SPORT - SPEEDCUBING

(Applicable for Championships conducted in 2024-25)

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL GUIDELINES 3
EVENT PROCESS & FLOW 6
POINTS SYSTEM 7
SPEEDCUBING SPORT - SPECIFIC RULES & REGULATIONS 8
PROTEST POLICY 13
PROTEST FORM 14
SANCTION GUIDELINES 16

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GENERAL GUIDELINES
• This SFA Championship Guidelines Document is a guide containing important
information about the SFA Championships and its conduct with respect to:
o Age & Event Categories
o Rules & Regulations
o Protest Policy & Sanctions
• All participating students and their guardians/school authorities are requested to read
through this document and be aware of the updates posted on the City Specific
Championship website at www.sfaplay.com.
• The Age & Event Categories are decided in consultation with the respective Sport
Associations and the same will be strictly adhered to during the Championship.
• The sports and events mentioned are subject to change depending on the specific
City where the SFA Championship is hosted.
o Students registering are requested to check the city specific SFA
Championship website at (www.sfaplay.com) for the availability of a
particular sport or event for that city specific SFA Championship.
o There is a possibility that different cities may have an alteration in the sport/
event / formats.
• Any protests regarding a participant's age & eligibility will be accepted or withheld
considering the Age & Event Categories and Tournament Rules & Regulations.
• Every Participant must always carry their School Photo ID along with a government-
issued Age Proof Photo ID during the Championship. No participant will be allowed to
play his/her match if they do not carry the same. Please note that details provided
during registration on sfaplay.com and the documents provided should match. All
Participants to always carry the following documents to verify their School and Age:
o Identity Proof: Original School ID card OR School-issued Bonafide letter on the
school letterhead, signed and stamped by the school authority (Principal/Head
Administrator/Headmistress). The letter should contain the full name of the
REGISTERED Participants (First Name & Last Name), their Date of Birth, their
Aadhar card number.
o Age Proof: ONLY with original Aadhar Card / Any central government
document or in exceptional cases the School Bonafide letter with proper
details mentioned. The School issued Bonafide letter on the school letterhead,
signed and stamped by the school authority (Principal/Head
Administrator/Headmistress). The letter should contain the full name of the
REGISTERED Participants (First Name & Last Name), and their full Date of Birth.
o School teams or Participants who have not carried the above documents
partially or wholly, will be required to sign a DECLARATION, stating that they
will provide the same by the next game. The participant will be disqualified if

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 he/she fails to present the same.
• The tournament formats, and age & event categories for each sport are subject to
the Rules of the Sport as given by the Sport International Federation rules and
adapted to the Indian context as per discussions with National / State / District /
Local Sports Federation / Associations and Technical Officials.
• Sports at the SFA Championship are liable to be cancelled based on the number of
registrations received. A sport event change or refund will be initiated in such case as
long as the request is placed within the registration deadline.
• The Championship Sport wise schedule will be published on our website –
www.sfaplay.com 10-15 days prior to the SFA Championship start date. Specific sport
schedules will be published at least 3 days before the commencement of the sport.
• Sports at the Championship will be conducted as per the schedule released upfront. It
is the responsibility of the participant / school coach / guardian / administrator to keep
track of the same. Requests for last-minute fixtures changes or walkover relaxations
will not be entertained and will only be permitted by the Tournament Committee
on a case-by-case basis.
• The Tournament Organizing Committee has the right to alter/postpone/cancel the
tournament or any specific sport event or category in case of unavoidable
circumstances. All schools and Participants are requested to co-operate in such case.
• In case of a player replacement at any time during the Championship due to a serious
injury a medical certificate and related reports have to be produced and submitted to
the Tournament Organizing Committee. Please note that this change will only be
permitted after scrutiny of medical documents and confirmation from the Committee.
• Deliberate and unfair attempts to cheat in the SFA Championship will be penalized
by the Tournament Committee. All participants, coaches, and parents, are to uphold
the spirit of sportsmanship, fair play, orderly behaviour and conduct at all times.
• If any participant is found over age / ineligible or with any manipulation in his/her
documents, he/she will be disqualified without any kind of prior intimation. An
ineligible Participant is any student who is any of the following,
o Overage on the basis of fraudulent data submitted
o Impersonating another student
o An unregistered student at the SFA Championship
o Or any other reason found valid by the Tournament Organizing Committee
• SFA will not provide any students with equipment required to play the sport. Each
student should carry personal equipment and sport-appropriate apparel for their
respective sport.
• In case of any dispute the decision of the Tournament Organizing Committee and
the Officials will be final and binding.
• Participants will only be allowed inside the field of play based on their schedule. No
participant will be allowed to use their mobile phones in the stipulated playing arena.

