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NENSA Points and RulesJunior Olympic Qualifying2003-2004 SeasonPublished Jan. 1, 2004 Index:
Page 2 NENSA PointsThe NENSA Points system is a ranking system that uses the same calculations as FIS Points. NENSA Points allow New England skiers to compare themselves with skiers regionally, nationally, and internationally. A skier’s best 3 races in a 12-month period are used to determine NENSA Points. See www.fis-ski.com and www.ussa.org for further research. Important Terms: Penalty (or Base): • Take the USSA, FIS, or NENSA points of the top 5 skiers in the race. If USSA points are available and fairly represent a skier’s ability, the will be used, if not, the athlete’s best FIS points (sprint or distance) will be used. If neither FIS nor USSA points are representative of a skier’s ability, NENSA points will be used. • Any competitors in the top 5 without FIS,USSA, or NENSA points representative of his or her ability will receive 160 points for the purpose of the calculation. • Eliminate the best and worst points. Divide the remaining three values by 3.75. This is the calculated race penalty. NENSA Points List: The NENSA Points list is updated two times per year. Feb 1, and “End of Season” and include all results from the past year (12 months). For Penalty calculations, the current points list is used. This list can be found at www.nensa.net F-Factor: Defines how quickly points climb. Different formats require different F-factors. For NENSA Points, the F-factor is: Individual starts = 600, Mass/Wave Starts: 700, Sprints, 800. Distance Race Points: For Mass Start, Wave Start and Individual Start races. (Tx/To 1) x F, where Tx=time of competitor being scored; To=time of winner, and F=F-factor.Sprint Race Points: Race points for each non-qualified athlete are determined using the distance race points formula above. The Penalty for sprints is determined by the Top-5 overall after the heats, NOT the Top-5 qualifiers. For all qualified athletes in the Premier heats, the following formula is used: • P = R x (Ra-1) / (Q 1) Where, P=points, R=Range, Ra=final rank of competitor being score, Q = number of qualified athletes. • Range = (Tsq/Tf)-1), where Tsq=Time of slowest qualifier and Tf=Time of fastest qualifier. Race Points Formula for all Races (sprint and distance): Race Points + Penalty = NENSA PointsWho calculates NENSA Points? NENSA Operations Director Pat Cote (pat@nensa.net) is in charge of all NENSA scoring. Bob Haydock, a volunteer member of NENSA’s Board of Directors, keeps all scoring up-to-date on NENSA’s website. Bob also independently calculates NENSA Points for each race to verify Pat’s scoring.Page 3Some notes on using NENSA Points:The FIS Points system awards points on a linear scale where six points is equivalent to one percent behind. Lower points are most desirable. The system is zero-based; the top ranked skier in the world carries zero FIS Points. The top junior skiers in the world carry around 30 FIS Points. A skier with 60 FIS Points is approximately 10% slower than the world's best in an individual start distance race. A skier with 120 FIS Points is approximately 20% slower than the world's best. Differences Between NENSA and FIS Scoring Systems: 1) NENSA does not keep separate ranking lists for sprints and distance. Instead, points from all races are used. (USSA also keeps only one list which is why we first look to the USSA points list, not the FIS list, for Penalty calculation.) 2) NENSA uses 700 as the F-factor when determining points from a mass-start race. FIS uses 1000. Why? In FIS mass start races, athletes tend to stay bunched together until the last 0.5K where there is a mad dash to the finish line. In NENSA races, there tends to be less grouping so a lower F-factor is appropriate. Like FIS, we use and F-factor of 600 for individual starts. 3) NENSA uses 800 as the F-factor for sprint races. FIS uses 1000. Why? NENSA has found that using an F-factor of 800 allows for sprints points to be fairly compared with distance points. At the FIS/World Cup level, sprint qualification times have become so close that an F-factor of 1000 is needed to fairly score sprint competitions. 4) NENSA uses an athlete’s 3 best races over a 12-month period. FIS and USSA use an athlete’s best 5 races. Page 4 JOQ Points JOQ points are used to determine qualification of J1 and Older Juniors for the New England Junior Olympic Team. JOQ points are simply NENSA Points from Eastern Cup races specified as NENSA Junior Olympic Qualifiers. J2Q Points J2Q points are used to determine qualification J2 athletes for the New England Junior Olympic Team. J2Q points are calculated with the same formulas as NENSA Points, but compare J2’s only to other J2’s even when the race distances are the same as the older athletes. Also, when determining the penalty for J2Q Points, 220 is used for all athletes not listed on the NENSA Points list. Also, only the season-ending points from the previous season are used for determining the penalty. The Feb. 1 Updated list is not used for J2Q penalty calculation. This allows penalty to remain relatively stable throughout the season. J2Q points DO NOT go on the NENSA Points List. Substitutions Since NENSA Points, FIS Points, and USSA points are calculated in almost the same ways, NENSA allows JO athletes to substitute certain races for qualifying for the New England Junior Olympic Team. Eastern Cup Points Eastern Cup points are scored at Eastern Cup races, and accumulate over the course of the season. Points are awarded using the old World Cup system which awards points using the scale outlined below. A racer's best seven results of either discipline are counted toward the final standing.
