IFSS CHAMPIONSHIPS REGULATIONS

A. GENERAL
1. The World Championships (WCh’s) are sled dog competitions by which IFSS, as recognized
member of GAISF, grants the title “World Champion” to the winners of each of the World
Championship classes as defined in these regulations.
2. The Continental Championships (ECh’s, NACh’s, etc.) are sled dog competitions by which IFSS,
as recognized member of GAISF, grants the title “European/North American/etc. Champion” to
the winners of each of the Continental Championship classes as defined in these regulations.
3. Only events organized according to these regulations shall be recognized by IFSS and its
Members as World or Continental Championships.
4. The World Championships should be held in every odd-numbered year.
5. The Continental Championships should be held in every even-numbered year in the concerned
continents.

B. APPLICATION
6.
6.1 Any national Member Federation having competitors with interest in the
World/Continental Championships (i.e. with DID) may submit an application to host a
World or a Continental Championships. The proposed race site should have been
accredited as World Cup event in the previous year(s). Said member shall thereby bind
itself to make available to IFSS a race suitable for the purpose (see also sections C and E).
6.2 The IFSS shall take into consideration when evaluating all applications that the
World and Continental Championships should be held as late as possible in the season of
that hemisphere.
6.3 The year before the WCh, a test race shall be organized by the hosting member on the
same race site and the WCh Race Marshal shall be invited as an observer.
7.
7.1 The application for WCh shall be submitted minimum two (2) years before the event
to the Vice President of Sport who will seek advice from the Accreditation Committee.
The application for World Championships shall be approved by the IFSS Council.
7.2 The application for Continental Championships shall be submitted minimum two (2)
years before the event to the concerned Continental Director who will seek advice from
the Accreditation Committee. The application for Continental Championships shall be
approved by the IFSS Council.

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8. IFSS is the organizer of the World and Continental Championships and shall sign an agreement
with the hosting Member about the implementation of the event.
9. An accreditation fee shall be established by the IFSS Executives and included in the agreement.

C. ADMINSTRATION AND RULE ENFORCEMENT

10. The Chief Rule Enforcing Officers for the event shall consist of the Race Marshal, Animal
Welfare Judge, Doping Control Officers (DCOs) and the Chief Veterinarian.
10.1 All Chief Rule Enforcing Officers shall be appointed by the IFSS.
10.2 The required Chief Judges shall be appointed by the Race Marshal.
11. Other Race Judges (e.g. start judge, finish judge, trail judge, etc. as required), Chief Timer,
Race Site Crew Foreman and Chief of Secretariat shall be appointed by the hosting Member but
are subject to the approval of IFSS.
12. Other Officers (e.g. Equipment Controllers, Dog Identification Controllers, Trail Stewards,
Doping Control Assistants (DCAs) etc. as required) shall be appointed by the hosting Member
but are subject to the approval of the Race Marshal. They will report to judges designated by the
Race Marshal.
13. The Race Veterinarians and Veterinarians’ Assistants shall be appointed by the Chief
Veterinarian.
14. The Trail Crew shall be appointed by the hosting Member but is subject to the approval of
the Trail Boss.
15. The Time Keeping Crew shall be appointed by the hosting Member but is subject to the
approval of the Chief Timer.
16. The Sled Holders, Speaker, Parking staff shall be appointed by the hosting Member but are
subject to the approval of the Race Site Crew Foreman.
17. The Secretary Crew shall be appointed by the hosting Member but is subject to the approval
of the Chief of Secretariat.
18. No person holding any position under this Rule may be a participant of the event.

D. The IFSS shall:

19. Send out invitations and entry forms to all national Member Federations and publish them
on the IFSS website.
20. Publish the time schedule of the event in cooperation with the Hosting Federation.
21. Summon a team leaders meeting prior to the race in order to distribute essential information
pertaining to the event and to supervise the drawing of the bib numbers if not done
electronically earlier.
22. Supervise, assist and support the hosting Member in its preparations for and implementation
of the event.
23. Provide trophies of honor (at least gold, silver and bronze medals) for the first three
finishers in each class.

