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Kite Wars Rulebook · Draft v0.4 Open for federation comment
Rulebook · Draft v0.4 · For federations, judges and officials

One sky, two lines, four minutes.

This rulebook is deliberately public in draft. We want kite associations, national federations and experienced fighter-kite judges to mark it up before the founding edition, because a format nobody outside has reviewed is not a sport — it is one organizer's opinion.

1 · Equipment

1.1 Kite. Single-line kites only. Dual-line and quad-line kites are not eligible in any class. Maximum span ninety centimeters; maximum tail two meters. The Haitian-styled frame is recommended and supplied by the event, but any compliant single-line kite may be flown.

1.2 Line. Championship-issued line only, at every moment of the event including practice. Abrasive, glass-coated and metal-cored line — cerol, manja and equivalents — is prohibited outright. Possession on site is disqualification.

1.3 Blade. One sealed blade per kite, supplied by the event, fitted into the tail by a certified marshal at the line, and returned to the marshal at the end of the heat. Blades are never brought in, never carried between lanes, and never leave the field.

1.4 Inspection. Frames, lines and fittings are checked and sealed at the technical tent before a competitor's first heat. Unsealed hardware does not reach the field. Re-inspection is required after any repair.

2 · Classes

2.1 The founding edition runs two classes: individual (one competitor, one lane) and crew of three (three competitors, three adjacent lanes, one shared clock).

2.2 A competitor may register in both classes and fly both draws with the same kite. Draws are scheduled so that a dual competitor's heats never clash, and both purses are open to them.

2.3 Youth lanes run separately for ages eight to thirteen, with blunted tails, no blades, and the finder keeping the fallen kite.

2.4 Crews of five are not run in the founding edition. They return once the field and the marshal pool can carry five lanes per crew.

3 · Heats

Parameter Value
Heat length4 minutes
Kites per sky2–4
Competitors per lane1
Individual bracketDouble elimination to a final of four
Crew bracketCrew survives while one kite flies

3.1 A cut is recorded when an opponent's line parts while your own kite remains airborne. It must be confirmed by two marshals; a single marshal's call is not a cut.

3.2 A competitor is out when their line parts, their kite touches the ground, or they cross into another lane.

3.3 Ties are broken on cuts landed, then on time held in whole seconds.

4 · Recovery

4.1 Cut kites are recovered from the drop zone by trained recovery runners only, and returned to their registered owner.

4.2 In youth lanes, the finder keeps the kite. This is the only place the original street rule is preserved, and it is preserved deliberately.

5 · Officials

5.1 Every lane carries a marshal and a spotter. Recovery runners work the drop zone under a zone marshal.

5.2 All officials are certified in the week before the bracket opens. Certification covers blade handling and sealing, lane discipline, cut confirmation, drop-zone procedure, the whistle protocol and basic first response.

5.3 Partner federations may nominate judges for certification. Nominations close twelve weeks before the first bell.

6 · Safety

  • Helmet, gloves and eye protection are issued with every entry and are mandatory on the field.
  • Spectators stand behind a fixed rope line, upwind of every lane and outside the drop zone.
  • A signed waiver, medical form and attendance at the safety briefing precede any competitor reaching a line.
  • A wind ceiling is enforced; heats are suspended above it.
  • Medics are on field for the whole competition window.
  • A single marshal whistle grounds every lane immediately. No exceptions.

7 · World ladder

7.1 One point per confirmed cut; two for a cut in a final. Time held is the first tiebreak.

7.2 Crew points accrue both to the crew and to each registered competitor.

7.3 Sanctioned qualifiers carry full ladder weight. Exhibitions carry none.

Comment process

Send amendments to rules@kitewars.com with the clause number. Federation submissions are logged and answered in the next draft, and contributing bodies are credited in the published rulebook.

rules@kitewars.com Organized by Timl · kitewars.com