The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona

2023 XC Race Series Rules

Welcome to the 2023 MBAA Race Series. The following rules have been adopted by the MBAA Board of Directors. These rules apply to all 2023 MBAA Race Series events. The Board reserves the right to make decisions concerning situations not specifically addressed in these rules, and to revise these rules should a situation warrant. It is the responsibility of each participant to know and abide by these rules. Breaking of any rule(s) is grounds for disqualification. Questions should be addressed to info@mbaa.net.

1. GENERAL RULES

1.1   Rule Number One – Ride safe. Ride often. Have fun. That’s a rule.

1.2   Demeanor – Poor sportsmanship, including sandbagging, abuse of race officials, abuse of staff and volunteers, as well as abuse of other racers, will result in ineligibility for a Series Championship and possible suspension from future MBAA Race Series events.

1.3   Racer Name – Racers must register using exactly the same name in each race.

1.4   Head gear – Helmets and protective eyewear are required, no exceptions.

1.5   Ear buds/phones – No ear pieces may be worn on the course.

1.6   Littering – Any racer found intentionally littering the course will be disqualified.

1.7   Number Plates – Riders may not alter the number plate in any way that eliminates the printing or makes it unreadable. Violations of this rule may result in race disqualification. A rider who loses or forgets their series number plate will be fined $10 per race for a replacement.

1.8   Start Line Call-Ups – When possible, if multiple categories start at the same time, the top five (5) from each category will be called to the start line in order of standing within each category. When possible, at the first race of the season the top five pro/elite and experts from the previous year will be called to the start line first.

1.9   Passing Riders – In the event two riders are vying for position, the leading rider does not have to yield his position to the challenging rider. However, a rider may not bodily interfere with the intent to impede another rider’s progress. Traditional rules of racing apply: the leading rider owns the track.

1.10 Walking Riders – Racers riding bicycles have the right-of-way over racers pushing bicycles. When practical, racers pushing should stay on the least rideable portion of the path when being passed. A racer pushing or carrying his bicycle can overtake a racer riding his bicycle provided he does not interfere with the rider’s progress.

1.11 Lapped Riders – Lapped riders must yield the course to overtaking riders as quickly and efficiently as possible. Overtaking riders shall announce themselves sufficiently in advance of attempting to pass. Both overtaking and lapped riders shall be jointly responsible for a safe pass.

1.12 Propulsion – All bicycles shall be propelled only by human force and human power. No motors or electronic assistance to propel the bike and its rider forward will be allowed except in the eBike category where only class 1 pedal assist bicycles are allowed.

1.13 Mechanical(s) – You must finish the race on the same bike you pinned your number plate to at the start. Wheels and components may be changed during the race by the racer as a result of a mechanical issue, however no outside support is allowed.

1.14 Riders Must Know the Race Route – The responsibility of keeping on the prescribed course rests with the rider. A rider is required to stay on the designated trail that is marked and/or specified as the race course. A rider may not leave the prescribed course unless ordered to do so by public authorities or a race official. Riders who voluntarily leave or otherwise “cut” the course may be disqualified.

1.15 Officiating – The MBAA Competition Director will settle disputes over rules or results including overall Series rules or standings.

1.16 Results Protests – Race results will be posted near the completion of each wave at each race. Following the posting of results there will be a protest period during which racers can dispute the accuracy of the results with the race official(s). It is the racer’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of the posted results prior to the end of the protest period. Protests will be handled on site ONLY! If you leave and there is a discrepancy in the results you forfeit the right to protest at a later time.

1.17 Awards – Cash and prize awards will NOT BE MAILED; you must be present on the podium at the awards ceremony to receive them.

1.18 MBAA Membership – MBAA Race Series participants are encouraged (but not required) to be MBAA members. Your membership directly supports trails in AZ.

