Great Lakes Police Motorcycle Training Seminar Rules
The Seminar’s Principle Objectives:
1. To establish and promote safe motorcycle riding skills within the police and civilian community.
2. To promote awareness of the police and civilian motorcycle rider in the public arena as a safe, responsible motorcycle rider.
3. To establish a cohesive bond and encourage kinship in the law enforcement motoring and civilian motorcycle communities.
4. To support local and regional charities affiliated with the motorcycle community.
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1) ELIGIBILITY: This Training Seminar and Competition is open to all riders within the motorcycle community. Police or Civilian as long as that person aligns with the Seminar Principles and is authorized to attend by The Board of Directors. All members of the Board of Directors may compete in the Competition except those assigned as the Head Judge. (See Rule #29). Competitors should note that they must participate in all three elements (Main, Slow Ride, and Challenge) to be eligible for Overall Scoring.
Police: A person who rides Police Motorcycle and has taken specific Police Motorcycle (Motor Officer) Training. Generally, but not limited to Sworn/ Retired Police Officers.
Civilian: A person who rides Police or Civilian Motorcycles and may have taken a weekend training course or attended a riding school. Generally, a member of the public who enjoys riding motorcycles and would like to enhance their skill level by attending this seminar/ competition. *** (Note- This seminar is NOT for beginners) ***
Rider Classification / Motorcycle Requirements / Divisions
2) RIDER CLASSIFICATION: In order to be eligible for an award Competitors must compete in one of the following Police or Civilian Rider Classes. ELITE, EXPERT, INTERMEDIATE, or NOVICE.
Police Novice:
• A rider who has completed a Police Level 1/ Basic Training (2 week) course and nothing higher.
• A rider who places 1st-3rd in a Police Novice competition is no longer eligible for Police Novice and must move up to Police Intermediate.
• That being said, nothing prohibits a rider who meets the Police Novice criteria from electing to compete in the Police Intermediate class.
Police Intermediate:
• A rider who has completed a Police Level 1, 2, or 3/ Basic, Advanced, or VIP Training course but is not an Instructor, and has not taken the Instructor Course.
• A rider who places 1st-3rd in a previous Police Novice competition.
• A rider can remain in Police Intermediate for a maximum of five (5) competitions. After five (5) competitions they are no longer eligible for Police Intermediate and must move up to Police Expert.
• That being said, nothing prohibits a rider who meets the Intermediate criteria from electing to compete in the Expert class.
Police Expert:
• A rider who has completed a Police Level 1,2, 3, / Basic, Advanced, VIP, or Instructor Training course.
• A rider who places 1st-3rd in a previous Police Intermediate competition.
• A rider who has attended more than five (5) competitions.
• A rider who places 1st in Police Expert moves up to Police Elite.
Police Elite:
• A rider who has won Police Overall Champion or Mr./Mrs. Rodeo of this or any other police motorcycle competition, seminar, or similar event shall move to Police Elite. Once in the Police Elite division the rider is not eligible to compete for Mr./Mrs. Rodeo.
Civilian Novice:
• A rider who has completed a Training Course (similar to MCM Training) and is capable of operating a motorcycle at slow speeds.
• A rider who places 1st-3rd in a Civilian Novice competition are no longer eligible for Civilian Novice and must move up to Civilian Intermediate.
• That being said, nothing prohibits a rider who meets the Civilian Novice criteria from electing to compete in the Civilian Intermediate class.
Civilian Intermediate:
• A rider who has completed a Training Course (similar to MCM Training) and is capable of operating a motorcycle at slow speeds.
• A rider who places 1st-3rd in a previous Civilian Novice competition.
• A rider can remain in Civilian Intermediate for a maximum of five (5) competitions. After five (5) competitions they are no longer eligible for Civilian Intermediate and must move up to Civilian Expert.
• That being said, nothing prohibits a rider who meets the Intermediate criteria from electing to compete in the Expert class.
Civilian Expert:
• A rider who places 1st-3rd in a previous Civilian Intermediate competition.
• A rider who has attended more than five (5) competitions.
