ELIGIBILITY
All team members must be aged under 19 on 31st August in the year of the Contest.
No ringer may ring in more than one team, except as follows: if a team meets short due to illness, or other circumstances, a maximum of one ringer may be drafted in from another team.
FORMAT
Teams may choose to ring either six or eight bells.
There will be two contests: one for Call Changes, and one for Method ringing. The Method ringing may be Doubles or Minor on six bells, and Triples or Major on eight bells.
The Whitechapel Trophy will be awarded to the team winning the Method ringing contest.
The RW Editor’s Trophy for Excellence will be awarded to the team winning the Call Changes contest.
CALL CHANGES
| Six bells | Eight bells |
| A minimum of 180 rows (from the first change to the last backstroke row before rounds at the end) | A minimum of 160 rows (from the first change to the last backstroke row before rounds at the end) |
| The test piece shall start and end in rounds and include at least two of the rows Queens (135246), Tittums (142536) and Kings (531246). | The test piece shall start and end in rounds and include at least two of the rows Queens (13572468), Tittums (15263748) and Whittingtons (12753468). |
| Rows will be marked from the first change to the last row before rounds at the end. | Rows will be marked from the first change to the last row before rounds at the end. |
| Rounds before and after the test piece will not be marked. | Rounds before and after the test piece will not be marked. |
| Any rows under the minimum number of 180 rows shall incur additional faults. | Any rows under the minimum number of 160 rows shall incur additional faults. |
| Teams may supply someone to count rows during their test piece, if desired. | Teams may supply someone to count rows during their test piece, if desired. |
METHOD
| Six bells | Eight bells |
|---|---|
| The touch shall be 180 changes of Doubles or Minor. | The touch shall be 168 changes of Triples or 160 changes of Major. |
| Rows will be marked from the first change to the first row of rounds at the end (inclusive). | Rows will be marked from the first change to the first row of rounds at the end (inclusive). |
| Rounds before and after the test piece will not be marked (note that the row when the touch comes into rounds is part of the test piece). | Rounds before and after the test piece will not be marked (note that the row when the touch comes into rounds is part of the test piece). |
STARTING SIGNAL
The signal for the start of the test piece shall be two whole pulls on the treble and second (i.e. 1212, 1212).
GENERAL
Entry is accepted at the discretion of the Organisers and teams shall be bound by the rules of the Contest.
Each team will be allocated a time slot in the tower, during which they may adjust ropes, ring their whole piece for practice, give the starting signal and then ring their test piece. Any team failing to complete their test piece within 15 minutes of starting their practice may incur additional faults.
The conductor must be a participating team member, conducting from within the circle.
A steward, appointed by the Contest Organisers, will be present in the tower for each team.
In addition, an adult plus up to 2 reserves may accompany the team in the tower, but must play no part other than
- to assist with rope adjustments, if required.
- to count rows during the test piece for a team ringing Call Changes, if desired.
- to assist in an emergency.
There shall be no coaching of teams in the tower by non-contestants.
Other non-contestants shall not be allowed in the tower, except with the express permission of the Contest Organisers.
The Whitechapel Trophy and the Editor’s Trophy remain the property of The Ringing World Ltd and must be returned on request.
The Judges’ decision is final.
Updated July 2021 for RWNYC 2021
Updated January 2016; minor amendments December 2018
PDF Copy: Rules 2021