2. MBAA 2023 RACE SERIES CATEGORIES

MEN
Elite Men	Intermediate Boys 13-14	Beginner Men 15-16
Marathon Men Open	Intermediate Men 15-16	Beginner Men 17-18
Marathon Men 45+	Intermediate Men 17-18	Beginner Men 19-29
Marathon Men Single Speed	Intermediate Men 19-29	Beginner Men 30-39
Expert Men 15-16	Intermediate Men 30-39	Beginner Men 40-49
Expert Men 17-18	Intermediate Men 40-49	Beginner Men 50+
Expert Men 19-29	Intermediate Men 50+	Beginner Men 60+
Expert Men 30-39	Intermediate Single Speed Men	Junior Boys 13-14
Expert Men 40-49	Intermediate Single Speed Men 45+	Junior Boys 11-12
Expert Men 50+	Masters Men 60-69	Junior Boys 9-10
Expert Single Speed Men	Masters Men 70+	Junior Boys 6-8
Rock Crusher Men Open (200-lbs +)	E-Bike Men***	First-Time Men**
Plus Bike Men Open*

 

WOMEN
Elite Women	Intermediate Girls 13-14	Beginner Women 15-16
Marathon Women Open	Intermediate Women 15-16	Beginner Women 17-18
Marathon Women 45+	Intermediate Women 17-18	Beginner Women 19-29
Marathon Women Single Speed	Intermediate Women 19-29	Beginner Women 30-39
Expert Women 15-16	Intermediate Women 30-39	Beginner Women 40-49
Expert Women 17-18	Intermediate Women 40-49	Beginner Women 50+
Expert Women 19-29	Intermediate Women 50+	Athena Women (165-lbs +)
Expert Women 30-39	Intermediate Single Speed Women	Junior Girls 13-14
Expert Women 40-49	Intermediate Single Speed Women 45+	Junior Girls 11-12
Expert Women 50+	Master’s Women 60+	Junior Girls 9-10
Expert Single Speed Women	E-Bike Women***	Junior Girls 6-8
Plus Bike Women Open*		First-Time Women**

* Minimum tire width 2.8 inches.

** One-time use only; does not receive points.

*** Class 1, pedal assist bicycle only

2.1   Racer Age – A racer’s age for purposes of category placement is the racer’s age as of DECEMBER 31, 2023. Junior riders may choose to race in an older age group.

2.2   Road to MTB Categories – USAC Cat 1 and 2 road racers are encouraged to race in either the Elite or Expert category.

2.3   Category Changes – Any changes to your category, team or anything else must be taken care of at registration. Timing will not be responsible for making changes on the start line. When you or your representative sign your registration form, you are confirming that everything is correct and you will be racing in the category you listed for on the start list.

3. CATEGORY ADVANCEMENT

3.1   Beginner and Intermediate Men – Beginner men must move to intermediate, and intermediate men must move to expert whenever they have finished in the top three (3) in the MBAA Race Series in the previous year.

3.2   Beginner and Intermediate Women – Beginner women must move to intermediate and intermediate women must move to expert whenever they have finished in the top (2) in the MBAA Race Series in the previous year.

3.3   One-Racer Category – If a Race Series category included only 1 racer for the entire series in the previous year, then that racer will have the choice of advancing or not in the current year.

3.4   Petition for Exception – If you have justifiable reasons for remaining in your current category, you may petition the MBAA board. Petitions must be received by the MBAA Board of Directors at least one week prior to the first race. If your petition is approved, it is within the discretion of the Board as to whether you will be eligible to compete for championship points.

3.5  Disqualification – It is each racer’s responsibility to register in the correct category. Racers who complete a race in a category from which they should have advanced according to the above rules will be considered in violation of these rules and will be disqualified from that race.

4. INDIVIDUAL SCORING AND SERIES CHAMPIONS

4.1   Points – Racers earn points based on their finishing position in each race as indicated in the table below. Racers in the First-Timer Men and First-Timer Women categories do not earn points.

Place	Points		Place	Points		Place	Points
1	25		6	12		11	5
2	22		7	10		12	4
3	19		8	8		13	3
4	16		9	7		14	2
5	14		10	6		15	1

4.2   In-Season Category Changes – Riders are allowed to change their race category for any given race. However, any points earned in one category are not transferable to another category. In addition, changing categories in an attempt to earn “easier” points (i.e., sandbagging) is not allowed.

4.3   Category Champions – The racer in each category with the highest point total of their best five (5) races will be the 2023 MBAA Race Series Champion in that category, providing they have completed the required minimum number of races in that category. MBAA Race Series Champion awards will be awarded to category champions as soon as possible after the end of the season.

