- Kit size. The kit size may range from 15 to 20 birds, but at least 5 must ROLL together in order to score.
- Time-in. The flyer shall announce to the judge the number of birds that are being flown prior to release of the birds. No additions or subtractions are allowed after release, but the flyer is allowed to chase up any birds that land or hit before time is called in. If the number of birds released is different from the number of birds declared to the judge the kit shall be disqualified. The flyer has up to 5 minutes after release in which to declare time-in. If the flyer does not call start or time-in earlier, scoring begins automatically five minutes after release. Any interference with the kit after time-in may lead to disqualification. Attempts to ward off birds of prey are allowed, but any directly related kit activity shall not be scored.
- Fly time. The kit is in judgement for 20 minutes after time-in or until the second bird lands, whichever occurs first. However, the kit shall be disqualified if more than one bird fails to fly for at least 15 minutes after time-in unless driven down by a bird of prey or extreme weather. A kit that is forced down by a bird of prey before the 15 minute mark will not be disqualified and its score will stand. A bird down that spontaneously crashes (after one bird has landed) shall be given up to 10 seconds to resurrect and resume flight or else it shall be considered the second bird down.
- Time-out. The judge may call a single discretionary time-out for up to 5 minutes in case of an attack by a bird of prey , blow-away, or other whim of nature or act of God, the flyer must ask for the “time-out” and ask the judge to put them back on the clock if he deems necessary before the 5 minute deadline. Although the 20-minute time for judgment shall be extended by such a time-out, the 15 minute minimum qualification time is not affected.
- Bird-out. Except for a 15 bird kit, scoring shall continue if one bird leaves the kit. Scoring is suspended but timing continues if 2 or more birds are out. A bird is not considered out if it is returning directly from a roll or it has been separated by extreme weather or chased off by a bird of prey – even if the pigeon lands or is captured.
- Extra birds. If additional Rollers join the kit, a simple discount for the extra birds shall be made for each turn involved. For example, if 2 extra indistinguishable birds are in the kit and 7 roll together, the judge would record 5.
- Scoring. It is mandatory for the region to furnish a timekeeper/scribe for the fly-off judge for each finalist. The judge shall simply estimate and record the number of birds rolling adequately in unison for each break involving 5 or more. The suggested minimum depth for scoring is 10 feet. Afterwards, the judge shall multiply those numbers by 1 for 5-9, 2 for 10-14, 3 for 15-19 and 5 for 20. Those results shall be added together to produce a raw score. Next the raw score shall be multiplied by a quality factor of 1.0 for “adequate” to 2.0 for “truly phenomenal” based upon the judges overall impression of the average quality exhibited in all the turns scored. Likewise, a depth or duration factor of 1.0 to 2.0 shall be multiplied to produce a final score. The judge shall announce the final score before leaving.
- Integrity. The judge shall NOT score anything that does not meet his standard for adequate quality and depth or duration of performance. This competition is for ROLLERS and not tumblers! Roller flying is a subjective sport and the judge may have to make allowances for extraordinary circumstances. In any case, the judge’s decision is final and anyone verbally or physically attacking the judge will be disqualified from the fly and may be banned from future WC events by the WC committee.
DEPTH (DURATION) OF PERFORMANCE
Depth of performance appears to represent the duration in time that the roll impulse is experienced by the roller. Depth is secondary to correct spinning. While the minimum standard of performance in-depth for the execution of a standard is herein established at ten feet, it is important to bear in mind that those birds which rotate the most revolution in the shortest space, regardless of depth, are of tremendous value. Regarding those rare rollers that appear to spin in place without much vertical descent, most “slow rate descent” rollers that can be identified DO drop, though they appear to do so more slowly than other rollers. Two seconds of standard performance in the execution of spinning, with minimal descent is quite impressive three seconds-possible; four seconds-probably a stretch. For the purposes of awarding points and multipliers in NBRC competitions, the baseline for the minimum standard is ten feet of depth, 1 second duration of spinning, and awarded a baseline multiplier of 1.0 in competition.
The following table establishes additional depths, durations, and multipliers to be awarded in NBRC 20-bird competitions:
Depth Duration Multiplier
10 ft 1.0 sec 1.0
15 ft 1.5 sec 1.1
20 ft 2.0 sec 1.2
25 ft 1.3
30 ft 2.5 sec 1.4
35 ft 1.5
40 ft 3.0 sec 1.6
45 ft 1.7
50 ft 3.5 sec 1.8
55 ft 1.9
60+ft 4.0+ sec 2.0
As with the standard for the frequency of performance, the standard for the upper limit of performance in depth is limited by the physical limitations of the birds imposed by the laws of nature as living creatures. Such abilities and limitations do not necessarily preclude the production of rollers capable of exceeding the upper limits of this standard for depth. If and when this occurs, it will raise the bar for the upper limit standard.