Page 5 Race Rules NENSA runs all of its Eastern Cup and Championship Events following general FIS guidelines. Seeding NENSA Eastern Cup Events are seeded. 1) Individual Starts For individual starts, A, B, C, and D seeding groups are formed. The A-group includes the top-ranked athletes based on NENSA/FIS/USSA Points; the B-group includes a second tier of athletes based on NENSA/FIS/USSA Points; the C-group contains all other pre-registered athletes. The D-group includes all late or day of race registrants. In most races, the B group will start first, randomly sorted, followed by A, C, and D. 2) Sprints For sprint races, an A-group is created of all racers with below 200 (for men) and 250 (for women). Within the A-group, the highest ranked athlete starts first, followed by the second ranked athlete, etc. The B-group contains all other pre-registered athletes. The b group is randomly The C-group includes all late or day of race registrants. In most races, the A group will start first, followed by B and C. 3) Mass Start For Mass Start races an A-group is created of all racers with below 200 (for men) and 250 (for women). Within the A-group, the highest ranked athlete gets the most preferable start position, followed by the second ranked athlete, etc. The B-group contains all other pre-registered athletes. The C-group includes all late or day of race registrants. The A group gets the most preferable start position, followed by B and C. Results Race results are unofficial for 15 minutes following the time of posting. All protests of results must be submitted within these 15 minutes to the Competition Office. Clerical errors, such as name spelling, incorrect NENSA#, etc may be cleared up for one week following the event by contact NENSA. Protests All protests must be submitted in writing to the Competition Office at the event during the protest period (start of race to 15 minutes after unofficial results are posted.) Sprint Heats (except for the final) may not be protested. Instead, sprint heats are “refereed” by a 5-member jury. Jury Each NENSA Eastern Cup and Championship Event is governed by a jury with at least three members. The jury is composed of: Race Director, NENSA Rep, and Technical Delegate (TD.) For sprint races, the jury is expanded to five members with two assistant Technical Delegates added to the jury. Page 6 Sprint Rules Qualification Round: Racers start every 10,15,20, or 30 seconds depending on course and race director preference. Heats: In general, at NENSA Eastern Cup events, there will be two official sets of heats: “Premier” and J2. The Premier Heats feature the top 16 qualifiers. The J2 Heats feature the top 8 (If 15 or fewer competitors) or top 16 (if >15 competitors) qualifiers of J2 age or younger. Often, J1/OJ, U23, and Master Heats will also be offered. These heats are unofficial and do not count for standings, NENSA Points, or JOQ Points. In the Sprint Heats the starting positions are chosen according the following: Quarterfinals: Highest ranked qualifiers get first lane choice Semifinals: Winners of quarterfinal get first choice, with highest ranked qualifier choosing first. Finals: Winners of semifinal get first choice, with highest ranked qualifier choosing first. Results In sprint competitions with 16 competitors to the quarterfinal the result list will be made as follows: 17th to last rank: the result from the qualification round will be used 13th 16th rank: the 4th place finisher from each heat in the quarterfinal will be assigned based on their respective ranking in the qualification round. 9th 12th rank: the 3rd place finisher from each heat in the quarterfinal will be assigned based their respective ranking in the qualification round 5th 8th rank: based on the order of finish the B final 1st 4th rank: based on the order of finish the A final The competitor must ski the entire course in each heat in order to be ranked, otherwise he will be ranked as the last of all qualifiers. If a competitor does not start a heat, he will be disqualified from the competition and not scored. If a competitor does not start or finish a heat due to force majeure (verified by a protest) he is ranked last in this heat. If an obstruction causes an athlete not to advance to the next round, that athlete will be allowed to proceed into the next round. Obstructions can be sanctioned by competition suspension (ranking the athlete in last place of the relevant heat accompanied by a written reprimand) or disqualification from the competition. Protests Due to the timeline pressure or running successive heats it is not possible to allow for protests during heats and semifinals. Protests will only be accepted after the finals (as it is in normal competitions). Page 7 NENSA Elite Team The NENSA Elite Team exists as a program to support and facilitate the appropriate development of top athletes toward the goal of international excellence. In addition to recognition for accomplishments, this program seeks to provide incentives for athletes to seek high levels of competition, and to encourage athletes to think in terms of long-range development. In order to gain access to the Elite Team an athlete must achieve a certai level of success at national level competition. Criteria for Elite Team Selection A pool of athletes will be identified based on results in national level competition, comprising individuals who meet the following criteria: Juniors 1 top 5 (overall, J1&OJ) result at Jr Nationals or Jr World Trials. 