4.4   Tie Resolution – In the event of a tie in the season Series standings among any of the top three positions, the tie(s) will be resolved by comparing points awarded in reverse chronological order.

4.5   Event Cancellation – In the event that one or more of the scheduled races are canceled due to course closure or any other reason, the number of races used to determine Series champions may be adjusted at the discretion of the Competition Director.

4.6   Minimum Race Requirement – To be eligible for a Series championship in a given category, a racer must complete a minimum of four (4) races in that category. In the event that no racer in a category completes at least three races, the Competition Director has the discretion to offer a Series Champion award to the racer who received the most points in that category.

4.7   Minimum Volunteer Hour Requirement – To be eligible to win a Series championship (top 3 overall) a racer MUST have completed a minimum of five (5) volunteer hours, including, but not limited to: trail maintenance, venue set up/take down, event facilitation. All volunteer hours will count toward both the individual championship title as well as the team championship title.

5. TEAMS

5.1   Team Composition – Teams may be composed of any combination of racers from any of the MBAA Race Series categories.

5.2   Team Captains – Each team must have a captain with a valid email address. Any transactions involving registration, roster modification, trail maintenance documentation, other concerns, or matters of importance should be conducted between the team captain and the MBAA Competition Director. Information for contacting the MBAA Competition Director will be posted on the MBAA web site.

5.3   Team Rosters – Team captains are responsible for submitting the names of racers on their team prior to the second race. Names included on team rosters must be the same name the racer uses for their individual race registration. Racers can be a member of only one team. Once a rider is submitted for a team, they cannot change to another team. A rider cannot be dropped from a team roster once they are added.

5.4   Roster Additions – Rosters must be set prior to the second race. If a racer is added to a team after the first race, but before the second race, the points that racer earned from the first race will count toward team points.

5.5   Team Categories – The MBAA Little Ring category is composed of teams with up to 9 riders, and the MBAA Big Ring category is composed of teams with 10+ riders.

5.6   Team Registration – The 2023 Race Series registration fee for Little Ring teams is $100, and for Big Ring teams it is $150. Team captains must register their team online using the MBAA web site.

5.7   Team Points – For each race, points earned by the top five (5) finishers on each team will accrue to the total team points.

5.8   Team Champions – The Little Ring and Big Ring team with the highest accumulated team points (as defined above) in their respective team category at season end will be the 2023 MBAA Race Series Team Champion in that team category, providing the team has completed the required minimum number of volunteer hours. MBAA Race Series Team Champion awards will be presented during the awards ceremony following the last race of the Series.

5.9   Minimum Volunteer Hour Requirement – To be eligible to win a Series championship, Little Ring teams MUST complete a minimum of 25 volunteer hours; Big Ring teams MUST complete a minimum of 50 volunteer hours. Volunteer hours include, but are not limited to: trail maintenance, venue setup/take down, event facilitation.

5.10    Team Rider Category Changes – Once the team roster is set, a team rider will not be allowed to change categories for the purposes of obtaining points by sandbagging in a lesser category.

6. VOLUNTEER HOURS

6.1   Definition – A volunteer hour is defined as one person providing one hour of service. Volunteer activities include, but are not limited to: trail maintenance, venue setup/take down, event facilitation.

6.2  Documentation of Hours – All volunteer hours must be documented and verifiable. Trail maintenance hours must be signed by an authorized trail maintenance organizer and submitted to the MBAA Trails Director. Volunteer hours at events must be documented by an authorized event volunteer coordinator on site.

6.3   Volunteer Service Provider – Volunteer hours may be completed by someone other than the racer to whom the hours accumulate (family members, teammates, etc.). Volunteers must note at the time of recording to whom the hours are being dedicated.

6.4   Confirmation of Hours – Racers are responsible for verifying the accurate recording of their name, team affiliation, and hours on the official MBAA volunteer roster at each event.

 

DISCLAIMER: These rules are intended to provide governance of MBAA Race Series events. Participants in events governed by these rules are deemed by participation to have voluntarily complied with these rules. The MBAA and the event promoter make no express or implied guarantee against damage loss, harm, injury or death to participants, spectators, or others as a result of publication of or compliance with these rules. The MBAA Board of Directors reserves the right to revise these rules as necessary.