• A rider who places 1st in Civilian Expert moves up to Civilian Elite.
Civilian Elite:
• A rider who has won Civilian Overall Champion or Mr./Mrs. Rodeo of this or any other motorcycle competition, seminar, or similar event shall move to Civilian Elite. Once in the Civilian Elite division the rider is not eligible to compete for Mr./Mrs. Rodeo.
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3) MOTORCYCLE REQUIREMENTS:
Police:
• To be eligible for an award competitors must compete on a “Police Motorcycle” that is equipped in the Normal Deployment Configuration. (How a department/service outfits its motorcycles for everyday use/patrol.)
• Example: A Motorcycle that is equipped with ABS the system shall not be deactivated.
• A rider who meets the eligibility requirements to be a competitor but wishes to utilize a “Police Motorcycle” that is a non police agency registered motorcycle (retired police bike that is now personally owned) must notify the Board of Directors upon registration and prior to attending the event. The Board of Directors will make the final decision on Attendance and Division.
Civilian:
• To be eligible for an award competitors must compete on a street legal motorcycle that is equipped in the “Normal Configuration”. (How a motorcycle is designed and outfitted from the factory for everyday use.)
• Example: A Motorcycle that is equipped with ABS the system shall not be deactivated.
• A rider who meets the eligibility requirements to be a competitor but wishes to utilize a non “Normal Configuration” motorcycle must notify the Board of Directors upon registering and prior to attending the event. The Board of Directors will make the final decision on Attendance and Division.
4) MOTORCYCLE DIVISONS: The Board of Directors has assigned the following divisions to be used for the Competition. Upon registration your bike will be examined to ensure you are in the correct division. The Board of Directors will make the final decision on Attendance and Division.
Police:
• Division I - Harley Davidson with fairing (Electra Glide and Road Glide)
• Division II - Harley Davidson without fairing (Road King)
• Division III - Other (BMW, Honda, etc)
Civilian:
• Division I – Any Motorcycle with fairing similar to Harley Davidson Electra Glide
• Division II - Any Motorcycle without a fairing similar to Harley Davidson Road King
• Division III – Other/ Open (Motorcycles in this division will be competing against a variety of other Motorcycles)
5) RIDER REGISTRATION: To ensure eligible competitors are in the proper category The Board of Directors will refer to the Rider Matrix:
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Attire / Equipment/ Conduct/ Scoring
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6a) POLICE ATTIRE: Competitors must attend wearing their issued “Uniform of the Day” (I.E. normally issued uniform for everyday motorcycle duty). This includes all issued use of force and safety equipment. Casual police or soft tactical uniform is acceptable for practice and lecture days at the discretion of the individuals Service/Department.
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6b) CIVILIAN ATTIRE: Competitors must attend wearing appropriate protective clothing that would not be deemed offensive by the Board of Directors. This includes all safety equipment.
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7) SAFETY EQUIPMENT: All competitors must wear an approved helmet. (Meeting minimum H.T.A. regulation standards) The helmet must be properly fastened while participating in any portion of the competition including practice. This will be strictly enforced. Failure to comply will result in enforcement of Rule #8. Boots, gloves and eyewear are strongly recommended.
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8) CONDUCT / DEPORTMENT: All persons involved in the seminar and competition are expected to maintain professional conduct. A welcoming, respectful and inclusive training environment will be provided. Anyone who displays/engages in unbecoming conduct as determined by a quorum of the Board of Directors may be censured, disqualified and/or ejected from the seminar or competition.
9) BREAKDOWN / MALFUNCTION: Once a competitor has commenced a skill/event run, breakdown or malfunction will not be accepted as an explanation for penalty point assessment. This will not be accepted as grounds for appeal. ***Note*** However if a breakdown or malfunction is encountered prior to commencing a skill/event run the competitor will be permitted 15 minutes to locate a replacement motorcycle of the same class. The competitor will be permitted ten minutes of off-course practice time on the replacement motorcycle.
