F.F.A.M.
Contest Rules

Contest Rules


For a full set of contest rules, click to download.  Contest-Rules


  1. The President of the FFAM shall appoint the chairperson of the contest committee.
  2. The chairperson of the contest committee shall be responsible for maintaining a record of all entrants who participate in each event, the elapsed times the participants achieve including any penalties imposed by the judges, and the winning team in each event.
  3. The chairperson of the contest committee may appoint such a number of assistants, as he/she deems necessary to maintain the required records. Suggested: 1 announcer and 2 clerks.
  4. The chairperson of the contest committee or his/her designee shall provide a record of the winning teams (1st, 2nd and 3rd places) of each event to the association historian, the editor of the newsletter and for the permanent record of the association.
  5. The chairperson of the contest committee shall appoint the necessary starters, timers and judges for the contests. These persons shall serve their respective positions for all contest events.
  6. The contest committee reserves the right to amend any rules on the day of the contests as necessary due to weather and ground conditions. Each team captain will be notified of the changes in the rules prior to the start of the contest involved.
  7. The contest committee reserves the full control of the contest, including the right to amend/interpret any rule that allows an unfair advantage to any participant or team. Their decision is final.
  8. The starters will have full authority when starting each event. Starting ahead of the fun or signal for the second time shall disqualify the contestant or the team for the event.
  9. The judges shall impose penalties as provided in the rules governing each contest and shall have the power to disqualify a team or contestant for improper conduct. Agreement between two judges shall constitute a decision. Decisions reached in this manner shall be final.
    1. NOTE: Only the contest committee may change the requirements for any given contest, and then only with the full agreement of the entire committee and BEFORE the contest is started.
    2. Any such changes after the contest begins could give an unfair advantage to one or more teams and will not be allowed.
  10. The contestants participating in the contests must be currently on a fire department roster and active members or associate members of the FFAM to participate in the firefighter’s contests. To participate in the female division, the participants must be current, active members of the FFAM or Auxiliary. It is not necessary that they be members of a local organization. Junior contest participants must be members of FFAM.
  11. A team consists of men/women in such a number as required by the individual contest rules. No team may participate without the required number of members.
  12. Contestants may participate on only one level. That is either firefighter, female or junior division at any one convention. This is dependent upon their membership qualifications as defined in the respective bylaw of each organization.
  13. There shall be no more than two teams representing any one fire department or association from a town, city or district entered in any single contest event.
  14. Entry and enrollment blanks shall be provided by the FFAM in such a form as to show the numbers of teams entered by each department for each contest as well as the names of individual members of each team and the captain.
  15. All entries for the contest shall be made BEFORE 7:00 PM on the Wednesday prior to first day of the annual convention. At this time, all entry forms shall be properly completed and signed by the authorized person(s). No entries will be accepted after this time. Pre-entry by mail or electronically is encouraged.
  16. The FFAM and the host organization assume no responsibility for injury during the contest. The participating team members must sign a Release of Responsibility form to that effect and enter at their own risk.
  17. Each department shall appoint a team captain for each event. The captain shall be responsible to know the members of his/her team and to see that the team is properly prepared for the event. The captain shall meet with the contest judges to discuss rules, penalties, etc. prior to the start of each contest. The captain and only the captain will be accepted to discuss problems or complaints after a contest is done.
  18. Substitution for team members may be made up until the starting of the first contest. The clerk, except in case of an emergency or injury will accept no substitutions after the beginning of the contests. Alternate members may be named on the original entry blank.
  19. Contestants may participate on only one team in each contest event.
  20. All contestants of any department entered in the association contests must be registered at the convention to be eligible for competition. The authorized representative of each department shall sign a statement certifying that all contestants are registered.
  21. If a department member enters a contest and is not registered at the convention, the entire department will be disqualified for the contest.
  22. Misrepresentation of eligibility of any contestant will disqualify the entire team and department from all competition in the current year.
  23. Protective clothing shall be interpreted to be NFPA approved fire gear.
    1. Boots: NFPA approved boots with bunker pants complete with liners, snaps and/or zippers and suspenders.
    2. Coat: Bunker coat with liner.
    3. Helmet: Fire department type helmet with chinstrap.
    4. Gloves: Gloves are highly recommended but not required and do not have to meet NFPA standard.
  24. All contests excluding water fight are decided by elapsed time. The elapsed time being the actual time achieved by the contestants plus any time penalties imposed by the judges.
