Competitors

• A) Any person may compete in a CFI competition if they:
  • A1) Comply with CFI Regulations.
  • A2) Meet the competition requirements, which must be clearly announced before the competition.
  • A3) Are not suspended by CFI Board.
• B) Competitors below the age of 18 must obtain consent from their parent(s)/guardian(s) to register and compete.
• C) Competitors register by providing all information required by the organization team (including: name, country, date of birth, gender, contact information, selected events).
  • C1) A competitor is not eligible to compete without a completed registration, as determined by the organization team.
• D) A competitor's name, country, gender, and competition results are considered public information. All other personal information is considered confidential, and must not be disclosed to outside organizations/persons without the consent of the competitor.
• E) Competitors must represent a country of which they hold citizenship. The CFI Delegate should verify citizenship by means of documents (e.g. a passport) at their first competition. If a competitor is found ineligible to represent the country under which they have registered, the competitor may be disqualified retroactively and/or suspended, at the discretion of the CFI Board.
• F) Competitors must obey venue rules and conduct themselves in a considerate manner.
• G) Competitors must remain quiet when inside the designated competition area. Talking is permitted, but must be kept at a reasonable level, and away from competitors who are actively competing.
  • G1) Competitors in the Competitors Area must not communicate with each other about the scrambled states of the puzzles of the round in progress.
    Penalty: disqualification of the competitor from the event, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate.
• H) Competitors must be fully dressed while in the competition venue. At the discretion of the CFI Delegate, competitors may be disqualified from the competition for inappropriate clothing.
• I) While competing, competitors must not use electronics or audio equipment (e.g. cell phones, MP3 players, dictaphones, additional lighting).
  • I1) Competitors may use non-electronic aids that do not give an unfair advantage, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate. This includes:
    • I1a) Medical/physical aids worn by the competitor (e.g. glasses, wrist brace). Medical aids may be electronic if the competitor does not have comfortable non-electronic alternatives (e.g. if the competitor has a personal hearing aid or pacemaker).
    • I1b) Earplugs and earmuffs (but not electronic headphones and earbuds).
  • I2) Competitors may use cameras at the solving station at the discretion of the CFI Delegate, but the following restrictions apply from the start of the attempt until the competitor stops the solve. Penalty for breaking a restriction: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).
    • I2a) Each camera monitor must be blank or out of sight of the competitor  
    • I2b) The competitor must not interact with (e.g. operate, hold, wear) any active camera. Exception: the competitor may wear a camera mounted on their head, as long as it is out of their sight and it is clear that they are not interacting with it (apart from wearing it).
• J) The CFI Delegate may disqualify a competitor from a specific event.
  • j1) If a competitor is disqualified from an event for any reason, they are not eligible for any more attempts in the event.
    • j1a) The results of all remaining attempts in the event are recorded as DNF.
  • j2) If a competitor is disqualified during the course of an event, their earlier results remain valid. Exception: cheating or defrauding (see Regulation K2a).
• K) At the discretion of the CFI Delegate, a competitor may be disqualified from some events (a single event, multiple events, or all events) if the competitor:
  • K1) Fails to check in or register in time for the competition.
  • K2) Is suspected of cheating or defrauding the officials during the competition.
    • K2a) The CFI Delegate may disqualify any suspected results.
  • K3) Behaves in a way that is unlawful, violent or indecent; or intentionally damages venue facilities or personal property within the venue.
  • K4) Interferes with, or distracts others during, the competition.
  • K5) Fails to abide by CFI Regulations during the competition.
• L) A competitor may be disqualified immediately, or after a warning, depending on the nature and severity of the infraction.
  • L1) A disqualified competitor is not eligible for the refund of any expenses due to participating in the competition.
• M) Competitors may verbally dispute a ruling to the CFI Delegate.
  • M1) Disputes are only permitted during the competition, within 30 minutes after the disputed incident happened and before the start of any following rounds of the relevant event.
  • M2) The CFI Delegate must resolve the dispute before the start of the next round of the event.
  • M3) The competitor must accept all final rulings of the CFI Delegate. Penalty: disqualification from the competition.
• N) Competitors with disabilities that may prevent them from abiding by one or more CFI Regulations may request special accommodations from the CFI Delegate. Competitors requesting such accommodations should contact the organization team and CFI Delegate at least two weeks before the competition.
• O) Each competitor must be familiar with and understand the CFI Regulations before the competition.
• P) Competitors must be present and ready to compete when they are called to compete for an attempt. Penalty: disqualification from the event.