2 top 10 (overall, J1&OJ) results at Jr Nationals or Jr World Trials.Top 10 ranking among returning juniors on year-end USSA National Ranking List. U23 1 top 5 U23 result at US Nationals. 1 top 10 at NCAA Nationals Seniors 1 top 8 result at US Nationals. 2 top 15 results at US Nationals. Top 15 ranking on year-end USSA National Ranking List. In addition, any skier with Elite Team status from the previous year is eligible for discretionary addition to the Elite Team. Team Selection The Elite Team will be named, up to six junior boys and six junior girls, five U23 men and five U23 women, and five senior men and five senior women, based upon the following criteria: • ADC discretion (only for returning Elite Team members) • Year-end NENSA ranking NENSA Elite Team Requirements In order to accept a position on the Elite Team an athlete must agree that he/she will: • Represent the Eastern Region in any national level competition. • Belong to a NENSA club. NENSA Elite Team Support: • Invitation and roster preference for NENSA training and testing programs, and invitation to USST camps in the region. • Free entry at any Eastern Cup event. Consultation (in cooperation with personal coach) in evaluation of goals and markers in a multi-year planning process designed and used by the USST (discretionary additions to the Elite Team will be based upon the successful attainment of markers established in this process). USSA Eastern Development Director Pat Cote and NENSA’s Athletic Development Committee (ADC) oversee this program. Page 8 NENSA Development Team A Development Team will be named based upon regional results. The top 5 ranking skiers on the season-ending NENSA Points List (NOT the JO Selection List) in the J1, OJ, SR, and Masters age-groups qualify for the Development Team, all J2s who make the New England JO Team are also named. In addition, up to a total of 10 males and 10 females may be named at the discretion of the Athlete Development Committee. NENSA Development Team Requirements In order to accept a position on the Development Team an athlete must agree to represent New England in any national level competition, and must belong to a NENSA club. NENSA Development Team Support 1) Invitation to NENSA training and testing programs. 2) All J1, OJ, and U23 athletes named will be invited to the summer Elite Team camp. USSA Eastern Development Director Pat Cote and NENSA’s Athletic Development Committee (ADC) oversee this program. Pages 9-11 2003 - 2004 JO Qualifying Procedure New for 2004! Please read the qualification criteria below. Changes have been made for 2004. • A J1 and OJ's best four out of eight JOQ's will be counted toward qualification. Please note that there are two sprints included in the eight: 12/20 CL at Bolton and 12/29 F/S at MWSC. You may count either of these sprints but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races • A J2's best three out of six J2Q's will be counted toward qualification. Please note that there are two sprints included in the six: 12/20 CL at Bolton and 12/29 F/S at MWSC. You may count either of these sprints but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races. • Up to 3 FIS/USSA substitutions may be used for JO qualifying purposes (2 for J2's.) This season, the Nationals are again at Rumford and provide eligible FIS/USSA competitions within the region. Competing in Nationals and Continental Cups across the country is a great way to get valuable points toward making the JO team. Take note: When NRL races are also NENSA JOQ races, only the NENSA points earned can count toward JO qualifying! • J2's will again be scored separately for JO Qualifying purposes. All J2's who do not carry points from the 2002-2003 NENSA Points List will carry 220 for penalty calculation purposes. New England Junior Olympic Team Qualification Criteria, 2004 The 2004 JO's will be held March 7-14 in Lake Placid, N. Skiers may only compete in JO's as part of their district or divisional team. To be eligible for the New England team, a skier must be a member of USSA and must have a permanent or temporary address in New England. Team Size and Composition The team shall be 21 males and 21 females plus any skiers who qualify at World Junior Championship team trials or through the final NCAA East list (USSA rules.) The New England team will have members from the following age categories; no more than 6 males and 6 females in the J2 group, no more than 12 males and 12 females in each of the J1 and OJ age groups (USSA rules), excluding World Junior Championship team trials qualifiers (USSA rule) and NCAA East list qualifiers (USSA rule.) The final team will consist of at least 6 males and 6 females in the J1 age group. Qualifying Races
