race place;
10. Teams will accrue world cup points for every race up until nine races have been finished. If, and when a team accumulates scores from more than nine races, only the best nine race scores will count toward the final team score.
11. At the end of the season, the team with the most world cup points will win the season-long team competition;
12. Tiebreaker – if at the conclusion of the season-long team competition two or more teams are tied for first, second, or third place, the number of first place finishes each team earns throughout the season will be summed, with the team claiming the most winning the championship. If the teams are tied after summing their first place finishes, the same process will be followed for second place finishes, followed by third place finishes, etc. until the tie is broken.

Other:

1. Team entry fees for the 2007-2008 racing season are $200.00 per team;
2. Teams may be self-funded, or sponsored;
3. If a team is sponsored, the sponsorship agreement, including the amount of the sponsorship and any obligations contained in the sponsorship agreement is between the team and the sponsor;
4. The New England Masters Team Program is not a party to any sponsorship agreements between teams and sponsors;
5. Teams may be used as a vehicle to raise money for charitable purposes;
6. If a team raises money for a charity, the agreement between the team and the charitable organization, or organizations is between the team and the charitable organization(s);
7. The New England Masters Team Program is not a party to any external fund raising agreements between a team and a charitable organization;
8. The New England Masters Team Program Coordinators (Fred Dieffenbach, Steve Foley, Pete Donaghy) are the final arbiters for any matters relating to the New England Masters Team Program;
9. Replacement racers (i.e., racers substituting for injured team members) will not be charged an additional $25.00;
10. The team captain or a designated substitute is the team spokesperson and is the only person who may lodge a protest, rule inquiry, or any other challenge on behalf of the team or one of the team members as part of the team program.

Contact Fred Dieffenbach with any questions (fdieffenbach at bigfoot.com)