OFFICIAL RULES
Target Area & Launching Rules
Target area is 60ft in diameter, roped off with targets, or cattle tanks, that are propped up slightly with point values painted on them.
The distance to the target zones area (approximate):
- Front – 170 ft.
- Center – 200 ft.
- Back – 230 ft.
- Width of Total Target Zone – 60 ft.
Tank locations are approximate and not exact per diagram.
To hit the target area, you will need to launch the avocado into the air. The avocado must contact a tank to get those points (side or top). Bouncing (from the ground to the tank) does not count for value on tank and will be awarded points from the initial bounce contact point, if applicable.
Each tank has a roped off perimeter with point value. If the launch lands within the rope around the tank, the point value is 10. If the launch lands outside the tank rope, but within the roped off larger target area, the point value is 5.
There will be judges near the launch zone as spotters to determine points earned.
For safety reasons, only the registered team members are permitted in the designated launch zone during their scheduled launch. Only launching teams along with our highly trained NALC Staff and Volunteers are permitted in the arena. All other teams or spectators will remain outside of the competition area.
General NALC Rules
These rules have been set and determined by the NALC committee and if any person or persons do not follow these rules, the entire team will be automatically disqualified.
- No competitor is allowed on multiple teams.
- No two teams can use the same launching mechanism.
- Team members must be 18 or older and will be required to show identification and sign a liability waiver.
Teams consist of UP TO 3 persons.
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- Teams are allowed to be less than 3 if the device can be transported and launched safely by fewer than 3 people
- All team members that will compete must be at registration or will be unable to compete.
Teams will have a total of 3 minutes to enter the arena and set up their launching mechanism in the designated launch zone.
- 30 seconds per launch.
- 30 seconds begins when the Judge tells the team it is their turn to launch.
- If the avocado is not leaving the device within the 30 seconds, that launch is forfeited.
Teams will alternate shooting 3 avocados each, to earn points and move on to the next round.
See Target Area for launching rules.
NO OUTSIDE AVOCADOS!
Avocados will be provided for the general competition. Please provide your own if you intend to participate in practice day.
Launching Device/Mechanism Rules
Only authorized devices will be permitted.
- Only manual power, no addition propellants such as:
- Gas
- Fire
- Compressed Air
- Etc.
- No throwing by hand will be permitted
- Gas
- Fire
- Compressed Air
- Etc.
Launch zones are 20ftx20ft square.
The team members, the device, and any tools that may be needed in case of a mechanism break must remain within those boundaries the entire round. If a team member or the device is outside the launch zone, the team will get one (1) verbal warning. On a second occurrence the team will be penalized according to the following:
- If the team still has a launch left, they will forfeit a turn.
- If they have finished their launches, the last launch score will be scratched.
Breakdown:
No team shall launch with a device they know is not functioning properly. Due to the safety of launching with a device that is defective, a team that knowingly and willingly launches with a broken device will be automatically disqualified!
- If a mechanism breaks in-between rounds, the team has until their next turn to fix the device.
- If the device breaks while your are launching, the team has until the next launch to fix the device. Any and all points accumulated before or during the launch will still count.
- There will be no re-launching.
- The device must be fixed before the next launch.
- All tools needed to fix device must be in the launch zone, there will be no leaving the launch zone during the round.
- If the team whose device broke, gets the highest score using qualified launches, they still move forward unless team claims their device is NOT fixable, then the other team, although not the round winner, moves on.
- The device must be fixed before next round or they become disqualified to compete, forfeiting the competition, and giving a BYE to their next opponent to move on in the bracket competition.
There is a designated ‘exit’ for competitors and their mechanism. There will be a launch zone attendant to help judges and competitors in the launch zone area.
Pool Play
At registration, each team will sign up, in order, for their Pool Play round and their Pool Play Launch Zone. The first round of Pool Play will have assigned launch zones. The second round of Pool Play will be the same teams launching together but will each move down 1 launch zone. (Ex. If team X is in Launch Zone 1 for the first round of Pool Play, then team X will be in Launch Zone 2 for the second round. Team beginning in Launch Zone 4 will move to Launch Zone 1.)
Four teams will launch per round. Teams are not competing against each other, but are competing for a change to get onto the final bracket.
At registration, each team will sign up, in order, for their Pool Play round and their Pool Play Launch Zone. The first round of Pool Play will have assigned launch zones. The second round of Pool Play will be the same teams launching together but will each move down 1 launch zone. (Ex. If team X is in Launch Zone 1 for the first round of Pool Play, then team X will be in Launch Zone 2 for the second round. Team beginning in Launch Zone 4 will move to Launch Zone 1.)