• Parents / coaches of any Participant should not enter the Field of Play at any point

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 in the Championship (unless specifically permitted).
• Parents, fellow schoolmates, friends, and other spectators are requested to view
various matches across sports outside the respective sporting arenas - seating
arrangements & holding areas have been made for the same.
• Provision for drinking water and energy drinks has been made at all sporting arenas.
Please note that SFA will not be providing food to participants. However, Food is
available for purchase at prior designated Sporting venues.
• Helpdesks and Notice boards are available across the venue and at the respective
sporting arenas. Players, Parents, Coaches are requested to contact the Helpdesk
personnel or view the same for information such as draws, schedules, etc.
• For any kind of further details on the tournament the School Authority / Parent /
Player can contact us on the Championship City specific Customer Care Number or
Email address mentioned on www.sfaplay.com
• All protests need to be made to the Sport in charge at the particular venue following
due process laid out. At all times, it is expected that protests (if any) are to be made
in an orderly manner upholding the spirit of the Championship. Unruly behavior at
the Championship will not be tolerated.
• A Protest Policy is made in this regard where the representative shall have to fill in a
protest form and pay a certain fee to lodge the protest.
• Match Videography at the SFA Championship is solely provided for Participants to
have a look at their performance / games once the Championship is over on their
digital profile (conditions apply). Match Videography will not be looked at during any
Protest or will not be shown to any school coach / parent / Participant at the venue.
Participants / coaches / parents are not permitted to approach the videography
crew to view or request for any recording.
• The SFA Championship is aimed towards giving every participant a chance and
platform to play and keep in mind the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play, and we
expect the same from all Participants, coaches, parents, and schools participating at
the SFA championship.
• The Participants / parents / school coaches coming to the Championship venues are
expected to always take care of their belongings, SFA shall not be responsible for any
loss or theft of any personal belongings at the Championship.
• Every participant registering at the SFA Championship understands the nature of the
sport they are registering for and SFA shall not be liable for injury caused during the
Championship or otherwise.

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EVENT PROCESS & FLOW

• The participant must report at the specific sport venue’s Verification desk 75 minutes - 60
minutes prior to his/her scheduled match and collect their Bib / verify registration.
• The team/player must report atleast 30 minutes prior (or as mentioned on the Sport
Schedule) to their scheduled match time at the sports verification desk.
• Participants are requested to pay attention to Match Announcements / Call Room
Announcements / Reporting Calls, and respond accordingly.
• If any team/player fails to report within 10 minutes of the match being announced thematch
officials will have full right to announce a walkover at their sole discretion.
• The competition area will be divided into different sections namely,
o Cube Collection Area,
o Scrambling Area,
o Spectator Area,
o Scoretaking Area, and
o Solving Stations
• The participants have to wait in the Spectator Area until their round is announced.
• Before the start of each event, the organizer will give a brief about the rules and regulations.
• Once the Cube Collection is announced, the participants have to submit their “SOLVED
CUBES” in the Cube Collection Area and go back to their places. The cube collection will be
done as per the group number. Please remember your group number and table number for
each event.
• Once the Group number is announced for solving, the participants have to reach to the
Solving Stations and sit as per the table number allotted to them.The participants must
remain seated until all three attempts have been completed.
• Each participant will have 1 judge sitting next to them.
• The runner will bring the cube covered in a box and will be handed over to the judge.
• The judge after confirming with the participant, uncovers the cube and starts the inspection
time on the stopwatch and alerts the participants on 8 sec and then 12 seconds.
• Once the 1st attempt is finished, the runner will take the cube and scorecard and give it to
the scrambler for the next attempt.
• Once the last attempt is over, the cube will be handed back to the participant and they can
now move to the spectator area and wait for the results.

