rules

SWTPA 2007 Rulebook

1. Any contestant competing at a Southwest Team Penning Association event must have signed a waiver statement releasing the association from any liabilities associated with the sport of team penning or ranch sorting. The waiver is part of the membership form.

2. Contestants must be a member in good standing of the Southwest Team Penning Association to participate in any event/class.

3. Membership fees are thirty five ($35) dollars per individual and fifty ($50) dollars per family. Children nineteen (19) years old and older as of January 1 of the current year, living at home or otherwise, must purchase their own membership.

4. Contestants are rated 1 through 6 based on the contestant’s ability and past experience as determined by the Rating Committee. The Rating Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors. A contestant wishing to dispute his/her rating shall direct a review in writing to the President of the Association.

5. Contestants who are fifteen (15) years old or younger as of January 1 of the current year, and are rated a 1 or 2, are eligible to participate in the Youth event/class.

6. Southwest Team Penning Association has a dress code. Contestants must wear a long or short-sleeved collared shirt while competing in arena, with either a western hat or no hat. Shorts or tennis shoes are never permitted while competing. T-shirts, baseball caps, and visors are not permitted unless bearing an SWTPA logo and purchased from the Southwest Team Penning Association.

7. Contestants not conforming to the dress code will be warned once, then fined $10 to $25 if non-conformance continues. The fine must be paid before the contestant can ride again.

8. All members on a team must enter on the same entry form. Each team member is responsible for their own entries, regardless of age.

9. Books will close for the first event/class at 8:45 AM. Books will close for each subsequent event/class when the 1st go for the proceeding event/class is completed. No refunds are given for an event/class after the books close.

10. Drawing for running order will be done prior to the start of an event/class and will be announced at the start of the class. If possible the running order will be posted in a prominent location in the arena. Back to back rides may be unavoidable.

11. The running order of each event/class will be announced by calling team member names in the order each team will compete.

12. Contact with or hazing the cattle by hat, ropes, or any other equipment is a disqualification. A team exhibiting any unnecessary roughness or roping of the cattle will be flagged a "no time". There is no tolerance for roughing the cattle at any SWTPA event. Excessive roughness to the cattle can result in a complete disqualification of the contestant for the entire show. This includes roughing in the pen.

13. SWTPA will not tolerate any abuse of horses. When competing at an SWTPA event, you are representing the association as well as the sport and NO excessive abuse of the horses is tolerated. The interpretation of Abuse will be at the discretion of the judges and/or the arena director, and an immediate conference will be called between the arena director/directors and the judges to make a final ruling. The contestant will be disqualified from the remainder of the entire show if they feel the horse has been a subjected to excessive abuse at the show.

14. No whips or bats will be allowed in the arena.

15. Cut off times will be enforced.

16. No coaching or instructing a rider on how to perform is permitted. "Coming back" when a cow is coming back to the herd is permitted. Encouraging a team to pen when time is running out is also permitted. After one warning, if coaching persists, the person coaching can be fined from $10 to $25. The fine must be paid before the contestant can ride again.

17. Each show will have an Arena Director appointed by the President from the Board of Directors.

18. To enter a protest you must tell a judge before leaving the arena. If you leave the arena before making the judge aware of your protest, it will not be a valid protest and will not be ruled on.

19. There is a protest fee of $50.00. If you win the protest, the $50 protest fee is returned. If you lose the protest, the $50, the money goes to the association.

20. Protests are ruled on by Arena Director for the day after consulting with the judges and, if necessary, the Association President. If the President is not available, the Vice-President will be consulted.

21. Re-rides will be ruled on by the Board of Directors in attendance.

22. Year-end awards will be given on the basis of points earned in each event/class at any SWTPA sanctioned show, including the Finals show.

23. Any member in good standing qualifies to participate in the Finals show by having participated in at least six (6) SWTPA sanctioned shows in the current year. Youths only participating in the youth class only need to participate in 4 shows to qualify to ride in the youth finals. If a youth wants to participate in any other classes at the finals, they will be required to participate in SWTPA standard classes(other than youth) in at least 6 shows.

24. Any situation that arises for which SWTPA does not have a rule, USTPA rules and regulations apply.

25. Any member of SWTPA suing, attempting to sue or seek monetary damages for any expense or injury while participating or as a spectator at any SWTPA function, shall be barred from the Southwest Team Penning Association in perpetuity.

26. In an effort to uphold the integrity of the sport as well as promote a professional and family oriented environment Southwest Team Penning Association reserves the right to refuse participation to any person for actions including, but not limited to, abuse of alcohol, drugs, or the use of profane language at an event.

SWTPA 2007 Rulebook – Penning

1. A team consists of three (3) riders.

2. Each team will have three (3) head of cattle to pen.

3. Each contestant may enter a maximum of three (3) times in each penning event/class.

4. The same team of three (3) riders can only enter once as a team in each penning event (Must change at least one member for each team.)

5. A rider may be substituted by notifying the announcer prior to the ride in the first round only. The substituted rider can only be signed up a total of three (3) times in the event/class including the substitution ride.

6. In cases of medical emergencies only, a rider may be substituted in the final go. The director in charge will make this decision. The substituted rider can only be signed up a total of three (3) times in the event/class including the substitution ride.

