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.

    • 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

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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 be assigned their order and launch zone for the first round of Pool Play. Second round of Pool Play will be the same order, but launch zones will be swapped.

Two teams will launch per round. Teams are not competing against each other, but are competing for a chance to get onto the bracket.

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At registration, each team will be assigned their order and launch zone for the first round of Pool Play. Second round of Pool Play will be the same order, but launch zones will be swapped.

Two teams will launch per round. Teams are not competing against each other, but are competing for a chance to get onto the bracket.

Launch Zone 1 will be the first team to launch, followed by Zone 2.

  • Team listed first will be in Launch Zone 1
  • Team listed second will be in Launch Zone 2

Teams will alternate until both teams have launched 3 avocados.

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.

Bracket Play

The top teams with the highest TOTAL score from Pool Play will compete using a single elimination bracket.

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The top teams with the highest TOTAL score from the SIX (6) Pool Play launches/Wholy Guacamole Toss Off 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”.

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.