Four teams will launch per round. Teams are not competing against each other but are competing for a chance to get onto the final bracket.
Launch Zone 1 will be the first team to Launch followed by Launch Zone 2, then 3, then 4.
- Team listed first is in Launch Zone 1, or the furthest west zone
- Second team listed will be in Launch Zone 2
- Third team listed will be in Launch Zone 3
- Fourth team listed will be in Launch Zone 4, or the furthest east zone
Teams will alternate in order by Launch Zone until all four teams have launched 3 avocados each. See General NALC rules.
The official scorer will be calculating every launch for every team. The teams with the highest TOTAL score using all SIX (6) Pool Play launches will be added to the bracket until the bracket is full.
Each competing team will select ONE (1) representative to play in the Wholy Guacamole Toss Off (WGTO).
This person cannot change during the duration of the WGTO.
Tosser will stand in designated Toss Zone.
They will toss an avocado (one that has already been launched in the competition) at a Cornhole Board.
- Distance will be at 27’ from Toss Zone line to front of the board, to comply with ACL (American Cornhole League) ruling.
The order of tossing will be determined by the number each team drew at registration. Smaller number will toss first.
Each tosser will get ONE (1) toss to make the avocado into the hole in the board.
- Winner is NOT determined by first shot in, tossers will get 1 to 1 tosses.
During the first round of WGTO, all the players who make the shot move into the ‘winner group’ and all those who do not make it move into the ‘loser group’.
- If less people are in the ‘winner group’ than slots left on the bracket, all the ‘winner group’ teams will move onto the bracket play and the ‘loser group’ will start a new round to compete for the remaining slots on the bracket.
- If more people are in the ‘winner group’ than slots left on the bracket, every team in the ‘loser group’ will be eliminated and the ‘winner group’ will continue to compete until the slots on the bracket have been filled.
If more than ONE (1) round is needed, winner/loser groups will be erased and the round begins completely over.
- Rounds will continue until the bracket is full.
Bracket Play
The top teams with the highest TOTAL score from Pool Play will compete using a single elimination bracket.
Bracket placement will be determined having all team captains of remaining teams go into the arena and draw numbers corresponding will numbers on the bracket. Their placement will match the bracket and that is how the bracket will be played.
The team in launch zone 1 will launch first and the team in launch zone 2 will launch second.
- Team on the top of the bracket are in launch zone 1, or west zone
- Team on the bottom of the bracket are in launch zone 2, or east zone
Teams will alternate launches until each team has launched 3 avocados following all General NALC rules.
The team with the highest ROUND score will move on to the next round. The other team will be eliminated.
In the event of a tie, teams will go into a tiebreaker:
- Teams will use Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) to determine which team will launch first. If a second tiebreaker is needed, the person who lost the RPS will shoot first on the second tiebreaker.
- Each team will launch ONE (1) avocado and the highest score will move on.
- Teams are allotted 2 tiebreaks per round, except the Championship Round teams can play up to TEN (10) tiebreakers.
If there is still no winner after the tiebreaker rounds, teams will move on to a “Whole Guacamole Toss Off”.
Each competing team will select ONE (1) representative to play in the Wholy Guacamole Toss Off (WGTO).
This person cannot change during the round but can change if the team ends up in a new WGTO in future rounds.
Tosser will stand in designated Toss Zone.
They will toss an avocado (one that has already been launched in the competition) at a Cornhole Board.
- Distance will be at 27’ from Toss Zone line to front of the board, to comply with ACL (American Cornhole League) ruling.
The order of tossing will be determined before tossing begins by drawing a number. The tossing order will be in numerical order of the numbers drawn. If only 2 teams are competing for one spot, Rock, Paper, Scissors, will determine order of tossing.
Each tosser will get ONE (1) toss to make the avocado into the hole in the board.
- Winner is NOT determined by first shot in, tossers get 1 to 1 tosses.
Rounds will continue until ONE (1) tosser makes the shot and the other tosser does not.
Standard Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot game will be used to determine order of launch during tiebreakers or Wholy Guacamole Toss Off.
A representative from both teams will perform a RPS duel to determine order of launch/toss.
Players start each round by saying, “rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” On “shoot,” each player holds out their fist for rock, flat hand for paper, or their index and middle finger for scissors.
Rock crushes scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock.