RE: Rules

[Duncan Louttit <duncan@swallow.co.uk>]

Hi Everyone,

	Well done to the organisers of this year's competition; I had a great time.

	As we are now a year away from the next national competition, this could 
be a good opportunity to make any rule changes. One of the ironies of this 
year's results is that the first two "non contact" wall followers both got 
stuck on the walls and needed a touch to release them. The third place 
mouse did not need this help.

	My suggested rule change is that touches should be treated like faults in 
show jumping; anyone with no touches beats anyone with one touch, 
regardless of the time. This also avoids problems of interpretation. If I 
place a chunk of metal in the start square, pick it up and run round the 
course carrying it until I reach the centre, does this constitute "one 
touch"? (Running round the course is necessary to avoid going over the 
walls.) With the rule change there is little incentive to worry about the 
precise definition of "touch", any outside intervention counts.

	Incidentally, to avoid any suggestion of sour grapes, I came second under 
the existing rules and would have probably come last under the proposed change.

	Regards,

	Duncan