10) COMPETITOR RESTRICTIONS: In the competition, the competitor may only compete with one motorcycle. (Except in the case of breakdown/malfunction). The competition will accommodate multiple competitors who share a single qualified motorcycle.
11) COURSE DIMENSIONS: Due to the assorted types of motorcycles in use by various riders both Police and Civilian. The Board of Directors reserves the right to alter the course dimensions at anytime if they deem it necessary to do so.
12) COMPETITOR SCORECARD: A competitor will be issued a “Competitor Scorecard Ring”. Once a Competitor begins the Competition he/she will present this scorecard ring to the greeting judge at the start of each skill/event. Upon completion of the skill/event the judge will enter the Competitor’s Score on the scorecard. The competitor will be given an opportunity to review the scorecard. The scorecard for that exercise will be collected by the Greeting Judge. The competitor will be given the Scorecard Ring back so he/she can proceed to the next exercise. Any Competitor found altering or presenting an altered scorecard will be disqualified.
13) PENALTY POINTS: Penalty Points are assessed according to the following Schedule:
1 Penalty Point
Touching a Cone or attached ball Knocking
Touch a Puck/Disc
2 Penalty Points
Knocking a Cone Over
Putting a Foot Down
Improper Weave Pattern Over Pucks / Discs
5 Penalty Points
Dropping a Motorcycle
Failing to Complete an Event/Skill
Running Out of an Event/Skill
Crossing a Boundary Line
14) PENALTY SCHEDULE DEFINITIONS: The following are the definitions of the Penalty Point Offences.
Touch a Cone is defined as: During execution of a skill/event whenever any part of a motorcycle or Competitor touches/contacts any part of a cone/pylon in place as part of a skill/event.
Knocking a Cone Over is defined as: During execution of a skill/event whenever any part of the motorcycle or Competitor touches/contacts any part of a cone/pylon in place as part of a skill/event which causes it to fall over off its normal standing base.
Putting a Foot Down is defined as: During execution of a skill/event the Competitor’s foot leaves the foot rest and comes in contact with the Competition ground surface.
Dropping a Motorcycle is defined as: During execution of a skill/event the motorcycle falls to the Competition ground surface and the Competitor does not have control of the motorcycle. (As determined by the skill/event judges) Does not include scraping of any part of a motorcycle against the ground surface.
Failing to Complete an Event/Skill is defined as: During the execution of a skill/event a competitor does not finish the event by exiting the skill/event at the normal exit point. This includes failing to follow the correct Path of Travel or stopping and putting a foot down to reposition.
Running Out of an Event/Skill is defined as: During the execution of a skill/event both the front and rear wheels cross the plane of an imaginary line between two cones/pylons that are not the Entry or Exit Point or normal path of travel for an event.
Crossing a Boundary Line is defined as: During the execution of a skill/event where a Boundary Line is used as opposed to cones the contact patch of a competitor’s motorcycle tire crosses the Boundary Line. A judge will determine if the motorcycle has crossed the line by being able to see unmarked ground surface between the tire and the outside edge of the boundary line. Riding on the line is “Not” out of bounds.
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MAIN COMPETITION
15) GOAL: The object of the Competition is “Not” to receive any Penalty Points. All competitors start with a score of zero.
16) COURSE RUNS/SCORING: Competitors are required to make one run through each separate skill/event. The total score from these runs will be tallied to determine the final placement in the Main Competition. (The lower the score, the higher the ranking
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17) FIVE (5) POINT MAXIMUM: A maximum of five (5) penalty points is all any one Competitor can accumulate in any one skill/event. If the Competitor is assessed five (5) points, he/she can not accumulate any more points but is encouraged to complete the event.
18) MAIN COMPETITION TIE SCORES: To prevent a tie score for a placing position in the Individual Competition the following system will be used to determine final placement. One of the skill/events will also be timed. This time is only used as a tie breaker if needed. The object of the timed run is to complete the skill/event without being assessed penalty points with the addition of doing it as quickly as possible. Clean beats Time!
Example: Two riders have completed all skill/events without being assessed any penalties.
 Rider One and Rider Two.