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 POINTS SYSTEM
The points for the medals are mentioned below –

TEAM SPORTS INDIVIDUAL SPORTS

Gold – 15 points Gold – 5 points
Silver – 10 Points Silver – 3 Points
Bronze – 5 Point Bronze – 1 Point

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

• SFA Championship Tournament Director

• Sport Technical Official / Tournament Referee
• SFA Sport Representative

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 SPEEDCUBING
Event Event
Age Event Event
Categories Solve Type Categories Solve Type Cut Off Dates
Group No. No.
Boys Girls
1 4*4 Cube Regular 25 4*4 Cube Regular
2 3*3 Cube Regular 26 3*3 Cube Regular Born between
U-8 3 2*2 Cube Regular 27 2*2 Cube Regular 1st Jan 2017 &
Pyraminx Pyraminx 31st Dec 2018
4 Regular 28 Regular
Cube Cube
5 4*4 Cube Regular 29 4*4 Cube Regular
6 3*3 Cube Regular 30 3*3 Cube Regular Born between
U-10 7 2*2 Cube Regular 31 2*2 Cube Regular 1st Jan 2015 &
Pyraminx Pyraminx 31st Dec 2016
8 Regular 32 Regular
Cube Cube
9 4*4 Cube Regular 33 4*4 Cube Regular
10 3*3 Cube Regular 34 3*3 Cube Regular Born between
U-12 11 2*2 Cube Regular 35 2*2 Cube Regular 1st Jan 2013 &
Pyraminx Pyraminx 31st Dec 2014
12 Regular 36 Regular
Cube Cube
13 4*4 Cube Regular 37 4*4 Cube Regular
14 3*3 Cube Regular 38 3*3 Cube Regular Born between
U-14 15 2*2 Cube Regular 39 2*2 Cube Regular 1st Jan 2011 &
Pyraminx Pyraminx 31st Dec 2012
16 Regular 40 Regular
Cube Cube
17 4*4 Cube Regular 41 4*4 Cube Regular
18 3*3 Cube Regular 42 3*3 Cube Regular Born between
U-16 19 2*2 Cube Regular 43 2*2 Cube Regular 1st Jan 2009 &
Pyraminx Pyraminx 31st Dec 2010
20 Regular 44 Regular
Cube Cube
21 4*4 Cube Regular 45 4*4 Cube Regular
22 3*3 Cube Regular 46 3*3 Cube Regular Born between
U-18 23 2*2 Cube Regular 47 2*2 Cube Regular 1st Jan 2007 &
Pyraminx Pyraminx 31st Dec 2008
24 Regular 48 Regular
Cube Cube

As per the Guidelines, a player can participate in any number of events as per cutoffs.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
- The tournament will be played in a time trial format.
- Each solve timing will be noted & will have to signed off by the participant.
- The best timing out of the 3 solves will be considered for medals.
- All participants should carry their own cubes and submit for scrambling.
- The Participant will receive a scrambled puzzle. The aim is to solve it as fast as possible.
- The participant must start solving within 15 seconds of the inspection timing. Failure to start the
solve within 15 seconds will result in a +2 seconds penalty. Failure to start the solve within 17
seconds will result in a DNF (DID NOT FINISH).
- Each participant will receive 3 attempts to solve the puzzle.
- The winners will be decided by the fastest single time out of all the 3 attempts.

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 SPORT RULES & REGULATIONS

- Participants to arrive at the sport verification desk 30 mins prior to the start
of their event category as per the schedule.