Cubes

• A) Competitors must provide their own Cubes for the competition.
  • A1) Competitors must be ready to submit their Cubes when they are called
  • A2) Cubes must be fully operational, such that normal scrambling is possible.
  • A3) Polyhedral Cubes must use a color scheme with one unique color per face in the solved state. Each puzzle variation must have moves, states, and solutions functionally identical to the original puzzle.
• B) Cubes must have colored parts, which define the color scheme of the puzzle and must be one and only one of the following: colored stickers, colored tiles, colored plastic, or painted/printed colors. All colored parts of a puzzle must be made of a similar material.
  • B1) For competitors with a medically documented visual disability, the following exceptions apply:
    • B1a) Blind competitors may use textured Cubes with different textures on different faces. Each face should have a distinct color, to aid in scrambling and judging.
    • B1b) Color blind competitors who cannot distinguish between the necessary number of colors may use colored parts with patterns, if it has been explicitly approved. Patterns may come from stickers or be drawn.
  • B2) 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.
• C) Modifications that enhance the basic concept of a puzzle are not permitted. Modified versions of puzzles are permitted only if the modification does not make any additional information available to the competitor (e.g. orientation or identity of pieces), compared to an unmodified version of the same puzzle.
  • C1) "Pillowed" puzzles are permitted.
  • C2) Puzzles whose colored plastic is visible inside the puzzle (e.g. "stickerless" puzzles) are permitted. This does not include the following puzzles:
    • C2a) Puzzles with transparent parts. Exception: An overlay sticker
  • C3) Any modifications to a puzzle that result in poor performance by a competitor are not grounds for additional attempts.
  • C4) For Clock, custom "inserts" (the same shape and size as the traditional paper inserts) are permitted, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate. The inserts must have a clear indication of 12 o'clock that matches the original inserts.
• D) 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 (see Regulation F).
  • D1) Puzzles are permitted to have reasonable wear, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate.
  • D2) Definition: Two pieces are similar to each other if they are identical in shape and size, or mirrored in shape and identical in size.
  • D3) Corrugated/textured parts which permit the orientation of pieces to be distinguished by feel are not permitted for blindfolded events.
• E) Puzzles should be approved by the CFI Delegate before use in the competition.
  • E1) If a puzzle is found to be not permitted during a round, the competitor must submit a replacement.
  • E2) Penalty for attempts done with puzzles which are not permitted: disqualification of the attempt (DNF). Exception: If a puzzle is found to be not permitted during a round, earlier results may be replaced with an extra attempt, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate.
• F) A puzzle may have a logo on a colored part. If it does, it must have at most one colored part with a logo. Exception: For blindfolded events, a puzzle must not have a logo.
  • F1) The logo must be placed on a center piece. Exceptions for puzzles that do not have center pieces:
    • F1a) For Pyraminx and 2x2x2, the logo may be on any piece.
    • F1b) For Square-1, the logo must be on a piece in the equatorial slice.
  • F2) The logo may be embossed, engraved, or consist of an overlay sticker.
• G) All brands of puzzles and puzzle parts are permitted, as long as the puzzles comply with all CFI Regulations.