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E. The Hosting Member shall:
24. Appoint an Organizing Committee including a person who will be the main contact person
between the Organizing Committee and IFSS.
25. Obtain the necessary permissions from the police and other authorities.
26. Take out insurance for those responsible for the event.
27. Obtain on-site accommodation for the required number of officials.
28. Be responsible for the promotion of the event.
29. Arrange the opening ceremony, the awards ceremonies and the closing ceremony with the
assistance of IFSS.
30. Procure participation certificate.
31. See to it that the following technical requirements are met:
31.1 Area: Enough space for the agreed number of participants.
31.2 Trail and trail markings: In accordance with the IFSS Race Rules.
31.3 Loudspeakers: Covering the complete race site. Especially aimed at Vehicle Holding
Area (Drivers parking/stakeout), Starting Area. Microphones for at least Announcer and
Starter (the latter preferably with his own system).
31.4 Radio/Other means of communication: As required for the following Officials: Race
Marshal, Race Judges, Chief Veterinarian, trail Checkers, trail Boss.
31.5 Electronic time keeping (with chip reading) and on line results.
31.6 Vehicles: Motorized trail vehicles for the IFSS Officials.
31.7 Materials: Enough materials for building start and finish area and blockings of the
trail.
31.8 Antidoping: Secure facilities for Antidoping activities (athletes and dogs).

F. The participating National Members shall:

32. Nominate participants worthy of representing their countries.
33. See to it that their participants are made familiar with the regulations pertaining to the event
and that they have correctly filled and made available the official documents required by the
IFSS (i.e. Consent form, Guardian form, Chip list, etc.).
34. Appoint a Team Leader (see section J).

G. FINANCES
35. The Hosting Federation shall be responsible for the whole finance of the Championships,
including the expenses for the IFSS appointed Rule Enforcing Officers (Food and lodging on site
for up to ten persons during the period as agreed upon whereas their travel costs will be paid or
reimbursed by IFSS).
36. The IFSS reserves the right to cancel the agreement with the Hosting Federation if the
accreditation fee is not paid as contractually scheduled.

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H. ENTRY FEES
37. The entry fees as established by the IFSS Council, accrue to the IFSS unless provided for
differently in the agreement between the IFSS and the organizer.
38. The entry fees shall be paid by the National Members, according to the time limits as
established by the IFSS Council. The entry fees are in principle not refundable. It shall be
partially or totally reimbursed in case of cancellation of the event for reasons of force majeure.
38.1 If a class is cancelled by the Race Marshal, 100% of the entry fees for that class will
be reimbursed.
38.2 If, for medical reasons, an athlete withdraws and presents a medical certificate
before the dead line date for entries, the entry fee will be fully reimbursed. If he/she
presents a medical certificate after the deadline date, 50% of the entry fee will be
reimbursed.
38.3 Similarly, if a competitor is not able to take part in a race because of a sick or
injured dog, his/her entry fee will be fully reimbursed if he/she can presents a certificate
signed by a veterinarian before the entry deadline. If the withdrawal is announced after
the deadline, 50% of the entry fee will be reimbursed.
38.4 No other compensation shall be considered for the cases listed in § 38.1, 38.2 and
38.3 above (e.g. no reimbursement of DID fee).
39.
39.1 National Members not complying with the established time limit for payment of the
Entry fees shall pay a two hundred (200) % entry fee.
39.2 Entry fees for additional entries as defined in § 41.3 below will be 150% of the
regular entry fee.
40. All dues concerning the participation of a national team shall be settled before the members
of said team are eligible for participation.