- The cube must be fully solved at the time of stopping the timer. If the puzzle
is off by one turn, i.e. it can be solved by one turn, then the +2 penalty is
enforced. If the puzzle takes morethan one turn to solve after stopping the
timer, the solve is considered a DNF.
- If the middle layer is off by one turn, then it is considered a DNF because it
requires two outer layer moves to solve it. If your cube has an incomplete
turn, then there will be a +2 penalty if the turn is over 45 degrees, and no
penalty if the cube is off by less than 45 degreesfrom its solved state.
- The competitors are allowed a maximum of 15 seconds of legal inspection
time, failure to start the solve within 15 seconds will result in a +2 penalty.
Failure to start the solve within 17 seconds will result in a DNF.
- The timer must be started with the fingers, with the palm facing down. The
participant must not touch the cube in any way before starting or stopping the
timer.
Participants

- All the participants must bring their own puzzles for the competition.
- Participants must remain quiet in the solving area and obey venue rules and
conduct themselves in a considerate manner.
- In the Competition Area, the participants are not allowed to use any objects, other
than those provided or checked by the organizers. The solving station surface must
remain free. Exception: action cams (e.g. GoPro Hero 6 or similar) for recording the
official solves are allowed, as long as the participant, or the opponent of the
participant, is not able to see the screen during the attempt. Mobile phones are not
allowed on the solving station surface.
- Participants may use non-electronic aids that do not give an unfair advantage, like
- Medical/physical aids worn by the participant
- Earplugs and earmuffs (but not electronic headphones and earbuds)
- Hand warmers.
- At the discretion of the organizer, a participant may be disqualified from specific
attempts and/or events (a single event, multiple events, or all events) if the
participant:
- Is suspected of cheating or defrauding during the competition.
- Behaves in a way that is unlawful/violent, or intentionally damages venue
facilities.

Allowed Puzzles
- Puzzles must have colored parts, which define the color scheme of the puzzle, and
must be one of the following: colored stickers, colored tiles, colored plastic, or

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 painted/printed colors.
- Puzzles must be clean, and must not have any markings, elevated pieces, damage, or
other differences that significantly distinguish any piece from a similar piece.
Exception: a logo.
- All brands of puzzles (except Smart Cubes) are permitted, as long as the puzzles
comply with the basic color scheme.
- The colors of the colored parts must be solid, with one uniform color per face. Each
color must be clearly distinct from the other colors.

Solving Procedure

A) Inspection
- The participants are allowed to inspect the puzzle at the start of each attempt.
- The participants are allotted a maximum of 15 seconds to inspect the puzzle and
start the solve.
- The participants start the solve by confirming that they are ready, and the judge
uncovers the puzzle and starts timing the inspection via Stopwatch.
o At 8 seconds of inspection, the judge calls "8 SECONDS".
o At 12 seconds of inspection, the judge calls "12 SECONDS".
- The participants may pick up the puzzle during the inspection.
- The participants must not apply any moves during the inspection, if applied, it
results in DNF.
- At the end of the inspection, the participant places the puzzle on the mat, in any
orientation and can start the timer.

B) Starting the solve

- The participants use their fingers to touch the elevated sensor surfaces of the Drift
timer.
- The participants should keep their hands on the timer until they see a green timer
light.
- The participants start the solve by removing their hands from the timer.
- If the timer is not started and the participant starts the solve, it will be DNF

C) During the solve

- While inspecting or solving the puzzle, the participant must not communicate with
anyone other than the judge or the organizer. Penalty: disqualification of the
attempt (DNF).
- While inspecting or solving the puzzle, the participant must not receive assistance
from anyone or any object other than the surface. Penalty: disqualification of the
attempt (DNF).
- The participant may hold the puzzle against the surface to help operate the
puzzle.
- The participant must finish each solve before the time limit for the attempt is
reached. If a participant's timer reaches the time limit for an attempt, the judge
stops the solve immediately and records the result as DNF.

