As expected, the performance of the top 32 throwers in this year's IATF world championship has left the organization's leadership with a typical quandary: how do we, as an organization, make sure only the very best in the sport are able to make it to the penultimate tournament?
In the past the IATF has adjusted the rules to make the sport more challenging and fun, including a broadening of restrictions on what axes can be used, restrictions on how bullseyes and clutches count via the Premier ruleset, and of course restrictions on weather you can push your fellow thrower mid-throw (I think it would add something to the sport if we could).
IATF leadership met in a super-secret logging camp somewhere on the United States/Canadian border, and have released the following potential rule changes to make the sport we know and love somehow more unrecognizable from even a year ago:
Adjust Premier Clutch Boxes
It became obvious during this year's IATF championship that a premier clutch was too easy. The recommended change is to adjust the size to further challenge throwers and build the skillsets required to hit them.
Now, the clutches will not be marked on the target, and premier clutch location will be randomized through Axescores.com. Instead, all throwers must throw where they think the clutches are, take a picture of their throw, and send the picture via USPS to IATF offices.
Within 2-3 weeks, IATF officials will send back a notification indicating whether the thrower did indeed hit a premier clutch.
Change "Road to International Axe Throwing Championships" Flowchart
The qualification flowchart has proven to be an invaluable tool to help throwers understand if they have, in fact, qualified for the IATC. It's because of this fact that the IATF has decided to streamline the qualification requirements and flowchart in order to make the field more competitive and fun:
New, Required Measuring Devices
While the move to the Premier ruleset was intended to reduce the amount of time required for measuring/checking the position of an axe relative to the score achieved, the IATF has come to realize that there are far too many variables, requiring just as much time to be required for accurate scorekeeping.
To address this, they've worked with experts in the field to develop new tools to hasten the process of determining premier clutch and no-bleed bullseye measurement.
This IATF licensed, bleed and premier clutch measuring device (known as the Perfectly Usable Device for Detecting/Indicating Exactness) need only be placed on the target next to the axe. When pressed firmly against the target and then removed, the measurement device will show an imprint that clearly indicated whether the blade of the axe is entirely breaking the top/bottom of a premier clutch box/is entirely within the bullseye.
These changes are expected to make everything throwers have come to love about the IATF/IATC even more loveable! Of course, feedback to the proposed changes are welcome, and can be sent to IATF directly at this address.
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