As of July 23rd, 2019, the start of Season 4, several new rules modifications will be going into effect. These will include: a new rule regarding the final axe of each round, a modification to the rules related to Champs Points, and a modification to the Round 1 format regarding Round 2 seeding. See the specific breakdown of each change below.
Final Axe Call (i) Final Call Within a Round
Once both throwers have hurled their 5th and final axe, they must mutually agree on or independently make their “final axe call,” which is one of three options: “Bullseye,” “Clutch,” or “No call at this time” – typically used only by those who want to hear what their opponent wishes to throw first. Once the decisions are made and shared with the match’s scorekeeper, they are “locked in” and cannot be changed.
Be advised, if a thrower tosses their axe without locking in their final axe call or calling clutch, the throw will be “considered a regular throw for points by default.” Also, if both parties choose “No Call” and a proper course of action is not decided they will enter a “stalemate,” which results in the point leader, or if there isn’t one the leader of rounds won throughout the match, being forced to make the call and throw first – unless there is a “true tie,” then both players will need to “throw for bullseye and Clutches will be considered dead.”
Final Axe Call (ii) Big Axe Calls
Like final axe calls, Big Axe rules dictate that: “both players must make their intentions known to the scorekeeper prior to either competitor throwing an axe.” Typically a coin flip or rock, paper, scissors is used to determine who goes first, at which point the first thrower may choose bullseye or Clutch – if the thrower has previously scored a bullseye that round, the “Bulling In” rule applies. Once the first thrower has finished their turn, the second thrower may follow suit, choose a different option, or wait and see their opponent’s scores by opting for “no call at this time.”
Be advised, if a thrower is chosen to throw first, they must lock in their call to the scorekeeper even in the event their opponents chooses “no call.” And once again, locked in calls cannot be changed.
Champs Points Format
From now on, “no transfers or transfer requests for 2019 will be honored on or beyond 1 September 2019.” Also, NATF sanctioned organizations will not be able to transfer Champs Points between each other without explicit NATF approval. Simply put, points will still be able to be transferred between leagues within an organization, but a thrower cannot take their points to another organization without permission. Additionally, the final decisions regarding all transfer requests will be up to the NATF. Furthermore, a new “70+ average rule will now be taken into consideration for qualification first, prior to intra-league qualification.” This means, throwers averaging 70+ will now be removed from their home league’s top 4 consideration and automatically qualify for Round 1.
Be advised, “the allocation of member representation will remain unchanged” in terms of every organization being able to claim a percent of the final throwers in the NATC’s second round, “based on the amount of league members they field throughout the calendar year.”
NATC Round 1 Format Changes
Instead of continuing on with throwers throwing 45 regular axes and 9 big axes, 75 regular axes and 15 big axes will now be used in an extended format for Round 1 to help provide the throwers average scores “per 5 axes,” similar to how Round 1 is currently scored. Additionally, a thrower’s average score for Round 1 will now be used to determine their seeding for Round 2 at the NATC, not their Champ Points.
For more information on the most current NATF rules and regulations, or information about joining a league, we encourage you to reach out to our knowledgeable axemasters at Minnesota Axe! Reserve your lane at Minnesota Axe today by stopping in to Minnesota Axe today at 9375 Deegan Avenue Monticello, MN 55362 (inside Emagine Entertainment), call 763.295.4882, clicking here.