D) Stopping the solve

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- After the cube is solved, the participant has to place the cube back on the table
and stop the timer using both hands.
- The participant must fully release the puzzle before stopping the timer. Penalty:
disqualification of the attempt (DNF).
- The participant must not reset the timer until the judge has recorded the solve
time. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).
- The judge checks if the solved state according to section 5 “Solved state” is
reached. If the puzzle is misaligned, it must not be touched before the judge has
determined its final state.
- After stopping the timer, the participant must not touch, apply a move, or make
any change in alignment to the puzzle, until the judge has inspected the puzzle. It
may lead to the below penalties:
(i) Penalty for applying a move to the puzzle after stopping the timer:
disqualification of the attempt (DNF).
(ii) Penalty for touching the puzzle after stopping the timer without applying any
moves: time penalty (+2 seconds).
- If the participant can demonstrate that the timer malfunctioned, they may
receive an extra attempt, at the discretion of the organizer.
- In case of a dispute, moves or alignments must not be applied to the puzzle before
the dispute is resolved by the organizer.

E) Recording results
- The judge should indicate to the participant that the puzzle is solved, or that a
penalty will be applied.
- The judge records the result on a score sheet and signs next to the result to
acknowledge that the result is correct, complete, properly formatted, and clearly
readable.
- If penalties are assigned, the judge records the original recorded time displayed
on the timer, along with any penalties. The format should be "X + T + Y = F", where
X represents the sum of time penalties before/starting the solve, T represents the
time displayed on the timer (the "original recorded time"), Y represents a sum of
time penalties during/after the solve, and F represents the final result (e.g. 2 +
17.65 + 2 = 21.65). If X and/or Y is 0, the 0 terms are omitted (e.g. 17.65 + 2 =
19.65).
- When a participant's score sheet for a round is complete, the runner delivers the
score sheet to the score taker.
- If the event ends with a draw, the 2nd best and the 3rd best times are compared.
- When participants are finished with their attempts, they must leave the
“Competition Area” immediately.
- If the cube is not solved, the attempt will be counted as DNF.

Solved State

- A cube will be considered solved if no further moves are required to bring the
puzzle to its solved state.
- Any missing pieces after the timer is stopped, or pieces falling out during an

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 attempt result in DNF. Example: stickers, center caps, pieces, parts of pieces,
internal pieces holding the cube together.
- If one move (R,R2 and likewise) is required, the puzzle is considered solved with a
time penalty (+2 seconds).
- If more than one move is required, the puzzle is considered unsolved (DNF).
- For 2x2, 3x3, and 4x4 events the cube is allowed to be misaligned as long as it is
below 45° in relation to the adjacent middle layer. See Fig 3
- Cubes with a misaligned layer of more than 45° are considered as DNF. Any
misalignments close to 45° have to be investigated by the organizer. See Fig 4 and
Fig 5
- For Pyraminx events the cube is allowed to be misaligned as long as it is below 60°
in relation to the adjacent layer. See Fig 6
-

Fig 3 - Solved State Fig 4 +2 Penalty

Image 8 Image 1

Fig 5 - DNF Fig 6 - DNF

Time limits

Once the time limit is reached, the judge will stop the participant from solving
further and it will be considered as DNF.

➔ For 3x3 - 2 Mins

➔ For 2x2 - 1 Min
➔ For Pyraminx - 1 Min
➔ 4x4 - 4 Mins

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PROTEST POLICY

• In the event that a Participant wishes to lodge a protest against

his/her opponent with respect to age or any other unfair practices
etc.; he/she will need to follow the below mentioned steps:
• Contact the tournament director/SFA Representative
• Fill out the protest form within 15 minutes of the event
• Pay a protest fee of Rs. 1000/-
• The protest committee will arrive at a decision within the
duration of thetournament.
• An ineligible Participant is any student who is any of the following,
o Overage on the basis of fraudulent data submitted
o Impersonating another student
o Student playing in multiple teams in the same age group
o Student playing in multiple teams without registering for them all
o An unregistered student
o Student playing in doubles/teams not from the same school
o Or any other reason found valid by the Tournament Organizing
Committee
• In the event that a student is found to be Ineligible has been
disqualified SFA will not be liable to conduct a re-match of for any
student/team who may have lost to him/her in the interest of the
time. However, the Ineligible student will be disqualified. The player
may also face a ban on participating at the SFA Championshipof up to
3 years. The same will be mentioned on his/her sporting profile on
www.sfaplay.com
• For Team Sports any ineligible player fielded by team means that the
team loses thematch and points awarded to opponent. This includes
previous matches where this player has played, even though the
protest occurred later.
• To entertain genuine protests, SFA has taken the decision of levying
a protest fee. Handling protests is a time-consuming process and has
an impact on the schedule ofthe other matches scheduled for any
given day. Hence, it is critical for SFA to entertain only the genuine
cases to be able to provide a seamless sporting experience.
• The SFA Protest Form is attached below, in the event of a protest the
same will haveto be duly filled and signed by the protestor.