Two riders have completed all the skill/ events with one penalty each.
 Rider Three and Rider Four.
All riders registered a time in case of a tie.
Rider One = 50 Seconds,
Rider Two = 40 Seconds,
Rider Three = 35 Seconds,
Rider Four = 30 Seconds.
The Final placing positions for Individual Completion would be as follows:
1st Place is Rider Two,
2nd Place is Rider One,
3rd Place is Rider Four,
4th Place is Rider Three.
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SLOW RIDE COMPETITION
19) ELIGIBILITY: All competitors properly entered in the competition will participate in this event.
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20) GOAL: The object of the Slow Ride Competition is for a competitor to travel through a designated pattern as slowly as possible. The slowest time will determine the winner.
21) COURSE RUNS /SCORING: The competitor’s time will stop at the occurrence of any of the following infractions:
• A Competitor puts a foot down.
• A Competitor drops the Motorcycle
• A Competitor crosses the Boundary Line (See Rule #14 for definitions of these Infractions)
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22) TIMING: Timing of a Competitor’s Run will commence when a competitor raises his/her feet from the Competition Surface and the Motorcycle front wheel axle crosses the plane of the Entry Line. A competitor’s time ends when the rear axle of the Motorcycle crosses the plane of the Exit Line.
CHALLENGE COURSE ( Andrew Hong Memorial Challenge)
23) ELIGIBILITY: Any competitor properly entered in the Competition will participate in this event.
24) GOAL: The object in the "Challenge" event is to complete a timed run through the course in as quick a time as possible without being assessed penalty points. For each penalty point assessed, an extra 10 seconds will be added to the competitor’s time. Any competitor that completes the event without being assessed penalty points, 15 seconds will be subtracted from the competitor’s time.
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25) BREAKDOWN DURING CHALLENGE: Rule #9 applies to the "Challenge."
NOTE: The “Challenge” event layout is confidential and will be explained on the day of the competition.
OVERALL CHAMPION COMPOSITE SCORING
26) COMPOSITE FORMULA:
Note: The individual rankings by division and class will apply to determine the winners of those divisions/classes. The individual results from all classes and divisions will be blended to form one overall ranking list that will be used to determine the overall individual champion and team scores.
The overall champion will be determined by using the following formula:
Main Course Individual Competition Result 50%
Slow Ride Individual Competition Results 25%
Challenge Results 25%
100%
The competitor with the lowest score, using the following method will make the determination of overall champion:
Main Course Individual Competition Results
The competitor will be assigned a score equal to the value of his/her ranking in the Competition. (e.g. 1st place equals 1 point, 2nd place equals 2 points and so on)
Slow Ride Individual Competition Results
The competitor will be assigned a score equal to the value of his/her ranking in the Competition. (e.g. 1st place equals 1 point, 2nd place equals 2 points and so on)
Challenge Competition Results
The competitor will be assigned a score equal to the value of his/her ranking in the Competition. (e.g. 1st place equals 1 point, 2nd place equals 2 points and so on)
Example:
Competitor A received competition results:
Main score 3rd place = 3 points
Slow score 5th place = 5 points
Challenge 2nd place = 2 points
Competitor B received competition results:
Main score 1st place = 1 points
Slow score 11th place = 11 points
Challenge 3rd place = 3 points
Competitor A
Main 3 x 50% = 1.50points
Slow 5 x 25% = 1.25points
Challenge 2 x 25% = 0.50points
Total 3.25points
Competitor B
Main 1 x 50 % = 0.50 points
Slow 11 X25% = 2.75 points
Challenge 3 x 25% = 0.75 points
Total 4.00 points
Ties for placing positions (1st through 3rd ) in the overall championship will be broken by the championship being awarded to the competitor with the highest ranking/placing in the Main Competition. In the event of a Main course tie (Non-placing position such as 4th place) The competitor with the highest ranking in the Slow Ride will be awarded the championship. Ties for non-placing positions will not be subject to the tiebreak formula.
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TEAM COMPETITION
27) TEAMS:
• A Team will consist of four (4) competitors who participate in the Individual Competition.