7. The foul line will be approximately thirty (30%) percent of the arena on the cattle side.

8. For each event/class, there will be three goes; first go, second go, and final go. Fifty percent of the teams advance to the second go. The running order will be the original order. The top 10 teams advance to the final go. The running order for the final go will be the original order. All goes are progressive(meaning you cannot advance unless you pen)

9. Team placement within an event/class is determined by the most head penned in the fastest time. Final placement is determined by most combined head penned in fastest time. Cattle penned in both goes beats cattle penned in one go, regardless of head count.

10. When it is a team's turn to compete, the announcer will call the names of the riders for the team. The team has thirty (30) seconds to enter the arena. Riders are committed once they enter the arena and any delay can cause disqualification solely decided by the Arena Director.

11. Prior to starting the team, the time keeper will draw the cattle number the team will pen/sort. The number will be announced as the time starts.

12. Once the judge raises the flag to signal that the cattle are ready the announcer announces the cattle are ready and the team must move forward towards the herd immediately. Once the nose of the first horse crosses the starting line, the announcer announces the cattle number and starts the timer. No rider can enter the arena once the time begins.

13. The time limit for each team is sixty (60) seconds for all classes except youth and novice classes. Youth class will run on a seventy-five (75) second clock and novice classes will run on a seventy-five (75) second clock. A thirty second warning call is optional.

14. Within the time limit, a team can pen one (1), two (2), or three (3) head of cattle.

15. In all classes, a team will be flagged a No Time if at any time any part of more than four (3) head of cattle are on the pen side of the starting line. Any number of trash is allowed as long as the total number of cows does not exceed 3.

16. To call for time to stop, the nose of the horse of a rider must be past the gate with the rider's hand raised. The entire body of all penned cattle must be in the pen before raising the hand. If the hand is raised before all penned cattle are in the pen, the team is flagged a No Time.

17. Once the hand is raised, no additional cattle can enter the pen or the team is flagged a No Time.

18. No trash cows (a cow without the correct number) can be in the pen when time is called or the team is flagged a No Time.

19. When the rider calls for time to stop, the pen judge will drop his flag. If there are no un-penned cattle on the pen side of the starting line, this stops the timer. If there are any un-penned cows on the pen side of the starting line, time continues until all un-penned cattle are on the cattle side of the starting line.

20. If any part of a cow escapes from the pen after time is called, but prior to the time any un-penned cattle are on the cattle side of the starting line, the team is flagged a No Time.

21. If a cow hits the back of the pen and a rider is in the pen, the team will be disqualified. Judges only will make this call. Protesting the call requires a $50 protest fee.

22. After time is called, the team must move the cattle out of the pen and back into the herd. Two of the team members must group and hold the cattle for the next team.

SWTPA 2007 Rulebook – Ranch Sorting

1. A ranch sorting team will consist of two (2) riders.

2. Ranch sorting will take place between two pens of approximately equal size.

3. The start/foul line will be recommended as a 16 foot opening, but no smaller than a 12 foot opening between the two pens.

4. Each contestant may enter a maximum of five (5) times in each event/class.

5. The same team of two (2) riders can only enter once as a team in an event/class. (Must change at least one member for each team.)

6. A rider may be substituted by notifying the announcer prior to the ride in the first round only. The substituted rider can only be signed up a total of five (5) times in the event/class including the substitution ride.

7. In cases of medical emergencies only, a rider may be substituted in the final go. The director in charge will make this decision. The substituted rider can only be signed up a total of five (5) times in the event/class including the substitution ride.

8. For each event/class, there will be two goes; first go and final go. If the event/class has fifty (50) or less teams in the first go, the top ten teams advance to the final go. If over fifty (50) teams, twenty (20) teams advance to the final go. The running order for the final go will be the original order.

9. When it is a team's turn to compete, the announcer will call the names of the riders for the team. The team has thirty (30) seconds to enter the arena. Riders are committed once they enter the arena and any delay can cause disqualification solely decided by the Arena Director.

10. At the start of the run, there are ten (10) numbered cattle (0- 9) and two (2) unnumbered cows (trash cows) for a total of twelve (12) head in a pen.

11. Prior to starting the team, the time keeper will draw the cattle number the team will pen/sort. The number will be announced as the time starts.

12. Once the judge raises the flag to signal that the cattle are ready the announcer announces the cattle are ready and the team must move through the gate immediately. Once the nose of the first horse passes the start/foul line, the announcer announces the cattle number and starts the timer. No rider can enter the arena once the time begins.

13. The time limit for each team is sixty (60) seconds for all classes. A thirty second warning call is optional. Time continues until all cattle are sorted or the time limit is reached.

14. Riders sort the cows in ascending numerical order starting with the announced cattle number. Zero (0) follows nine (9).

15. Each cow will be timed across the start/foul line. Team placement within an event/class is determined by the most head penned in the fastest time. Final placement is determined by most combined head penned in fastest time. Cattle penned in both goes beats cattle penned in one go, regardless of head count.

16. If at any time during a run any part of a trash cow or a numbered cow not in ascending numerical order crosses the start/foul line, the team is flagged a No Time.