Cubes Defects

• A) Examples of Cubes defects include: popped parts, pieces twisted in place, and detached screws/caps/stickers.
• B) If a Cubes defect occurs during an attempt, the competitor may choose to either repair the defect and continue the attempt, or to stop the attempt.
  • B1) If a competitor chooses to repair the Cubes, they must repair only the defective parts. Tools and/or parts of other Cubes must not be used to repair the original Cubes. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).
  • B2) Any repair to a Cubes must not give the competitor an advantage in solving the Cubes. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).
  • B3) Permitted repairs:
    • B3a) If any parts have fallen out or moved out of place, the competitor may place them back.
    • B3b) If, after repairing the Cubes but before the end of the attempt, the competitor finds that the Cubes is unsolvable, they may disassemble and reassemble a maximum of 4 pieces to make the puzzle solvable.
    • B3c) If the puzzle is unsolvable, and can be made solvable by rotating a single corner piece, the competitor may correct the corner piece by twisting it in place without disassembling the puzzle.
  • B4) If at the end of the attempt some parts of the puzzle are physically detached or not fully placed, the following regulations apply:
    • B4a) If one or more parts without colored faces are affected, the puzzle is considered solved.
    • B4b) If one part with one colored face is affected, the puzzle is considered solved.
    • B4c) If more than one part with one colored face is affected, the puzzle is considered unsolved (DNF).
    • B4d) If one or more parts with more than one colored face are affected, the puzzle is considered unsolved (DNF).

 

Solved Cube

• A) Only the resting state of the cube, after the timer has been stopped, is considered.
• B) The cube may be in any orientation at the end of the attempt.
• C) All parts of a cube must be physically attached to the cube and fully placed in their required positions.
• D) A cube is solved when all colored parts are reassembled and all parts are aligned within the limits specified below:
  • D1) For every two adjacent parts (e.g. two parallel, adjacent slices of a cube) of the cube that are misaligned by more than the limit, the cube is considered to require one additional move to solve.
  • D2) If no further moves are required to bring the cube to its solved state, the cube is considered solved without penalty.
  • D3) If one move is required, the cube is be considered solved with a time penalty (+3 seconds , applicable only in offline Mode).
  • D4) If more than one move is required, the cube is considered unsolved (DNF).
• E) Limits of acceptable misalignment for cubes:
  • E1) Megaminx: at most 36 degrees.
  • E2) Pyraminx and Skewb: at most 60 degrees.
• F) Cubes not specified in this article are judged according to the solved state as defined by the generally accepted goal of the cube.

• G) The solved state of Clock is achieved when all eighteen inner clock faces point to 12 o'clock.

Additional Regulations

Organization teams may adopt optional regulations to facilitate the administration of the competition, at the discretion of the CFI Board.

• A) The organization team may require competitors to submit puzzles during registration.
• B) The organization team may limit the number of events per competitor.
• C) The organization team may select competitors who directly qualify for certain rounds of certain events based on the results of specific previous competitions.
• D) The organization team may limit the number of competitors per event or per competition, on either a "first come first serve" basis or based upon qualification results or rankings in the CFI world rankings of a previously announced calendar date. If the number of competitors per event or per competition is limited, the following regulations apply:
  • Da) If the limit for a competition or an event is reached before the competition, the organization team must not accept on-site registrations for the competition or the event.
  • Db) Competitor limits should be announced together with the competition. Any changes to competitor limits are at the discretion of the CFI Board.
  • Dc) If there is more than one registration period, the organization team must announce each additional registration period at least 48 hours before it starts.
• E) The organization team may prohibit competitors from participating in specific combinations of events.

 

 

