NBRA Fly Rules 2023

FLYING RULES

1. The kit will consist of between fifteen to twenty birds, scored as a twenty bird kit, and the maximum kitting points will be the number of birds flown. Young birds must be rung with the current year's rings. Birds rung with rings issued by clubs before January 1st of each year will not be eligible for young bird contest. All old birds must be rung with rings other than the current year.

2. Before the competition the judge shall satisfy himself that all birds are properly rung and eligible for the competition. A list of ring numbers must be available to the judge, who is responsible for forwarding this list to the NBRA secretary for inclusion on the certificate. Birds must be the property of the competitor and rings transferred if appropriate, to club rules.

3. At liberation a reasonable time should be allowed for birds to become airborne. There should be no restriction to the methods employed to ensure birds become airborne, BUT positively no interference will be allowed once the birds are on the clock.

4. Duration of the fly is twenty minutes, although there will be no penalties or disqualification once the birds have flown for 15 minutes.

5. Any attempt to distract a bird from settling during the duration of the competition will result in disqualification of the kit. Any bird rolling down before 15 minutes of the fly will incur a 25 point deduction. Any bird landing for whatever reason before the fifteen minutes, minus 25 points per bird, max two birds. Any birds dropping after this, kit disqualified.

6. In the event of the kit splitting into two, the biggest number shall be judge, or in the event of an equal split, the competitor may choose which half is to be judged.

7. If a kit should fly out of the sight of a judge, the birds may be taken off the clock for a total aggregate time of TEN MINUTES at the judges' discretion. Any time off the clock will be counted in the duration of the fly time; i.e. bird having flown for five minutes and also ten minutes off the clock have flown the minimum fifteen minutes to avoid penalty points.

8. If during the competition, additional birds join the kit, the judge should stop judging the birds until the foreign birds leave the kit or as in rule seven, after ten minutes the entire kit should be judge including the stray birds.

9. The kit should fly in a compact formation and the beginning and end of the roll should be tight and not sloppy. The birds should satisfy the judges' concept of a Birmingham Roller BEFORE any points are awarded. An addition of up to a maximum of 200 points can be awarded for overall quality of the kit.
THESE POINTS ARE AWARDED AT THE JUDGES DISCRETION BUT IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT THESE SHOULD BE THE MOST DIFFICULT POINTS TO EARN.

10. Up to 20 points can be awarded for kitting.

11. Scoring of points shall follow the accepted norm. i.e. :-
5 - 9 birds rolling spontaneously together 1 point per bird.
10-14 birds rolling spontaneously together score 2 points per bird.
15-19 birds rolling spontaneously together score 3 points per bird.
FULL TURN = 200 POINTS ....ALL BIRDS ROLL SPONTANEOUSLY

12. Judes should judge kits from a position offering most advantage to the competitor. However, the position adopted by the judge should neither distract the kit nor compromise his/her safety. The judges decision on the matter is final.

13.The judge shall leave a copy of the score with the competitor and the NBRA secretary will furnish full results to all Affiliated club secretaries.

14 No competitors are eligible to judge.

15 The judge shall submit a complete list of results to the NBRA secretary at the end of the competition. (The duplicate result sheets.)

16 In the event of Hawk Attack, judges to make sure it is a definite hawk attack. The judge to be flexible with reference to the kit being taken off the clock when the kit is attacked by a hawk. (30 minutes maximum for birds to regroup after the attack). If all birds drop as a result of hawk attack the kit is not disqualified and the score at that time to stand. If near the end of a fly a hawk attacks the kit, the score to stand. If the hawk makes a definite kill, no kitting points deducted, due to the hawk taking a bird or birds.

17. When a member is flying more than one kit, the second kit is to released 45 minutes after time is called on the first kit.. Failure to do so will incur disqualification to the second kit.

SUMMARY

DISQUALIFY CRITERIA: INTERFERING WITH THE BIRDS WHILST ON THE CLOCK.
PENALTY POINTS: BIRDS ROLLING DOWN BEFORE 15 MINUTES - MINUS 25 PTS.
BIRD DROPS BEFORE 15 MINUTES - MINUS 25 POINTS PER BIRD (2 BIRDS MAXIMUM) ANY BIRD DROPPING AFTER THIS, KIT DISQUALIFIED.

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