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 PROTEST FORM
SFA CHAMPIONSHIP PROTEST FORM

Protest Submitted by:

School Name:

Name of the Protestor:

Designation:

If a Participant/coach wishes to lodge a protest against their opponent, they/he/she will need to
follow the below mentioned steps:

Contact the tournament director/SFA Representative

Fill out the protest form below:

Pay a deposit of Rs.1000/-

Documents accepted as valid –Aadhar card, Passport, Birth Certificate, Government ID, etc.

In the event that a Participant is found to be overage/ineligible and has been disqualified, SFA
will not be liable to conduct a rematch of for any Participant/team who may have lost to him/her
in the interest of the time. However, the overage/ineligible Participant will be disqualified
without any prior notice. The player may also face a ban on participating at the SFA
Championship of up to 3 years. The same will be mentioned on his/her sporting profile on
www.sfaplay.com

Details of the Participant being protested against:

Participant Name:
School Name:
SFA ID / Team ID:
Sport:

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Reason for Protest:

Signature Designation

Official Use Only:

Fees Paid
Date & Time Signature of person receiving protest
Received Yes No

Outcome of the Protest:

Successful Unsuccessful

Result

Decision Given by: Decision Accepted by:

Name: Name:

Position: Position:

Signature: Signature:

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SANCTION GUIDELINES
FOR MISCONDUCT AND RULE BREACHES IN SFA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Dear Participants, Coaches, and Stakeholders,

We would like to bring to your attention the crucial protocols regarding age eligibility and
measures to combat age fraud in the SFA Championships. These rules are designed to
ensure fair play and maintain the integrity of the competition.
1. Age Verification Process: If a protest arises concerning the age of an athlete, and the
athlete's age cannot be digitally verified through the system provided by SFA
Championships, the athlete may be required to undergo an on-the-spot E-Aadhar
verification within a 30-minute window. The athlete must carry their original
Aadhar card or E-Aadhar via mAadhar application. Failing to comply with this
verification process will result in the athlete being considered in violation of age
eligibility. This measure is in place to prevent any falsification of information and to
maintain the integrity of the competition.

2. Penalties for Misconduct and rule breaches:

If an athlete/ coach is found guilty of any misconduct and rule breaches such as age
fraud, fighting, using unoffensive language, violating game rules for eg: Doping or
using prohibited equipment, Disregarding the authority of the officials and
organizing committee the following actions will take place:

a. Non-Registered School Athletes/ Coaches: They will face disqualification and

a ban from participating in any SFA Competition for a period of up to 2 (two)
years.

b. Registered School Athletes / Coaches: The following protocol will be

followed in addition to the athlete's disqualification and up to 2 (two) year
ban from SFA Competitions:

• The school will be deemed ineligible for inclusion in the ranking table. This means
that while other athletes from the school can continue to participate, the school will
not be considered for any ranking. Additionally, any cash prizes associated with the
Championships will not be awarded to the school.
• Any subsequent occurrences will be considered a final incident. The entire school's
disqualification will be at the discretion of SFA’s Competition Committee, with a
penalty of barring participation for up to 5 years. This measure underscores the
commitment of SFA to maintaining the integrity of competitions and ensuring fair
play.

We urge all participants, coaches, and stakeholders to familiarize themselves with these
protocols to ensure a level playing field for all athletes. Your cooperation in upholding these
measures is crucial in preserving the integrity and spirit of the SFA Championships.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to fair competition.

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