  25. Any ties in scoring in all contests shall be decided by sudden death?play off between the tied teams.
  26. The on deck team (next team to compete) will be prepared to participate at the time they are called to compete or be disqualified for that round.
  27. The team in the hole?(team immediately following the on deck?team) must be prepared to compete in the contest within 2 minutes of the time they are called to compete or be disqualified for that round.
  28. Two contests may run concurrently. If a member is competing in both contests, every effort will be made to allow competition in both contests.
  29. Contests not completed in one day will be ruled ?b>NO CONTEST? and no points will be awarded.
  30. The committee will set up all elimination contest by blind draw allowing all teams same odds of play.
  31. After each team completes their contest, the team members will assist the judges in repositioning the equipment for the next contest. Failure to do so will result in a penalty of 10 seconds for the round just completed.
  32. The team accumulating the most points will be the recipient of the ?b>OVER-ALL? trophy. IN CASE OF A TIE FOR OVERALL, THE TEAM WITH THE QUICKEST AVERAGED TIME (Total contest time divided by the number of contest equal the averaged time) FOR THE COMPLETE CONTEST, WILL BE THE OVERALL WINNER.
  33. Any time a nozzle or a coupling is dropped deliberately or thrown during or following any contest the team will be disqualified. The nozzles are to be laid down to prevent damage. (Note: Exception as provided in the coupling contests).
  34. The host department shall furnish all hose, wyes, appliances, etc for the contest and the contest committee shall inspect all contest equipment before the start of the contests. All hose to have lite weight couplings (power-lite, etc.).
  35. ALL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT IS STARTED WITH SHALL REMAIN IN PLACE DURING THE TIME THE CONTEST IS BEING RAN. IF ANY EQUIPMENT IS LOST OR DROPPED DURING THE CONTEST IT WILL RESULT IN A DISQUALIFICATION.
  36. THE NOZZLE AND HOSE WILL BE HELD UNDER CONTROL AT ALL TIMES UNTIL ALL WATER PRESSURE IS RELEASED AND GONE.
  37. Gloves are recommended but not required for all play in the firefighter and female classes. If gloves are used, ANY TYPE is allowed that you want with a couple of exceptions. No open finger gloves, no open hooks, clips or alterations that could injure or are specifically added for competition enhancement. Resolving of issues will be a judgment call on the field by the contest committee and ruling is FINAL? for the day.
  38. The 2 ” nozzle position in extending a hydrant line? shall be open and the team captain is responsible to check the nozzle for status under supervision of a judge. The entire team can be brought to the nozzle position for consultation. The captain of a female or junior division team may confer with one or more representatives of their department or have that representative(s) check the equipment for them if they prefer.
  39. The threads to the 2″ nozzle or hose in extending a hydrant line? can be checked by the team captain using a double male and female (or cap and plug). This equipment will be provided to the captain by a judge for threading if desired in addition to the visual inspection if they feel there is a problem.
  40. For safety and health reasons, all positions on the bucket brigade (especially the thrower) can now be rotated in any way the team would like.
  41. Lodging a protest must be completed before fully concluding that event. If shut down and set-up for the next contest has started it is too late for any hope of repeating that event outside of highly ?u>extraordinary? circumstances. Last team to finish a call should promptly call time out with a judge if they have any questions at all once their event is completed.
  42. Un-sportsman like conduct will not be acceptable behavior within the contest area. Note, the word Area? vs Field? so as to include all sidelines (areas around the field of play). If this is witnessed, one of two courses of action will take place.
    1. A minor to significant action will result in a single warning. A second warning during the day (does not have to be for the same thing) and you are disqualified from the event you are presently in or just completed and you are done for the day ?barred for further team play. That will usually mean the team members forfeit their standing in that event as well.
    2. Serious action, obvious endangerment of others, witnesses confirming specific action and one event (present or previous) is voided (you are disqualified) plus you are done for the day ?barred from further team play. Designated alternate must be available for the team to continue to play if you are barred from further team play or your entire team is done for the remainder of the day. (Some isolated cases witnesses of minor actions in the past, but we wanted to be on record for possible range of penalties).
  43. Rest periods between back to back play (essentially involving the water fight competition) that must go immediately back into play will have a full two minutes to rest from the time the equipment is back in place and ready for re-start in the firefighter division and three minutes in the female and junior division. If this happens to a team a second time during the water fight, an extra minute will be added for the second occurrence, three for firefighters and four for female and junior divisions.
  44. The contest committee will assure all primary equipment dedicated to the contest by the host department remains in full service until the contests are fully concluded by a pre-arrangement of understanding.
  45. No artificial or amplified sound will be allowed on contest grounds at any time.