Events

• A) Events include:
  • A1) Incorrect execution of event procedures, by officials or competitors.
  • A2) Interference or facility interruptions (e.g. power failure, emergency alarm activation).
  • A3) Equipment malfunction.
• B) If an incident occurs, the CFI Delegate determines an impartial and appropriate course of action.
• C) If the CFI Regulations are not fully clear or if the incident is not covered by the CFI Regulations, then the CFI Delegate must make a decision based on fair sportsmanship.
• D) If an incident occurs during an attempt, the CFI Delegate may grant a competitor an extra attempt, replacing the attempt during which the incident occurred. The competitor must appeal verbally or in writing to the judge and CFI Delegate at the time of the incident, before finishing the original attempt, to be eligible for an extra attempt. An appeal does not guarantee the competitor an extra attempt.
  • D1) If a competitor is granted an extra attempt, the extra attempt must be scrambled using a different scramble sequence. This scramble sequence must be generated using a current official version of an official CFI scramble program.
  • D2) If a competitor is granted an extra attempt, the extra attempt should be done right after the attempt that caused it, and must replace the original regularly numbered attempt.
  • D3) If it is unclear whether an incident should result in an extra attempt, the competitor may be granted a provisional extra attempt that will be used only if it is later found that an extra attempt was appropriate (e.g. by a decision of the WRC).
• E) Decisions about an incident may be supported with video or photographic analysis, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate.

 

Competitions

• A) An official CFI competition must:
  • A1) Be approved by the CFI Board.
  • A2) Follow the CFI Regulations.
  • A3) Have a designated CFI Delegate in attendance.
  • A4) Be announced on the CFI website at least four weeks before the start of the competition. Exception: In special cases, competitions may be announced up to two weeks before, at the discretion of the CFI Board.
  • A6) Be publicly accessible.
  • A7) Use the authentic timer for time measurement.
  • A8) Be open to all who wish to compete.
• 8f) If CFI Regulations are not correctly observed during a competition, results may be modified at the discretion of the CFI Board.

 

Environment

• A) Spectators must remain at least 1.5 meters away from the solving stations when they are in use.
• B) Lighting of the competition area must be given special attention. Lighting should be neutral, such that competitors can easily differentiate among the colors on the puzzles.
• C) The competition area must be smoke-free.
• D) The competition area must have a Competitors Area.
  • D1) The organization team may require that a competitor who has been called to compete must remain within the Competitors Area until the competitor has finished all attempts for the round.

 

Scrambling

• A) A scrambler applies scramble sequences to the puzzles.
• B) Puzzles must be scrambled using computer-generated random scramble sequences.
  • B1) Generated scramble sequences must not be inspected before the competition, and must not be filtered or selected in any way by the CFI Delegate.
  • B2) Scramble sequences for a round must be available only to the CFI Delegate and the scramblers for the event, until the end of the round.
  • B3) Specification for a scramble program: An official scramble sequence must produce a random state from those that require at least 2 moves to solve (equal probability for each state). The following additions/exceptions apply:
    • B3a) 2x2x2 Cube: The (random) state must require at least 4 moves to solve.
    • B3b) Skewb: The (random) state must require at least 7 moves to solve.
    • B3c) 5x5x5 Cube, 6x6x6 Cube, OH 3x3x3 Cube, and Megaminx: sufficiently many random moves (instead of random state), at least 2 moves to solve.
    • B3d) Pyraminx: The (random) state must require at least 6 moves to solve.
  • B4) Each scramble sequence should be applied during a maximum time frame of 2 hours. This time frame starts when the scramble sequence is applied for the first time.
• C) Scrambling orientation:
  • C1) Megaminx are scrambled starting with the white face (if not possible, then the lightest face) on the top and the green face (if not possible, then the darkest adjacent face) on the front.
  • C2) Pyraminx is scrambled starting with the yellow face (if not possible, then the lightest face) on the bottom and the green face (if not possible, then the darkest adjacent face) on the front.
  • C4) Clock is scrambled starting with either side in front and 12 o'clock pointing up.
  • C5) Skewb is scrambled starting with the white face (if not possible, then the lightest face) on top and the green face (if not possible, then the darkest adjacent face) on the front-left.
• D) After scrambling a puzzle, the scrambler must verify that the puzzle is scrambled correctly. If the puzzle state is wrong, the scrambler must correct it (e.g. by solving the puzzle and applying the scramble sequence again).
  • 4g1) Exception: For the 6x6x6 Cube, OH 3x3x3 Cube, and Megaminx, it is not necessary to correct the puzzle state, at the discretion of the CFI Delegate.