Scoring of Races The NENSA FIS race scoring system will be used for the New England JOQ's and J2Q's. Please note that J2's are scored separately from other skiers for J2Q purposes even when they race the same distance as the older skiers. See www.NENSA.net and the "Points/Rules" page for details about the NENSA, FIS and JOQ points systems. Use of FIS/USSA Nationals and Continental Cup Race Points J1 and OJ skiers with NENSA points from at least one JOQ will be allowed to use up to 3 FIS or USSA NRL race substitutions for JO qualifying purposes (2 for J2's.) All substitutions must be brought to the attention of the program director by Feb. 15th, 2004. When NRL races are also NENSA JOQ races, only the NENSA points earned can count toward JO qualifying. Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races. I. Team Selection Process A. Naming Order 1. Skier's who finish in the top 20 on the final ranking list from the World Junior Championship team trials automatically qualify for their division or district teams, above the team quota. In additions, athletes who qualify for the J1 Scandinavian trip based on results from World Junior Championship team trials automatically qualify for their division or district teams, above the team quota. The New England athletes meeting these criteria will be the first named. 2. Juniors who finish in the top 20 on the final NCAA East list automatically qualify for their division teams, above the team quota. The New England athletes meeting this criterion will be the second named. 3. Up to 3 male J2, J1, or OJ and up to 3 female J2, J1, or OJ may be named to the team as discretionary selections by the NENSA Athletic Development Committee (ADC). Discretionary selections are made between January 1 and February 15, 2004, and will be named to the team and counted toward the team quota. 4. Skiers who finish among the top five eligible J1/OJ juniors overall in three J1/OJ qualifying races, with at least one of these races being from each discipline (classic and freestyle) will be named to the team and counted toward the team quota. Either a CL or a F/S sprint can be one of the four races that count, but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races. 5. Junior 2 skiers (J2's) may qualify through competing in the six designated J2Q's. FIS or USSA points may be used as defined above. Each racers best three scores will be averaged to place the skier on the final J2 ranking list. The top 6 boys and top 6 girls will be named to the New England team. Either a CL or a FS sprint can be one of the three races that count, but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints can not be used as NRL substitutes races 6. Junior 1 and Older Juniors. Junior 1 and Older Junior skiers will be scored together at eight JOQ's. FIS or USSA points may be used as defined above. Each racer's best four scores will be averaged to place the skier on a final J1/OJ ranking list. If five, four, or three races are held, three races will be used to produce the final J1/OJ ranking list. Either a CL or a F/S sprint can be one of the four races that count, but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races. B. Naming Process The athletes qualifying from World Junior Trials will be named first. The athletes qualifying from the NCAA East list will be named second. Using procedure I.A.5 above, 6 J2 women and 6 J2 men will be named to the team. Then counting the J1/OJ athletes who qualify by I.A.1, I.A.2, I.A.3, I.A.4, and I.A.6 above, 6 J1 women and 6 J1 men will be named. Next, those athletes qualifying by I.A.3 and I.A.4 and not already named, will be named. Finally, the J1/OJ ranking list described in I.A.6 will be used to name skiers to the team until the team quota is filled. (Note: A maximum of 12 of each age/sex class may be named. - USSA rule.) 2 J1/OJ male and 2 J1/OJ female alternates will be named in order from the ranking list II. Selection to the Team After the World Junior Championship team trials, NCAA qualifiers, and 21 men and 21 women from B above have been named to the team, the athletes to participate in the JO's will be selected according to the following procedures. A. J-2 Skiers If any of the 6 named male and female J2 athletes decline their nomination, replacements will be named from the J2 ranking list starting with skier #7 until 6 skiers have been named to and accepted positions on the New England team. B. J1 and OJ Skiers If no J2/J1/OJ athlete declines his or her team nomination, the team selected will be the team named as above. If a counted J1/OJ athlete named to the team declines his or her nomination, the balance of the team of 21 men and 21 women, excluding athletes eligible from I.A.1 and I.A.2 above, will be selected from the alternates. A maximum of 12 athletes in an age/sex J1/OJ category will attend JO's from New England, excluding World Junior Championship team trials and NCAA athletes who may participate outside of the USSA regional quota of 12 per class by sex. |