• Any four (4) competitors may sign up to form a Team.
• Competitors may only ride on One Team unless approved by the Board of Directors.
• After all competitors have completed all of their events the score totals for all team members will be added together to determine the Team Score. Teams must be declared in writing prior to the commencement of the Main Competition.
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28) PENALTY POINTS: See Rule #13 and Rule #21.
29) PENALTY SCHEDULE DEFINITIONS: See Rule #14 and Rule #21.
30) FIVE (5) POINT MAXIMUM: Rule #17 applies to the Team Competition.
31) TEAM COMPETITION SCORES: Will utilize the Overall Champion Composite Scoring formula. (See rule #26)
32) RULES ADJUDICATION: On the day of the Competition a Rules Panel will be comprised of the Head Judge (not riding) and five (5) riders selected at random by the Board of Directors. The Rules Panel will be established to settle all disputes that cannot be settled at the Judges level.
33) SCORING DISPUTE: Any dispute of scoring a particular event/skill, must be addressed by the affected Competitor after completing the said skill and prior to entering the next skill. Only a Competitor may dispute scoring on a Judge’s decision by appealing to the Judge in charge of a skill. In most cases this will be the Greeting Judge. If the dispute is not resolved at this level, the Head Judge will be appealed to for adjudication. The Rules Panel will convene to decide an Appeal. The decision of the Rules Panel is final for the day of the Competition.
34) TAMPERING OR IMPROPRIETY: Any allegation of Cheating, Tampering or Impropriety by a Judge, Competitor or any Involved Person must be brought to the Rules Panel in the First Person. No anonymous or 3rd party allegations will be accepted. The Rules Panel will investigate the accusation and may impose penalty.
35) FORMAL APPEALS: A Competitor has the right to appeal a decision of the Rules Panel. The appeal must be submitted to the Board of Directors in writing within 7 days after the conclusion of the event. The full Board of Directors will consider the Formal Appeal. The decision of the Board of Directors is final.
36) JUDGES MEETING: A meeting of Course Judges will be held prior to the Competition. One of the Board of Directors will chair this meeting. Judges will be assigned to an event/skill. Each event/skill will be assigned a Judge in Charge. The Judge in Charge will greet each Competitor at the start of each skill and receive the Competitor’s Scorecard. The Judge in Charge is not rigid in his positioning and has the ability to float during the Competitor’s execution of the skill. He/she may assist in the scoring of the skill. The Judge in Charge will canvas all Judges on a skill to determine if any penalty points were assessed and will tally the points if required. The Judge in Charge will then make the entry on the Competitor Scorecard and present it to the competitor for review.
37) COMPETITORS MEETING: A Competitors Meeting will be held prior to the start of the Competition. One of the Board of Directors will Chair the Meeting. All rules will be reviewed. Any changes will be announced and any questions or concerns will be addressed.
38) AWARDS: Awards and or prizes will be distributed for events as determined by the Board of Directors.
39) ROOKIE QUALIFICATION (John Flagg Memorial Rookie of the Year Award): Any Novice competitor is eligible for this award. This award will recognize the rider who best exemplifies the Seminar's Principle Objectives as determined by the Board of Directors.
40) GLOSSARY:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board of Directors or Committee Members of the Great Lakes Police Motorcycle Training Seminar.
HEAD JUDGE: One (1) individual selected by the Board of Directors with a strong knowledge base of Motorcycle Competitions. To oversee the Event, Judges, and Rules Panel.
JUDGE: A person designated by the Board of Directors to score and/or time Competitors on the Course.
RULES PANEL: A group of five (5) riders selected at random by the Board of Directors who have attended at least One (1) motorcycle competition in the past. To assist the Head Judge answer any rule disputes/ challenges.
COMPETITOR: A competitor as defined in rule # 1 registered to compete in the Competition.
COURSE: A series of events/skills a Competitor must execute on a Motorcycle, including Path of Travel.
EVENT/SKILL: A specific motorcycle riding exercise, which makes up part of the Course.
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