MANUAL OF MOTORCYCLE SPORT - Motorcycling Australia

PHILOSOPHY OF GCR’S
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THE GENERAL COMPETITION RULES
THE PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL COMPETITION RULES
No set of Rules can anticipate every issue which may arise
in the conduct of a sport, especially one with as wide a
variety of disciplines and competing interests as exist in
motorcycling. The philosophy of these Rules is that good
sense, cooperation and a fair and reasonable interpretation
of reasonable Rules should be more important than “Rule
Book Racing”.
In Rule Book Racing, if a situation arises, the answer is
to be found by looking up the book, not by the exercise of
independent judgment. If there’s no answer in the book, a
new rule has to be devised to “plug the hole”. Rule Book
Racing assumes that Controlling Bodies have little or no
interest in working effectively with competitors, with each
other, or with Promoters to benefit the sport and those
who participate in it. It also assumes that officials have
no common sense or understanding of the sport. None of
these ideas is true or fair.
These rules confer on the Controlling Bodies and their
representatives and officials discretion in the application
and interpretation of the Rules. It is intended that discretion
will be exercised, as stated in the very first rule in this book
to ensure that competition is safe, free and fair.
Officials are expected to exercise judgment wisely
and fairly, on the understanding that if they do not, their
decisions, other than those made in the heat of competition,
will be subject to review through protest and appeal. They
will be trained and encouraged to take responsibility for
their actions, and to work in a way which supports the
underlying philosophy of the Rules.
Our rules should reflect the way that the sport is conducted.
MA and the State Controlling Bodies (SCBs) have been
careful to ensure that there is a process in place to ensure
that every participant has the opportunity to have their say
in the way these rules are written.
We actively seek constructive criticism of these Rules
and encourage participants to work through their
representatives to ensure their relevance.
STRUCTURE OF MANUAL OF MOTORCYCLE SPORT
This book is divided into 29 chapters.
The first 14 chapters apply to all disciplines of the sport and
the rest to the specific disciplines. There will be a degree
of crossover from the first section to the specific disciplines
and some of the Rules contained in those first chapters
need to be added to or varied according to the needs of a
particular discipline.
We have attempted to make this edition of the book more
user friendly, reinstating an index and reframing every
chapter into a as close to a consistent format as possible.
We have also striven to eliminate any ambiguities
and contradictions.
Chapter 1 - Jurisdiction
This chapter states the purposes and principles
underlying the Rules. The Rules are to be applied fairly
and according to the principles of natural justice. These
Rules are binding not only on competitors but also on all
Controlling Bodies.
There is a list of definitions which may be useful while
using the rest of the Book.
Chapter 2 - Administration
This very important chapter sets out the authority of the
Controlling Bodies. It identifies and empowers the people
and the instrumentalities through which the Controlling
Bodies exercise their authority.
MA is a member of the FIM, a federation of the controlling
bodies of motorcycle sport throughout the world, and MA
is a federation of which the SCBs are members. The
significance of this that the FIM would not exist without
the cooperation and involvement of its members, and the
same principle applies to MA.
SCBs agree to be bound by the decisions of MA as part of
the agreement they entered into with each other when MA
was formed. The SCBs are, in effect, the owners of MA,
and their control over MA is exercised through the Board.
The Board has the power under the Articles of Association
of MA to make competition Rules.
Rule 2.1.2 is a very important rule which typifies the
philosophy which underpins these Rules. In providing for
the making of agreements, the Rules clear the way for
resolving differences among Controlling Bodies and with
Promoters, by consultation, discussion and agreement
rather than by disputation and resort to a strict and
legalistic approach.
The rest of the chapter identifies the roles, responsibilities
and limits of authority of various key officials.
Chapter 3 - Licensing
The primary pupose of having a licencing regime is to
ensure the safety of competitors.
This may be applied through separating less experienced
competitiors from ‘old hands’ and, in the case of junior
competition, to ensure that all riders obtain the benefits
of a structured coaching process.
Licence holders may not compete at a level higher than
their licence.