I. PARTICIPATION RULES
41. The National Members shall nominate teams from its country for participation in the World
or Continental Championships according to the following provisions:
41.1 Each National Voting Member may enter three participants in each class at On-Snow
and Dryland Championships, one relay team at Dryland Championships and two relay
teams at On-Snow Championships. This quota is doubled for the hosting country. The
same quota applies for RNB classes and non RNB (Open) classes except for Canicross,
Sp4MS and Relay classes where there is no specific RNB classes. There is no quota for
Distance Championships.
41.2 Each Provisional Member may enter one participant in each class and one relay
team at On-Snow and Dryland Championships. The same quota applies for RNB classes
and non RNB (Open) classes except for Canicross, Sp4MS and Relay classes where there
is no specific RNB classes. There is no quota for Distance Championships.
41.3 If the total number of regular entries is smaller than the acceptable total number of
teams, National and Provisional Members may be granted additional entries. The Vice
President of Sport in the World Championships and the concerned Continental Director
in the Continental Championships shall decide in which classes the additional entries
may be granted. The additional entries shall be distributed among the countries having
requested additional entries proportionally to the number of their competitors ranked in
the World Cup final result.

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 41.4 Without affecting the number of entries mentioned above, the winners from the
previous Championships are preselected to participate in the same class.
41.5 Without affecting the number of entries mentioned in § 41.1 through 41.4 above,
the top three Global World Cup ranked competitors and the number one Continental
World Cup competitor in each class from the previous racing season will be preselected
in their class for the following World Championships. In order to be preselected based on
the World Cup results the competitors shall have completed at least three World Cup
races in their class.
41.6 Without affecting the number of entries mentioned in § 41.1 through 41.4 above,
the top three Continental World Cup ranked competitors in each class from the previous
racing season will be preselected in their class for the following Continental
Championships. In order to be preselected based on the World Cup results the
competitors shall have completed at least three World Cup races in their class.
41.7 The preselected competitors are part of their respective national teams and their
selection shall be confirmed by their National Federation.
41.8 The number of individual entries from one country in one class shall in principle not
exceed 25% of the total number of teams designated for that class, to the detriment of
any other participating country.
42. The entry of individual teams and relay teams shall take place only through the National
Members.
42.1 To be eligible to participate for a nation, the participant shall either be a citizen of
said nation or have been a resident of same for at least 24 months.
42.2 No participant shall be eligible to participate for more than one nation during the
same racing season.
42.3 To be eligible to participate for a nation, the participant shall hold a valid DID
(Driver Identification) number.
42.4 The Vice President of Sport may grant permission for entry in the World
Championships to presumably qualified drivers representing countries not affiliated to
the IFSS. The provisions under Chapter H of this Rule shall apply accordingly. These
competitors shall not be entitled to be awarded Champion titles.
42.5 The concerned Continental Director may grant permission for entry in the
Continental Championships to presumably qualified drivers from member countries of
other continent. The provisions under Chapter H of this Rule shall apply accordingly.
These competitors shall not be entitled to be awarded Champion titles.

J. TEAM REGULATIONS
43. In World and Continental Championship events, each participant shall enter the race as a
member of a national team. A Team Leader appointed by the National Federation shall be in
charge of the national team.
44. The Team Leader shall act as a liaison between the race organizer and the national team
members. He/she shall speak English or be assisted by an interpreter designated by his/her
National Federation.
45. A Team Leader shall, immediately upon arrival at the race site, report to the organizer and
inform of his presence, where he/she is accommodated during the race and how he/she can be
contacted (i.e. mobile phone number).

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 45.1 If at any time the Designated Team Leader is replaced by another person. That
person’s contact information must be presented to the Race Marshal immediately.
46. Any communications from the race organizer to any participant shall be construed as being
received by the addressee when given to the Team Leader.

K. CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSES
World and Continental Championship races may be organized in the following classes:
47. Sleddog Sprint:
47.1 Unlimited Class (SpU)
47.2 8-dog Class (Sp8)
47.3 6-dog Class (Sp6)
47.4 4-dog Class (Sp4)
47.5 4-dog Junior Class (Sp4J)
47.6 4-dog Mass Start (Sp4MS)
47.7 2-dog Class (Sp2)
48. Ski-Dogs Sprint:
48.1 One Dog Class Pulka Men (PM1) and Women (PW1)
48.2 One Dog Class Skijoring Men (SM1) and Women (SW1)
48.3 One-Four Dog Class Pulka Men (PM4) and Women (PW4)
48.4 Two Dog Class Skijoring Men (SM2) and Women (SW2)
48.5 One Dog Class Combined Men (CM) and Women (CW)
48.6 One Dog Class Pulka Junior Men (PMJ) and Women (PWJ)
48.7 One Dog Class Skijoring Junior Men (SMJ) and Women (SWJ)
48.8 One Dog Class Combined Junior Men (CMJ) and Women (CWJ)
49. Mid-Distance:
49.1 12-dog Mid-Distance Class (MD12)
49.2 6-dog Mid-Distance Class (MD6)
49.3 Two Dog Class Skijoring Men (MDSM) and Women (MDSW)
49.4 If pools of dogs are authorized (Race Rules 40.3.1 and 40.3.2), it shall be
indicated on the race invitation.
50. Dryland:
50.1 Canicross Junior Men (DCMJ) and Women (DCWJ)
50.2 Canicross Men (DCM) and Women (DCW)
50.3 Bikejoring Junior Men (DBMJ) and Women (DBWJ)
50.4 Bikejoring Men (DBM) and Women (DBW)
50.5 Scooter one dog Junior (DS1J)
50.6 Scooter one dog (DS1)
50.7 Scooter 2-dog (DS2)
50.8 4-dog Rig Junior (DR4J)
50.9 4-dog Rig (DR4)

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 50.10 6-dog Rig (DR6)
50.11 8-dog Rig (DR8)
51. Relay:
51.1 On-Snow relay
51.2 Dryland relay

L. CHAMPION TITLES
52. World Champion titles shall be awarded to the best (fastest) teams of each rated class of the
World Championships providing at least seven (7) competitors from three countries are
represented in these classes except in junior classes where at least three competitors from two
countries are represented. If there are less than 7 entries and/or less than 3 countries after the
late entry dead line (3 entries and/or 2 countries for junior classes), the class shall not be run. If
there are seven or more entries from 3 countries after the late entry dead line but there are
effectively less than 7 starters and/or less than 3 countries the first day of the competition, (3
entries and/or 2 countries for junior classes), the class will be run but the Champion title will
not be awarded.
53. Continental Champion titles shall be awarded to the best (fastest) teams of each rated class
of the Continental Championships providing at least seven (7) competitors from three countries
in Europe and two in all other Continental Championships, are represented in these classes
except in junior classes where at least three competitors from two countries are represented. If
there are less than 7 entries and/or less than 3 countries in Europe and 2 in all other Continental
Championships after the late entry dead line (3 entries and/or 2 countries for junior classes), the
class shall not be run. If there are seven or more entries from 3 countries in Europe and 2 in all
other Continental Championships after the late entry dead line but there are effectively less than
7 starters and/or less than 3 countries in Europe and 2 in all other Continental Championships
the first day of the competition, (3 entries and/or 2 countries for junior classes), the class will be
run but the Champion title will not be awarded.
54. Champion title shall not be awarded if more than one (1) heat is cancelled in that class.

M. FINISH TIME DISQUALIFICATION

55. Unless noted differently on the invitation, a 150 % time disqualification shall automatically
apply for each class (except juniors) of the championships.

N. RACE PROGRAM FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

56. It is recommended that Sprint, Ski-Dogs, Junior Sprint, Junior Ski-Dog and Mid-Distance
Championships be organized jointly but they may be organized separately if dictated by specific
conditions.
57. World Championships Sprint and Mid-Distance shall be three day events except 4-dog sprint
which may be a 2 day race and 4-dog Mass Start which shall be a one day race.
58. World Championships Ski-Dogs races shall be one day events.
59. World Championships Dryland shall be:
59.1 A one day event for the relay races.
59.2 A two day event for all other classes.

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O. RACE PROGRAM FOR CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
60. It is recommended that the race program of the Continental Championships follows the
recommendations made for the World Championships.

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